This past November I started at the University of Michigan, leaving behind a job and staff I have truly loved and stepping up to a new challenge more than halfway across the country. I thought I would get started by sharing a little bit about me, what drew me to Michigan, and what my role means for the University of Michigan.
As I shared at the Michigan IT Symposium, I am native of Washington and I’ve worked at the University of Washington for most of my professional career. After 15 years in healthcare, I was asked by the president to take on the leadership role in UW’s technology organization, a one year assignment, focusing on the management of the IT organization. The IT organization and I grew on each other, and one year turned into eight, all the while building trust and enjoying the ability to affect real change across campus. I was a geek by heart, and I found my calling.
My husband actually grew up inside and outside of Detroit, his family still runs a business in Detroit, so as I was looking for the next challenge, I started to become interested in the role of the CIO at Michigan. I explored it very tentatively at first, because it’s hard to leave a place where you are successful and have enjoyed strong working relationships, but after getting to know the leadership team here and meeting staff and faculty members who are so enthusiastic about what they’re doing, I realized that Michigan is a really special place. What attracted me to Michigan the most was its commitment to embrace the role that technology is going to play in every facet of the institution moving forward—from how we care for patients, to how we accelerate our research, to how we train the next generation of digital leaders.
What attracted me to Michigan the most was its commitment to embrace the role that technology is going to play in every facet of the institution moving forward…
As your new Vice President for Information Technology and CIO, I’m excited about the ability of the entire campus to get behind initiatives in ways and scale that are difficult to accomplish in other places. And, as someone who has held dual roles in both administrative and unit IT leadership, I have a great deal of respect for the diverse set of priorities and responsibilities of unit’s and their IT that are often more immediate and less theoretical than those in central. I’ll be doing a lot of listening from the center out to the edges of what is the next thing, what services need to be provided, or what capabilities are needed. Together, we’ll also look for opportunities to simplify and become more effective with the resources that we already have in place.
I believe that, working together, we will continue to see technology as a partner to the innovative spirit and excellence that defines this institution.
In partnership,
Kelli
Kelli Trosvig
Vice President for Information Technology and Chief Information Officer
University of Michigan
Send questions or comments to Kelli through the Office of the CIO website.