[1:07] What did your favorite mousepad look like?

It was a Darth Vader helmet-shaped mouse pad. It had a hard surface. That takes me back. I had to go back a long way.

[1:59] What’s the funniest email you’ve ever received?

A colleague sent me an email looking for a particular location. They weren’t from the area. They were driving to the destination, and they couldn’t find the landmark they were looking for called a “pig.” The pig was an actual literal pig—and he grazes every day like clockwork on the same patch. This colleague was late that day, so they just happened to miss him.

[4:45] If you could meet any tech icon, who would it be?

Besides Jobs and Gates—probably Steve Wozniak. He put the hardware and software together. He’s an inventor who stirred the industry. I’d also like to meet Metcalfe.

[7:09] Tell us about the Pace Center for Girls.

We’ve been around for almost 40 years now, mostly in Florida. We help ladies who’ve had some trouble or trauma and we help them in various ways to help them meet their potential. We have some of the best counselors to help these young ladies.

[10:03] Is Pace a non-profit organization?

Yes, and as a non-profit, it can be difficult to put together a plan for IT. When I came on, the technology was there, but it wasn’t cohesive. There were sensitive systems operating on outdated machinery. By bringing technology to the forefront, we were able to transform the organization.

[14:00] Tell us about the type of planning you do to keep you on budget while propelling you forward.

To have a successful IT program, the plan was to start from the top. You need to have your board involved and have the folks at the top understand and appreciate why this is necessary to the organization.

[21:33] Let’s talk about security. What is your suggestion on how IT folks can strategically apply security systems?

The first thing I would say is you need to understand what your particular business risks are. Where are you vulnerable? Data is the most valuable commodity, and it’s imperative you protect it. Secondly, once you know what your risks are, you want to tailor the security solutions towards that risk.

[30:23] What’s your take on diversity in IT?

There are different types of diversity. For example, diversity of thoughts. The more people you have from different backgrounds, the easier it is to leverage the wisdom of the crowd. None of us are as smart as all of us.

[39:00] Take us on a trip through AI from the past and up into the future.

There’s reasonable fear in what we’re seeing, but we’ve also been using AI for the last 10-15 years. If you’re using Google maps, you’re using AI. What we’re running into is technology as a news cycle. That said, guardrails do need to be put in place. We have let the internet become inundated with false information in an authoritative way.

[49:35] What’s the future of AI and where will it be used? What do you predict?

I went into McDonald’s recently and no one was working. I saw the screens and made my order on the screens. I showed my sons and brought up how automation may mean these jobs won’t exist for much longer. As parents, we need to start preparing our children for the world that’s going to exist—not the one that exists today. We need to invest in our children and prepare them for the world that’s coming.