How did you get started in your IT career and end up in your current role?

I began my career as a Helpdesk and Training Assistant at the Common Management Systems (CMS) Project Office at San José State University, where I supported the university’s transition from legacy home-grown systems to PeopleSoft HR, Campus Solutions, and Finance. With a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration (concentration in Human Resource Management) and a master’s degree in Public Administration, I advanced into roles as a Business Systems Analyst and Subject Matter Expert, managing system upgrades, enhancements, and implementations across various enterprise applications.

At Cal State East Bay, I co-led IT Service Management transformation initiative and helped establish a Business Relationship Management program within ITS. As the Director of Enterprise Technology Solutions, I also led our Customer Relationship Management program. I currently serve as the Interim Deputy CIO.

What was your childhood dream career, and why?

As a child, I dreamed of becoming both an entrepreneur and a teacher—two paths that, while different, shared a common theme: creating, leading, and inspiring.

I was drawn to entrepreneurship because I loved building things from scratch, solving problems, and turning ideas into action. It gave me a sense of independence and impact. At the same time, I admired teachers for their ability to spark curiosity and help others grow. I enjoyed explaining things to classmates and seeing that moment when something “clicked.”

Both dreams were rooted in curiosity, leadership, and a desire to make an impact—values that still guide me today.

What are the one or two habits that you regularly practice that have contributed to your success in your career?

Two habits that have consistently contributed to my success are staying informed about current challenges and trends in higher education and practicing meditation.

Keeping up with higher ed trends helps me anticipate change, understand emerging needs, and make more strategic, informed decisions. It keeps my work relevant and aligned with broader institutional goals. On the other hand, meditation helps me stay grounded, focused, and resilient—especially in high-pressure or fast-moving environments. Together, these habits help me stay both mentally focused and emotionally balanced in my leadership role.

Accomplishments

Could you discuss your latest project, the business results it achieved, two challenges you encountered, and how you overcame them?

One of the most impactful initiatives I’ve co-led is the Managed Services Partnership between East Bay and the CSU Chancellor’s Office. Launched during a time of significant IT staffing changes, the partnership was designed to provide strategic support for our PeopleSoft systems. By leveraging shared services, we streamlined operations, improved system performance, and achieved significant cost savings. What began as a pilot at Cal State East Bay has since evolved into a scalable model adopted by other CSU campuses. The success of this evolving program has been recognized with two major awards: the 2019 Cal State Tech Gold Award for Organizational Growth, Change, and Leadership, and the 2023 California Higher Education Efficiency Award for Enhancing Efficiency and Collaboration.

Two key challenges I encountered during this initiative were:

• Gaining buy-in: Transitioning to a managed services model was a significant cultural and operational shift. Stakeholders had concerns about control, accountability, and workflow changes. To address this, I emphasized early, transparent communication, involved key stakeholders in the design and pilot phases, and focused on quick wins to build trust. Highlighting benefits like faster issue resolution and process improvements helped gain strong cross-departmental support.
• Building a sustainable and scalable model was essential to ensure the model could support multiple campuses in the long term. We established light-weight governance, defined service expectations(SLA), and built feedback loops to improve continually. Regular performance reviews and collaborative planning ensured the model remained flexible, consistent, and aligned with evolving campus needs.

This initiative not only stabilized IT operations during a critical period but also laid the foundation for a scalable, systemwide strategy focused on efficiency, collaboration, and sustainability.

Most IT leaders dream of becoming C-level leaders. What are 1 or 2 skills or measures you did to differentiate yourself from your peers that you think resulted in getting the C-level job?

One key way I differentiated myself was by consistently stepping up to lead complex, high-impact projects—especially during times of change. I also prioritized building strong professional relationships and followed through reliably with every stakeholder. That combination of initiative, consistency, and trust-building helped position me as a dependable leader ready for C-level responsibility.

What is your definition of performance within your teams, and which metrics or measures do you use to assess team performance?

In our IT organization within a public university system, performance is assessed in alignment with collective bargaining agreements. Beyond that, we focus on core competencies such as trusted partnership, adaptability, engagement, collaboration, curiosity, and transparent communication. High-performing teams demonstrate accountability, initiative, innovation, technical proficiency, continuous learning, and strong problem-solving skills. We also value attention to detail, a proactive mindset, the ability to perform under pressure, excellent customer service, and empathy for users.

What two critical factors should an IT leader consider when evaluating their IT leadership team’s performance?

Two critical factors an IT leader should consider when evaluating their leadership team’s performance are collaboration and innovation.

Collaboration is essential because IT initiatives rarely succeed in isolation, especially in public higher education. A high-performing leadership team should foster strong partnerships across departments, break down silos, and align technology efforts with institutional goals. Effective collaboration also means clear communication, shared accountability, and the ability to lead cross-functional teams toward common outcomes.

Innovation reflects a team’s ability to think strategically and proactively adapt to change. This includes identifying opportunities to improve systems and services, embracing new technologies, and encouraging a culture of continuous improvement. A leadership team that values innovation is more likely to stay ahead of trends and deliver solutions that add long-term value to the organization.

Together, these two factors signal a team that not only executes well but also evolves to meet the future needs of the institution.

What is your vision of Higher Education IT leadership in 10 years, and how should institutions prepare for it?

With the rapid evolution of AI and machine learning, it’s difficult to predict exactly what Higher Ed IT leadership will look like in 10 years. However, I believe the human side of leadership—empathy, emotional intelligence, and purpose-driven collaboration—will become even more vital as technology continues to transform our work and workforce. Institutions should prepare by developing adaptable, people-centered leaders alongside technical innovation.

Career

If you are advising a mid-level IT leader, such as a director or IT manager, what are the top 2 to 3 skills you would recommend that they build or learn to help them become a CIO or CTO?

I’d recommend mid-level IT leaders focus on three key areas: understanding the business side of the organization, strengthening interpersonal and leadership skills, and building financial and budgeting expertise. These skills are essential for aligning IT with strategic goals and preparing for executive-level responsibilities. Here are some examples of my tactics which helped me to understand the business completely.

1. Relocation to office spaces near the business units during projects.

2. Asking for upstream and downstream impact on trouble tickets helped to understand big picture impact of business processes.

In your experience, what are two to three challenges that mid-level Women IT leaders face that prevent them from building the needed skills to become C-level leaders?

Two key challenges that mid-level brown women IT leaders often face in advancing to C-level roles are not developing the skill to effectively communicate their accomplishments and limited access to mentorship and sponsorship

Many talented brown women in IT do the work but are not taught—or encouraged—to articulate their impact in strategic, confident ways that resonate with executive leadership. This can lead to being overlooked for high-visibility opportunities essential for growth.

In addition, access to mentors and sponsors who understand both their technical potential and cultural context is often limited. Without advocates in the room when decisions are made, they may miss out on critical guidance, stretch assignments, and visibility at the executive level.

Here are some examples I used in my career to get sponsors which helped me uplift my career.

1. Attend company events and leverage networking with key business users which helps in relationship building.

2. Follow through on any service or email requests from key stakeholders and ask for feedback on the request helps to build a proactive service brand in front of your key stakeholders. This will help in the long run to have them back you as a sponsor for key positions.

Are there any resources, training programs, books, or websites you would recommend for mid-level IT leaders to consider for reading or attending that could help them develop their career capabilities?

I recommend mid-level IT leaders engage in internal leadership programs, attend industry events and conferences, and volunteer for cross-functional initiatives to build visibility and experience. Culturally oriented programs like Leadership Education for Asian Pacifics (LEAP) are especially valuable. For reading, Sheryl Sandberg’s Lean In offers great insights for women in executive leadership.

For students just out of college who are thinking of an IT career, what are the top two to three recommendations you would give them to get to an IT job easily?

For recent graduates wanting to pursue an IT career, I recommend:

• Connect with your campus Career Center to explore job opportunities with employer partners.
• Consider peripheral IT roles—not just traditional ones—to gain entry and experience.
• Join your alumni association and attend events to expand your network and uncover job leads through alumni connections.

What are two or three skills you look for in candidates during your interview process, aside from technical skills, and what kinds of questions do you ask to measure those skills?

Beyond technical skills, I look for communication, interpersonal and relationship-building, and problem-solving/collaboration skills. I use situational questions during interviews to assess how candidates apply these in real-world scenarios. An example question I use to asses the relationship building skills is a scenario where the candidate is part of a team where there is a dependency on another team member for a task. The question is how do you manage situations where you are waiting on the team member for your task and how do you manage conflicts? My expectation will be that the candidate provides a response on proactively working with the team member to resolve conflicts and also updates the leadership on project status.

Given your belief in a larger universe, what impact does the Art of Living have on your life and career?

The Art of Living’s breathwork, meditation, and wellness practices have had a profound impact on both my personal and professional life. As a mother of two young girls, these daily practices help me stay present, centered, and patient. They bring balance to my thinking—integrating logic and empathy—which strengthens my leadership and deepens my relationships. These practices have also made me more open to change and better equipped to lead others through uncertainty with calm, clarity, and resilience, both at home and in the workplace.

What are one or two nonprofit initiatives you are involved in, and what impacts are they creating in the community?

I’m involved with two nonprofit initiatives under the Art of Living Foundation: SKY Schools provides mindfulness and social-emotional learning programs for students and educators that improve academic performance, reduce violence, and foster leadership. Care for Children runs over 1,300 free schools, offering holistic education to more than 100,000 underprivileged children, helping break the cycle of poverty through learning and empowerment.

Impact stories can be found on: https://skyschools.org/impact/ and https://www.careforchildren.org/impact-list.html