ConnectME Authority Members

Jean Wilson, Chair

Jean Wilson is the Senior Vice President of Information Services at LL Bean in Freeport, ME. Prior to her 14 years at LL Bean, Jean worked at UNUM Life Insurance Company for 11 years where she held a variety of leadership roles in Information Technology and Risk Management. She began her career as a computer programmer at Merrill Lynch and Chemical Bank in New York City.

Jean graduated summa cum laude from Bates College with a major in mathematics. She went on to earn a Master of Science degree in Statistics at New York University. Jean currently has membership on the Board of Trustees for the Cancer Community Center, the Advisory Board for the Bates Dance Festival, and the USM Computer Science Advisory Council.

Mitch Davis

Mitch W. Davis is the first Chief Information Officer for Bowdoin. The CIO position was created three years ago because of the strong and vital role technology plays in our academic program," Bowdoin President Barry Mills said. "Mitch Davis is superbly qualified to lead Bowdoin in achieving a clear information technology mission and vision. With his expertise, energy, and creativity, Mitch will be instrumental in making Bowdoin one of the most technically advanced liberal arts colleges in the country."

Davis will assume the key leadership role in the collaborative analysis and redesign of the College's technology strategy and resource allocation in support of learning and teaching, faculty research, and institutional management. Reporting to the President and overseeing a staff of approximately 45, he will be responsible for coordinating technology for all academic and administrative departments.

Davis will help guide the use of technology for teaching and research at Bowdoin, lead the development of a comprehensive IT budget including capital needs, oversee the development of a Web strategy, and evaluate the College's administrative/academic systems and supervise there redesign and implementation.

Before coming to Bowdoin, Davis was at Stanford University for five years, as one of the first Executive Directors in IT at Stanford University. He worked with the CIO and three other Directors to transform an IT staff of six hundred with a budget of over 98 million into a client services and consulting team that was integrated into the academic mission of the University.

As an Associate Dean and CIO for Stanford Law School, and the Assistant Dean for Information Technology at the University of Oregon School of Law, Davis worked with others to design and build the law school of the future where technology was integrated into the teaching and practice of law.

Davis specializes in organizational change management to quickly build cost effective professional IT consulting staffs and teams who are aligned with the academic mission and business of the College. His work in higher education includes developing and introducing many new ideas and technologies, while at the same time creating a new strategic role for IT and the CIO.

Davis is committed to forging alliances between business, government and academia.

Dick Thompson

Dick Thompson joined the University of Maine System Executive Team on April 1, 2011, as the incoming Chief Information Officer.

During the last year, Dick served T4G as a Principal Consultant focused on federal, state/provincial and local governments. Before entering the private sector, he worked for the state of Maine for 33 years and was the third-longest serving state CIO in the United States. He has been credited with overhauling the state of Maines IT infrastructure through innovative and cost-effective solutions.

Dick has long given his time to various boards from the Main State Credit Union to organizations mandated to expand access to digital technology across Maine. He most recently worked to build consensus on the development of middle mile broadband capacity in Maine. His leadership and approach helped this diverse group to achieve agreement on legislation that was ultimately passed and signed by the Governor in the spring of 2010.

In 2005, he began to consolidate Maines executive branch's IT into a single unit from 23 disparate IT units. He created the Office of Information Technology where the states 500 IT workers efficiently brought together core functions like e-mail, infrastructure and data sharing across state agencies while establishing a Chief Security Officer and implementing a Project Management Office. A hallmark if Dicks service was attention to customer service and engagement of IT and Agency leaders in the planning and decision process. During his tenure he was active with national leaders in HIT and privacy issues.

In March, 2010, Government Technology Magazine selected Dick as one of the Top 25 Doers, Dreamers and Drivers in the U.S. for his accomplishments in delivering technology services to the citizens of Maine.

In October of 2009, Dick received the 2009 Meritorious Service Award from the National Association of Chief Information Officers for outstanding service, advocacy and leadership in state government.

Prior to his service as State CIO, Dick held the position of Director of the Division of Purchases for 12 years. He was an active participant in steering committees and contract development teams responsible for the procurement and implementation of Accounting, HR/Payroll and Budget systems. He led the effort to develop an e-procurement system in Maine State Government in the late 1990s.

 

Vendean V. Vafiades

Vendean V. Vafiades was first appointed to serve as a Commissioner on the Maine Public Utilities Commission in January 2007 and then reappointed in March. From 1997 until her appointment, Commissioner Vafiades served as a judge on the District Court, and was appointed as the Chief Judge in 2002. Commissioner Vafiades received her Juris Doctor from the University of Maine School of Law in 1985. Commissioner Vafiades also served as a Chief Deputy Attorney General and Counsel to the University of Maine System.

Greg McNeal

Greg McNeal, the State’s Chief Technology Officer, has taken the position as Acting Chief Information Officer for Maine State Government, working within the Department of Administrative and Financial Services effective July 01, 2010.  He has been the State’s Chief Technology Officer since 2005.

In his former position as the Chief Technology Officer, he was responsible for the overall management and direction for all operational information technology services including enterprise applications, network services (data, voice, and radio), client technology services, enterprise operations, and the state’s radio network.  As new technologies emerge, the CTO identifies and addresses potential impacts on state agencies and programs.   The CTO worked closely with the state’s Chief Information Officer (CIO) as well as Agency Information Technology Directors. The CTO ensured the continued success of operational areas while also striving to minimize costs, maximize employee performance and support, and optimize equipment use.

Prior to joining OIT, Greg was a commissioned officer in the United States Marine Corps.  He retired in 1996 after a successful 24 year career.  His experience included over twenty years working in the field of information technology, holding a variety of technical and leadership positions.  A native Mainer, Greg moved back to Maine and started a second career working for the Department of Transportation as the Deputy Director of Information Services.  Greg holds a Bachelor of Science degree in computer science from Thomas College and has graduated from Harvard J.F.K. School of Government: Leadership for the 21st Century.