New IT Chief Brings MIT, Museum Of Science Background

Arlington MA

16 September, 2021

11:42 AM

Description

Your Arlington Last Updated: 15 September 2021 Written by Joan Roman, Bob Sprague Sheppard Patricia Sheppard, Arlington's new chief information officer, the administrator in charge of technology for the town and its public schools, has 20 years' experience, including at the Museum of Science and MIT. Appointed by Town Manager Adam Chapdelaine, she began in the position Aug. 18. David Good, who held the top tech job for just over 12 years, retired last January. "I am pleased Ms. Sheppard has accepted the appointment," said Chapdelaine in a Sept. 14 news release. "She brings a wealth of technical and organizational expertise from higher-education environments to the Town of Arlington." Pay, background The position pays $157,222 in the first year. She brings more than 20 years of experience in senior management and technical positions. Before coming to Arlington, she served as the vice president for information technology at the Museum of Science in Boston and director for information technology at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. She has also served as chief financial officer for a state agency and had oversight over both information technology and finance. In each roles, she has successfully designed, launched and managed large-scale organizational development, change management, process improvement and educational initiatives. One of her greatest passions, the news release says, is developing and maintaining relationships across organizations and boundaries, facilitating consensus among diverse parties and demonstrating strong active listening, problem-solving and decision-making abilities. "It's great to be working with the team here in Arlington," Sheppard said in the release. "I look forward to building upon the existing technology foundation to continue to provide, and evolve, a wide range of technology and services for the town and district." Born and raised in Boston, she holds a B.A., from Wellesley College, a J.D. from Suffolk University Law School and an executive certificate in management and leadership from MIT's Sloan School of Management. In her free time, Patricia is an avid yoga and fitness enthusiast. The CIO is appointed by and works under the direction of the town manager and deputy town manager/finance director and works under the direction of the superintendent of schools on school-related IT projects. YourArlington.com has provided news and opinion about Arlington, Mass., since 2006. Publisher Bob Sprague is a former editor at The Boston Globe, Boston Herald and Arlington Advocate. Read more at https://www.yourarlington.com/about.