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Cindy McKenzie

Chair

Cynthia McKenzie is Chief Information Officer for Curaleaf. Cynthia has over 20 years’ experience in IT leadership roles across multiple industries including Media and Entertainment, Engineering and Construction, Financial Services and Cannabis. Cynthia is on the board of directors of STEM Advantage, which is a non-profit which provides scholarships, internships and mentors to women and underserved communities in STEM related majors as well as the Southern California Society for Information Management as well as SIM Foundation. Cynthia has won a number of awards including Computerworld’s Premier 100 IT Leaders, SIM Leader of the Year and the Advanced Imaging Society’s Distinguished Leadership Award.

Eric Gorham

Vice Chair

Mr. Gorham has served as CIO for REJIS since 1998. He joined REJIS in June of 1983 and has been a member of the REJIS team for more than 35 years. Mr. Gorham is responsible for the development, implementation and ongoing support of IT systems and solutions in critical government areas, such as law enforcement, courts, corrections, disaster recovery, Data Center operations, network services, security, help desk and citizen services. He participates on several committees that oversee the operations of REJIS, which help guide the future direction of the organization. Mr. Gorham is a founding member of the St. Louis Chapter of the Society for Information Management (SIM) and served as the Chapter’s President in 2007. He currently serves as Chair for the SIM National Foundation as a member of the SIM St. Louis - President’s Advisory Council, and was the SIM National Chair from 2014 - 2015. Mr. Gorham is a graduate of the SIM Midwest Regional Leadership Forum and in 2006 was selected as one of Computerworld’s Premier 100 IT Leaders. Mr. Gorham supports local community organizations as a member of BackStoppers, The MASTERS, and as a Board Member for the St. Louis Community College Foundation. Education: • Executive MBA, Beta Gamma Sigma (Honor Society for National Schools of Business) - Washington University, St. Louis Missouri, 2013 • CIO Pocket MBA, Boston University School of Management, Boston Massachusetts, 2009 • Bachelor of Science, Organizational Administration - Cum Laude - St. Louis University • Associate in Applied Science Data Processing - St. Louis Community College at Meramec • Certificate for Computer Programming and Operations Control Data Institute

Nanci Schimizzi

Chair Emeritus

Nanci Schimizzi is a Senior Technology Executive with over 30 years of experience in the financial services industry. As founder and principal at Fair Oaks Strategies, Nanci has served as a Management Consultant at large financial services firms, non-profits and professional associations. Nanci has extensive experience in IT strategy, business continuity and resiliency planning, business relationship, program management, and software development. She is actively engaged in championing programs supporting STEM Initiatives.

In addition to Nanci’s professional background, she is engaged in the following volunteer leadership roles including:

• Secretary Board of Directors – STEM for Her
• Chair, Board of Director’s SIM’s National Foundation
• Chair, Board of Director’s Chicktech
• Past President of Women in Technology (WIT)
• Board of Directors SIM- Capital Area Chapter – STEM
• Member – Business Women’s Giving Circle (Northern Virginia Community Foundation)

John Manzanares

Treasurer

John is an accomplished Chief Information Officer with more than 30 years of Information Technology experience, transforming IT to drive EBITDA growth for middle-market private equity-owned companies in Field Service, Construction, Transportation and Logistics.

John serves on the Board of Directors for the Southern California Society for Information Management (SCSIM) chapter. He has served on the board for over 13 years in various roles. He also serves as the SIM National Governance Chair and SIM National Membership Co-Chair and is a Chapter Advisory Council and Membership Committee member.

He earned his Master of Science degree in Computer Science from the University of Southern California and his Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Science with a Mathematics minor from California State University, Fullerton.

James Mavourneen

Secretary

James is a highly effective, results-oriented executive leading teams to ensure alignment and continuity between business strategy, execution and delivery, and operational / technology support services. Proven track record in collaborating and building relationships, strategic planning, financial management, organizational design, risk management, short- and long-term investment planning, and leading and developing others in a way that they feel valued and empowered to reach their fullest potential. Experienced in delivering board-level presentations, corporate messaging, media relations, and public speaking.

Throughout his career, James has served in various leadership roles including; SVP, Global IT Services, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt; Chief Operating Officer, Measured Progress; Vice President, Enterprise Infrastructure & Operations, BJ's Wholesale Club; Sr. Director , Enterprise Infrastructure & Operations, CVS Caremark, plus his current position as Chief Operating Officer at Massaro.

In addition to his professional career, James has held various leadership roles within SIM Boston and SIM National.

Mark Taylor

SIM Chief Executive

Mark Taylor is the Chief Executive Officer of the Society for Information Management. As the chief visionary of SIM, Mark serves a team of 5000+ IT Leaders from Large Cap and Mid-Market companies and Non-Profits organizations from across the country. Mark is an experienced business executive, leader & strategist. Expert in business operations, sales & marketing, technology, & finance. Mark’s unique ability to build bridges between executives, chapters, members, & partners - builds a platform of trust that is leading SIM forward as a key influencer in the development of the next generation of IT leaders.

Brian Carey

Director

Brian Carey is the Senior Vice President of Client Services for Planet Technology, a national technology consulting and staff augmentation firm. Brian oversees teams in the Northeast, Southeast, and West Coast. Brian is also the Co-Chair for the SIM Boston Outreach Committee where he partners with local non-profits such as Year Up, Per Scholas, Hack Diversity, and Latino Stem Alliance to help promote STEM initiatives for underrepresented groups within technology.

Elizabeth Decker

Director

Elizabeth Decker has over 15 years of leadership experience in IT and business roles across a variety of industries, including Financial Services, Staffing, Government Services, Medical, and Pharmaceuticals. Most recently, Elizabeth served as Vice President of Information Technology at INSPYR Solutions, a leading information technology partner, MPLT Healthcare, a leading locum tenens healthcare staffing company, and DigitalBridge, a leading global alternative asset manager investing in digital infrastructure. In those roles, Elizabeth was responsible for setting the company’s information technology strategy and executing that strategy to establish the company as a driver of innovation in their respective industries. Elizabeth is a graduate of the SIM Southeast Rising Leadership Forum and currently serves as Philanthropy Chair for the SIM South Florida Chapter. She is actively engaged in building diversity in technology in the South Florida community.

Michael Szot

Director

Michael Szot has over 30 years' experience as a progressive and innovative business leader, with a broad base of management experience, and a proven record of success. Senior executive leadership strengths in personnel management, team building, vendor negotiations, technology innovations, business development, client relationship management and the successful delivery of complex, large-scale business solutions. Strong interpersonal skills, a can-do attitude, straightforward in approach, results-oriented, and dedicated to cost-effective and customer-focused business solutions.

Michael has been a member of the SIM NJ Chapter since 2008 and served as President of the NJ SIM Foundation from 2011 to 2013.  In 2013, Michael was awarded NJ SIM Leader of the Year for his work with the Foundation.  Over the years, the NJ SIM Foundation raised over $1mil to support the technology needs of charities across New Jersey.

Antonio Taylor

Director

Antonio Taylor, an IT Executive with extensive experience in managing infrastructure, security, and services, excels in his field. An award-winning professional originally from Collierville, TN, he holds an MBA from Western Governors University and recently completed the SIM Leadership Institute’s Executive Leader Forum. Actively involved in community leadership, Antonio chairs SIM Memphis Marketing, and is also the Director of Sponsorship for SIM Arizona. He serves on the board of Setting the Standard Enterprise, focusing on youth development. Featured on CIO.com for his insights on IT degrees, Antonio is a strong advocate for STEM careers. Married with three sons, he and his wife, Kim, have a shared passion for travel and exploring new restaurants. Dedicated to bridging education with STEM careers, Antonio conducts educational tours, fostering interest in technological fields.