TNotes:  What is your job title?
TJ:  IT Director

TNotes:  How did you get into working in nonprofit technology?
TJ:  I used to work in a large corporation as a COBOL programmer, was laid off due to downsizing and found my way to the nonprofit agency and eventually became the Director.

TNotes:  What do you like best about dealing with your organization’s technology?
TJ:  I love being able to make things better technology-wise because I believe it helps the clients we serve.  If I can make it better and faster and more efficient for our staff, then I believe our clients reap the benefits in terms of better service and better quality time!

TNotes:  What do you least like about dealing with your organization’s technology?
TJ:  Making sure all the changes we implement work well with all of our technology already in-house. It also needs to work well with the staff.  Change is good and bad!

TNotes:  What is your big dream for technology in your organization?
TJ:  Have a paperless operation!  I know we can’t be totally paperless, but if we can streamline the work that our staff does, hopefully it will replicate out to our clients in terms of better service and more quality time with their case manager.  Of course, we would love to have the best and most advanced technology available – hey, you asked for my dream!

TNotes:  How do you manage your technology role within your organization?
TJ:  I have always seen the IT Department as a service department, so my customers are the staff as well as providers, etc.    I consider myself a teacher/mentor to those I serve and to the people who serve under me.  I believe it goes without saying: multi-tasking is the name of the game.

TNotes:  You are a regular attendee at one of the Bagels & Bytes groups – what do you get from going to those meetings?
TJ:  I love attending those meetings - no matter what you think you might know, someone can always teach you something new or clue you into a new product.  This group is the greatest and they bring those things to the meetings.

TNotes:  Any words of advice or encouragement for other nonprofit techies out there?
TJ:  Keep doing what you are doing.  You do make a difference and every day is a new day.  Technology only gets better – it never gets old!