Today concludes my wonderful first year as the Chief Information Officer at the Community College of Rhode Island. I can’t do a good enough job of expressing what a great choice this was for me and how great a place CCRI has been to work for. Tomorrow, I start my second year here and just like every day I have been here, I can’t wait to get to work.

It’s been an amazing year. I have so many things to celebrate:

I have really been fortunate to find a great place to work, so full of kind people. Our president thanks every employee for “saying yes” to working here. And that translates throughout the college to everyone from the people I work with, to the colleagues who reach out to look out for my well-being, to the lovely person who knows me in the cafeteria and has my lunch ready before I can order it. I have had people run over to make sure my car was clear of snow after watching a bumbling Texan try to get it cleared off, to people offering me their reserved parking when I was recovering from surgery. It’s a wonderful place everyday!

The team in IT is full of amazing and talented people who have kept IT steady for our college despite a long list of challenges. I never have to ask for someone to help, the team is committed to our school and is always ahead of our customers.

I work for a committed and dedicated person who genuinely cares about everyone in the school. He walks the values walk and lets his actions do the talking. He was so kind when I told him about my health issues and he called my Wife everyday when I was in the hospital. And as a bonus he’s exceptionally good at what he does as a senior leader.

I’m loving living in New England. It reminds me of my childhood at West Point more than I can say and being surrounded by natural beauty, abundant history, and tons of great places to visit makes every week joyful. The fact that a lot of my Mother’s family is just two hours away is very special. I was finally able to visit them recently and it felt as wonderful sitting around the dinner table as family is supposed to feel. I had the best time and can’t wait to go back. And Snow. So beautiful!

My Dad is still going strong at almost 89. He called me last night for tech support for getting a blind classmate from West Point to be able to join the weekly class video chat he runs. He teaches military history classes via Zoom every week, signing people up from a website he built himself. He’s also editing my Mom’s last two books in his spare time and hosting an engagement party for my niece. He’s outperforming his oldest son by quite a bit.

I have a rebuilt heart and my life has changed so much since that. When I first got here a year ago, I didn’t understand why I had so many physical struggles until I was diagnosed in May. And I was immediately admitted to St. Luke’s in Houston. My new employer who could have easily cut me loose as an employee of less than five months, instead stood by me and worked with me as I recovered. Today, instead of being winded after 10 paces, I can walk two miles with ease. I am exceptionally blessed and so grateful to everyone who helped me from my wonderful surgeon, a small army of medical talent, my family and friends, and

Most especially my wonderful Wife whom I do not deserve. While I was recovering and could not lift more than five pounds, she single-handedly packed us, organized and executed our cross-country move, drove three dogs across 2,000 miles and unpacked more than 500 boxes. By herself. She is the hero of my 2024 story. And for some reason, after 20 years together, she still puts up with me.

I sum up 2024 with “New Job, New Home, New Heart” and I could not be more grateful or happier.

Off to start my 2nd (hopefully calmer) year here!