What is your personal story, and how did you become interested in tech?
I grew up in the Grant projects in Harlem, New York during the late 1960’s and early 70’s. I always enjoyed books and I was excited when I got my first library card. However, it would have been a gauntlet to be seen carrying books or reading given the environment of territorial gangs. I had to either read the books at the library or hide them if I wanted to take them home. If you can imagine, satisfying my need to read was a covert operation, and my Dad found my method humorous but supported me to do what it took—as long as I was reading. My father is my first role model as he did whatever was required to support his family. He had multiple jobs and repaired televisions and radios with vacuum tubes as a side business and gave me exposure to the technology of the time. I was intrigued by how things work, and he gave me the opportunity to take things apart and putting back together to work better. I was always a good student, as a small guy, school was a place where I could compete using what was innate to me, my brain! Based on my grades and a lawsuit, the New York School system was required to integrate the specialized high schools so I enrolled in Bronx High School of Science. At this point I still had no idea of what my interests were other than being curious about everything.
My electronics teacher, Mr. Holzman, encouraged me to pursue a college degree in engineering when I thought engineers drove trains. I went on to get an undergraduate degree in electrical engineering from Polytech and a master of science in computer science from University of Southern California.
You have had a long and successful career with large tech companies including Bell Labs, AT&T, and Intel. What was it like moving up the corporate ladder, as an African American leader? Who were your role models and mentors?
I entered the tech job market at a time when there were so few Black engineers that we all knew each other and were part of a Black tech support group of sorts. And I have been blessed throughout my career by numerous role models and mentors in and out of high tech, a veritable personal board of directors. It is important to have conversations with a diverse group of people as you navigate this business world. Over the course of my career, I have learned to never say “no” when a particular opportunity presents itself but to say “tell me more” so that I have a chance to really evaluate it. This led to my experience as an expatriate for Intel in China. My years in the corporate world has been marked by the experience I believe most African Americans have which being the only one in the room that looks like you. Notwithstanding all of my cross-cultural experiences nationally and abroad, the strides that have been made in representation continues to result in isolating experiences for most. This is why it is so important to cultivate relationships with your peers in other companies and industries to provide a place to go to seek advice and counsel.
How did you experience being an African American expat in China as the VP and GM for Intel?
The four years my wife and I lived in China was one of the most rewarding experiences I have had in my career. The Chinese culture is rich and spans more than 5 thousand years and we never ran out of opportunities to learn something new. From a career perspective, living and working in another country, particularly one as unique as China, required me to develop and expand my approach to leadership to incorporate the culture. To this day we maintain friendships and I even sustain a small vocabulary of Mandarin.
How and why did you make the transition to government work, as the Chief Information Officer and Executive Director - Office of Information Technology for the State of Colorado?
When I retired from Intel in 2017, I was not sure what was next but I knew I was too young to do nothing. Through a network of friends, I was approached about the opportunity to join the state of Colorado to lead the newly formed broadband office. The challenge of solving the lack of access to broadband has become a passion for me and it has become so important as a result of pandemic. I have to admit that I came to state with many of the stereotypes about government being slow and bureaucratic. What I have found is that public service is different but there are so many high energy people who work here that want to see positive change. In November 2020, the Governor appointed me as CIO and I am excited to continue this rewarding journey of public service.
What would you most like to share with the younger generation?
My advice to the younger generation applies to everyone, be a lifelong learner and surround yourself with people who bring positive energy. I believe my curiosity to learn new things has afforded me all of the opportunities and experiences I have had in my career. Having a diverse set of friends, mentors, and role models has provided me with the support, advice, and confidence to deal with any challenge I will face.
