Guy Falsetti, senior systems architect in Information Technology Services, has received the 2014 Information Technology Leadership Award in recognition of his exemplary leadership in the university’s IT community. The award, co-sponsored by the IT Leadership Development Team and the Chief Information Officer (CIO), was presented to Falsetti during the annual UI Tech Forum, attended by nearly 300 IT professionals June 2 at the Sheraton Hotel in downtown Iowa City.
Falsetti manages the Server Support Team and the Enterprise Client Management Team in ITS-Enterprise Infrastructure, and leads the Enterprise Architecture Team that evaluates IT solutions for campus. In 27 years at the UI, Falsetti has demonstrated dedication, reliability, foresight, passion, and concern for the university.
He was the lead architect in designing the IT configuration for the new LEED-Platinum certified Information Technology Facility and led the charge to migrate over 1,000 servers from the Jessup Hall data center the new facility. Falsetti also has pushed virtualization of servers, which saves money on energy costs, and helped the university secure a $272,000 rebate from Alliant Energy.
Falsetti has a passion for leadership. He earned his MBA from the UI while working full-time and was one of the first people on campus to go through an IT Leadership program. He is recruited to speak about IT leadership and developing communities at many peer institutions and presented at the 2013 MOR IT Leaders conference in Chicago. He also chaired the Leadership Development Steering Committee, and has mentored and coached countless professionals both on and off campus.
In nominating Falsetti, a longtime colleague noted, “not only is he technically very savvy, but he also knows the how to get the right people in the room at the right time to accomplish the right tasks. Guy consistently has institutional goals in mind and is always willing to question or bring up difficult topics in order to benefit the university.”
Building a community of leaders
The annual IT Leadership Award is one element of an initiative to build a strong IT community that fosters collaboration across university units and promotes individual leadership development. In the past several years, nearly 200 IT professionals on campus have advanced their skills and built relationships through leadership workshops and programs. The IT Leadership Development Team also sponsors the “What’s On Your Mind?” lecture series, which focuses on issues currently affecting our campus and provides an opportunity for campus leaders to share insights on leadership.
Any UI employee can nominate a candidate for the award. The nomination process is announced in the spring and includes statements that identify ways these individuals have provided leadership by their level of campus engagement and impact to community IT projects, as well as their initiative and professional growth. This year, 10 excellent candidates were nominated.
Visit the IT Communities site for more information on leadership development or contact Ben Rogers, senior director of ITS-Research Services and chair of the IT Leadership Development Team