This week, we are chatting with Scott Christensen, ILTA Peer Group Liaison and Director of Information Services at Wildman, Harrold, Allen & Dixon LLP. Scott is an incredibly clear thinker and expressive speaker, as those of you who have heard him speak can confirm. At ILTA ’09, Scott will complete two terms on the ILTA Board of Directors and will start his last term on the BoD by taking on the role of ILTA President.
What excites you the most about ILTA ’09?
Wow, I’m not sure where to start. Certainly the keynote delivery by Tom Koulopoulos on “Innovating More with Less” would lead my list. After that, it is the age old dilemma: Are the educational sessions or the peer to peer networking experience the most valuable element? For me, the networking element wins by a hair, but it’s close. There is nothing like leaving a great educational session with a peer, and having the opportunity to discuss what they are doing at their firm related to the topic we just saw. Multiply that experience by scores of session topics and many conference attendees, and the benefit for me and my firm is significant. I routinely call new member friends that I’ve met at conference to follow up on a conversation that we had there.
Describe a highlight of one ILTA conference that made you a hero when you got back to your firm.
Learning about and implementing Acrophobia. Acrophobia allowed us to deploy an open source solution for the creation of PDF’s that was enterprise class and free (just a bit of time). Our gurus from the Open Source Peer Group kindly publicized the exact specifications on how to put the solution together. We used it for a number of years, and certainly delayed the need to spend significant amounts of money on alternative solutions at the time. Another example would be some great sessions on WAN architecture and accelleration/optimization at the 2007 conference. We were pressed to open a remote office very quickly shortly afterwards. I learned what other firms had done to successfully centralize some of their enterprise applications amid office growth. The follow up with some of the session speakers (both member and consultant) was invaluable to our implementation.
Conference is a whirlwind of activity; can you share your strategy or any tips to making it through and getting the most out of it?
Plan ahead, but then go with the flow. Certainly reviewing the session detail ahead of time is in your best interest. With the quantity and variety of sessions to choose from, you certainly don’t want to be reviewing the session descriptions for the first time just before the they begin (way too much stress). That said, be open to changing your mind at the last minute, when a peer explains their choice, and it sounds good to you too! I have found some of the most beneficial time is that spent with my friends and peers outside of the educational sessions themselves. It is amazing what you can learn over a meal with your peers discussing problems we’ve all run into, and how we’ve found solutions to those problems. It’s great to learn and understand what other firms are doing.
What volunteer roles have you held for ILTA?
I was the Regional Vice President (RVP) for the Midwest region for 5 years. I have served two terms on ILTA’s Board of Directors as secretary, and recently Peer Group Liaison. I’m pleased to have the opportunity to serve as the incoming President following the 2009 conference.
What prompted you to get involved as a volunteer leader with ILTA? What led you in the direction of the Board of Directors?
Certainly the peer powered nature of ILTA enticed me to get more involved. About 13 years ago I went to my first conference, and spoke in a session in the professional development track on how to “properly” hire IT staff. I was blown away by the collegiality of the members at the time and I was hooked. ILTA has afforded me the opportunity to collaborate with my peers world wide, and bring tremendous value to my firm. After serving as an RVP for five years, service on the Board of Directors was the next logical step in my volunteer service. The dedication and commitment to the values of the organization and the spirit of helpfulness that is demonstrated by our volunteers continue to amaze me.
How has ILTA helped you become the leader you are today?
ILTA has provided the tremendous opportunity to interact with some of the smartest, most talented individuals in our industry on a daily basis. Whether through eGroups, webinars, a local meeting, or breakfast at conference, we are surrounded by a community of people that is always willing to offer advise, provide direction, or lend a hand. It has provided fine examples of what it takes to be a leader in your organization. We are blessed to have such an organization, and the thanks goes to each and every member and volunteer that makes it happen on a daily basis. Peer Powered: Indeed.
Do you have a blog? If so, what’s the URL? What’s your Twitter handle?
I’ve recently made the commitment to social networking in the last few months. I don’t have a blog yet, but am “beginning” to dabble with Twitter. I have found LinkedIn to be very valuable after only a few months of active use (feel free to Connect with me). Facebook will be my next challenge.
Filed under: 2009 Conference
