Speyer Appointed Director of Information Technology Services
By Elliott August ‘08
News Associate Editor
In mid-January, the school appointed Andrew Speyer Director of Information Technology Services. The appointment is Mr. Speyer’s fifth in as many years at Choate Rosemary Hall.
Mr. Speyer previously served as the Acting Director of the IT Department, a role he has filled since last July. The new appointment comes after Mr. Joel Backon, who formerly served as Director of Information Technology Services, decided to switch to a new position as Director of Academic Technology.
While changing roles, Mr. Speyer will continue to maintain many of his responsibilities as the Operations Manager of the IT Department, a previous title of his. However, he will concede some day to day duties, including that in assisting to manage the Help Desk.
The school hired two consultants to assess technology at Choate. According to Dean of Academic Affairs Mrs. Kathleen Wallace, the consultants were invited to “Give us guidance regarding the direction we should be taking in the leadership of ITS and to a certain extent in our information technology services.”
Mr. Jon Shannon, former Director of ITS at Northfield Mount Herman, and Will DeLameter visited Choate around Thanksgiving. Mr. DeLameter has worked for numerous independent schools over the past twenty-three years, focusing more recently on technology.
After interviewing many people inside the Choate IT department as well as the Academic Council, a confidential report was presented to Headmaster Shanahan, Dean of Academic Affairs Mrs. Kathleen Wallace, and Chief Financial Officer Mr. Richard Saltz.
In the report, the consultants presented various recommendations as to how the school could fill Mr. Backon’s former position. Of all the possible options, it was decided that Mr. Speyer being appointed as the replacement was the best.
Before being appointed, Mr. Speyer needed to formally apply for the post. Included in the application were eight essay questions which he had to prepare. Headmaster Shanahan approved of Mr. Speyer’s application, appointing him Director of IT.
Mr. Speyer explained that he will now “do a lot more strategic planning and thinking for the institution. I will research and develop planning…for the direction of technology over the next three to five years.” Issues he plans to address include campus security, campus communications, a new voicemail system, and a campus identification card that will serve as both a debit card and that will grant access to the dorms in light of the new card entry systems set to be installed on all dorms by next year.
When asked what aspects of technology at Choate he would most like to reform, Mr. Speyer explained that while the Help Desk and ITS Annex are very efficient and useful, “we don’t have a lot of self service material.” He hopes to be able to establish more in which students can assist themselves rather than having to rely on ITS to solve any technical problem.
However, he agrees with the new technological measures that have been taken by the school. “I support the Headmaster’s initiative to put up more of those [computer kiosks] and have more data access points for people to use.”
The new appointment marks the continued ascension of Mr. Speyer in the Choate IT department. He began in 2003 as the Help Desk Manager. The next year he was promoted to Operations Manager. In 2005 he became the Associate Director of Technology Operations. He was later appointed as Acting Director in the summer of 2006.
Overall, Mr. Speyer is thrilled with the new appointment. “I’m very excited…I’m looking forward to all the challenges that go with it.”
Andrew Speyer (above) has been promoted to Director of ITS. Contributed PHOTO
