Jim Clark, Santa Barbara City College’s Director of Information Technology Infrastructure and Security, was recently notified by the Chief Information Systems Officers Association of the California Community Colleges (CISOA) that he is the recipient of the CISOA Technology Planning Award for 2021. The award is bestowed upon someone who has played a prominent role in evaluating information technology variables and developing a strategic plan of action that advances the college mission.
According to SBCC Executive Director of Information Technology Dean Nevins, Clark has succeeded in dramatically improving the security culture at SBCC through meticulous analyses of weaknesses, and developing plans and processes to move the institution forward. Nevins praised Clark’s initiative, saying, “Jim has worked to understand how to reduce the exposure of sensitive student information by creating an auditing system to evaluate who has access to Personal Identifiable Information (PII).”
Clark has also developed a process to deal with data breaches and has handled several third-party breaches in an expeditious manner. As a result, the College’s sensitivity and ability to deal effectively with phishing and spear phishing attacks has been increased through regular audits.
CISOA applauded Clark’s accomplishments stating, “Your selection speaks highly of how well you and your work are perceived by both your district and by your statewide peers.”
In a recent interview, Clark expressed his appreciation and spoke highly of his co-workers; “I am honored to receive the award and am grateful to CISOA for creating an environment of recognition for the efforts of college staff across the state. Effective planning and implementation is a team effort; therefore, I accepted the award on behalf of my entire team in Information Technology, and I would like to share this award and recognition with them.”
