Tag Archives: New Staff

Attention, Supervisors! Upcoming ITS Tech Service Overview Sessions for New Hires

Do you have any new staff members joining your team in the coming months?  Information Technology Services (ITS) offers a monthly workshop with new hires in mind called “ITS & You:  Technology Services Overview.”

We introduce services and resources provided by ITS to all Middlebury campus employees, including: email, file storage, account security, online learning, and how to obtain computing help.  The workshop format is presentation-style with questions entertained along the way, followed by an optional half hour for hands-on assistance with specific questions.  Our complete workshop schedule can be viewed at http://go/techworkshops/.

Although geared toward new or recent hires, everyone is welcome to attend — with the ever-changing world of technology, even not-so-new staff might surprise themselves with an “aha” moment or two.  Please ask employees to sign up using our online form, or you can complete the form on their behalf.

 

New Science Data Librarian

I am very happy to announce that our new Science Data Librarian will begin working at Middlebury on Monday, August 6. Wendy Shook served most recently as a volunteer librarian at the Hawai’i Academy of Arts and Science. Prior to this position, she was a Data Analysis Specialist at the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy – Gemini Observatory. She holds a Master of Information Studies from Charles Sturt University in Australia (2011), and a Bachelor of Science, Physics Cooperative Program, from University of Victoria (1996).

Wendy will be the LIS Liaison to most of the sciences, and her office will be at the Armstrong Library. Look for her next month! We’ll be touring all of LIS (and beyond!), so say hello when you see us.

Two new staff in Central Systems & Network Services

Please welcome two new staff members in CSNS:

  • Ian Burke started November 29th as our new Network Security Administrator; he is also on the LIS Security Team.  Ian comes most recently from Amherst, NH and was a Security Engineer for TJX in Framingham MA.
  • Jim Stuart started December 8th as System Programmer/Administrator.  Jim was Chief Technology Officer for Qvault, Inc. here in Vermont.   He previously worked here at Middlebury from 1993-1999 in various positions in ITS, prior to the merger which created LIS.

Changes at the Helpdesk

There have been some changes in the Helpdesk structure that I would like to make you aware of. First, after managing the Helpdesk for over two years, Jim Beauchemin is taking a break from management and stepping into a Senior Technology Specialist role. Jim will join the team of Nate Burt, Mack Roark, Brian Foley, Lisa Terrier and Chris Tangora (who will join LIS in January). Each of the Senior Technology Specialists takes a leadership role at the Helpdesk and shares the duties of working with users in Service Requests, or second tier support. This is the group that takes on the issues that cannot be resolved during the initial phone call, walk in visit or email. In addition, each has unique projects for which they are responsible. Jim has had a tremendous impact on our complex equipment inventory and distribution process, and he will continue to shepherd those important functions, as well as continuing as a system administrator for Heat. Jim will continue to bring leadership and his excellent process management skills to the Helpdesk.

I will be assuming the management of the Senior Technology Specialist group and Service Requests, in addition to my role as Area Director for User Services.

Joe Durante, who joined LIS last year, has been supervising the Student Consultants who work at the Helpdesk. I am delighted to announce that Joe has been promoted to Helpdesk Manager – Call Center and Walk-in. Joe will manage the staff who receive initial Helpdesk calls, emails and walk in visits and resolve as many as possible during that initial contact. Joe will also continue to lead and build our Student Consultant team. Joe brings strong management experience to the management team of User Services, and I am so happy to have him in that group.

We are currently recruiting applications for the open Senior Technology Specialist position recently vacated by Dennis Hadley, and so will continue to see the team grow and evolve.
Please join me in congratulating Jim and Joe on their new roles.

Summary of Staffing Changes within LIS

In the past 18 months, LIS has gone through a set of major staffing changes.  25 people  have left LIS, seven have been promoted within LIS,   four have jointed LIS from other parts of the College, and three have joined us from elsewhere. In addition, there are 5 positions that are still open.   Collectively, we have lost over five hundred years of experience!  Our FTE level has dropped from an all-time high of 104 to 83.5. For those who are interested in how we are now organized, you can find an organizational chart at http://www.middlebury.edu/offices/technology/lis/about/organization . We’ve also listed below the names and titles of the promotions and new hires.

Promotions
Kellam Ayres to Circulation Services Coordinator, Reserves
Steve Bertolino to Reference & Instruction Librarian
Charlie Conway to Media Services Specialist 2
Dan Frostman to Circulation Services Manager
Jess Isler to Reference & Instruction Librarian
Mike Lynch to Area Director, Central Systems & Network Services
Carrie Macfarlane to Head of Reference & Instruction
Petar Mitrevski  to Tech Media/Services Manager
Scott Witt to Media Services Specialist 2

New Hires from within Middlebury
Joe Durante, Technology Specialist,  from Dining
Kim Gurney, Circulation Services Specialist, from Facilities
Danielle Madison, Media Specialist,  from Facilities
Janine McDonald , Circulation Services Specialist, from Career Services

New Hires from elsewhere
Danna Gianforte – Area Director, Enterprise Applications
Dennis Hadley – Senior Technology Specialist
Matt LaFrance – Web Programmer
Positions Still to be Filled
Collection Development Acquisitions and Cataloging Manager
Database Administrator
Senior Technology Specialist
Network/Security Administrator
System Programmer Administrator

New Circ Staff!

Please join me in welcoming Janine McDonald to LIS! Janine is a new Library Circulation Services Specialist II and will be working Sunday-Thursday evenings. She will be officially starting on June 21st, but will be around doing some training between now and then. Janine comes to LIS by way of the Career Services office, and we are very excited to have her as part of Circulation!

Kim Gurney joins LIS

flowers for kimI am delighted to announce that Kim Gurney will be joining LIS as Circulation Services Specialist I on June 7th. Kim brings a wealth of customer service, project management and supervisory experience to the position. She will share responsibility for providing front desk circulation, information and borrowing services in collaboration with other staff in Circulation. After a 2-week training and orientation period, Kim will be working a regular Tuesday through Saturday daytime schedule at the Davis Family Library. Please stop by to say hello!

LIS Welcomes Jim Beauchemin

Submitted by Mary Backus

I am very pleased to announce that Jim Beauchemin has accepted the position of User Support and Services Manager.

Jim comes to us from GE Healthcare where he has been a Principal Systems Software Consultant and a Lead Systems Software Consultant. Jim brings both management experience and a strong technical background to this position. He earned a Bachelors of Science degree in Computer Information Systems and a Masters of Science in Managing Innovation and Information Technology from Champlain College. Jim lives in Vergennes, and will join our team on October 6th.

I am looking forward to having him on the team, and the contributions that I am confident he will bring.