The 25th ITLA class — 29 members, including 16 women — graduated Friday. Commencement speakers included state CIO Amy Tong and state Deputy CIO Chris Cruz.
The graduates and their affiliations are: Alicia Alvarado (Department of State Hospitals); Joanne Antigua (State Controller's Office); Simmi Bajwa (CalPERS); John Caampued (Department of Pesticide Regulation); Jean Cooper (Office of Systems Integration); Kimberly Crabtree (Department of Technology); Veronica Dodd (Air Resources Board); James Garrison (Department of Child Support Services); Richard Gillespie (Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development); Del Hammades (Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation); Yolanda Harper (Department of Public Health); Charla Jensen (CalPERS); Maghana Kamle (Department of Rehabilitation); Simi Keechilot (Department of Business Oversight); Teresa Kim (Department of Transportation); Stephenson Loveson (CalPERS); Harry Mayo (Department of Education); Sean McDaniel (Franchise Tax Board); A.J. Meza (Covered California); Ravi Mishra (Correctional Health Care Services); Doug O'Brien (Covered California); Beverly Page (Department of Transportation); Vimmi Pardesi (FI$Cal); Sharon Ruzon (Department of Transportation); Gloria Simas (Covered California); Martin Stevenson (Department of Water Resources); Myrna Viloria (California Highway Patrol); Jefferson Willoughby (Department of Fish and Wildlife); and Quentin Wright (Department of Motor Vehicles).
The CDT offers this overview of the ITLA program:
"Individuals with a vision for enterprise-wide thinking, strong potential for career advancement, and experience carrying out their organization’s mission and vision are ideal candidates for acceptance into this program. Participants will meet new, interesting, and dynamic peers who were recommended by their department’s CIO and selected into the program. Participants will have the opportunity to network and collaborate with experts from other state agencies who lead the academy. ITLA participants expand their skills in leadership, executive presentations, business communications, political skills, and collaborative management. As they hone their skills, students also learn about the legislative budget process, IT procurement processes, contracting, vendor management, and executive interviewing skills."
In addition to ITLA, the state offers a Project Management Leadership Academy (PMLA), a Digital Services Innovation Academy (DSIA) and an Information Security Leadership Academy (ISLA). Information about these offerings is available on the CDT website.
