THE grıll
melissa p.
dodd
This IT leader
leverages technology
to support a weighty
educational agenda.
Favorite subject in school:
Favorite technology today:
I’d be lost without my iPhone.
I’m a little addicted.
things you do in your spare time:
What spare time? I’ve got
a demanding job and a 2-year-old.
I have very little spare time.
But when we can, we travel.
Best piece of advice you’ve ever
gotten: Sometimes you have to put
your ego aside to get the job done.
I carry that with me always.
Best piece of advice you’ve
ever given: Be assertive
when you need to be.
melissa p. dodd speaks passionately about children and the importance of their education. That’s not surprising, considering Dodd has a master’s degree in education from Harvard University. Dodd opted not to teach, however, and instead chose to support teachers and students through technology. She worked
as an educational technology administrator at Tufts University before moving in 2003 to the
Boston Public Schools, which serve some 56,000 students. There she started as a technology
strategic planner before becoming deputy CIO in 2006 and then CIO in October 2010. Here
she shares her ideas on running a large school system’s IT department.
what were the biggest challenges of your first year as Cio? I came into the position
after the school year had started, so there were already a number of initiatives under
way. I had to jump in and keep them going, so there was a huge learning curve. I had
