Anthony E. Williams
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Technical Solutions Operational Excellence Technical Leadership
Highly accomplished information technology professional with extensive experience providing leadership and guidance in support of high-level IT goals and objectives. Recognized for the ability to develop and execute strategy to drive increases in operational sustainability and cost effectiveness. Strong project manager who sees large-scale, highly visible projects through to successful completion. Able to analyze complex environments, outline areas of risk and implement viable solutions to drive organizational sustainability. Effective communicator who builds valuable relationships with key internal and external business stakeholders to drive alignment with key initiatives.
Areas of Expertise
System Administration
Technical Support
Client Management
Business Process Improvement
Project/Program Management
Technical Strategy & Execution
Budget Management
Contract Negotiation
Strategic Partnerships
Client Relationships
Information Security
Vendor Management
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
CHICAGO PUBLIC SCHOOLS, CHICAGO, IL,
OFFICE OF CHIEF, EDUCATION - PERSONALIZED LEARNING, 2016-Present
Manager – Educational Technology Operations
Develop and lead operational strategy that aligns with internal and external customer needs. Manages the Educational Technology portfolio consisting of multiple projects of $16M in value. Manages the day-to-day operations for Personalized Learning. Manages departmental budget of $3M. Serves as business owner writing and managing RFQ and RFPs. Serves as change and project manager for all Educational Technology initiatives for CPS. Owns strategy and vision of Personalized Learning departmental projects from inception to operations including:
Served as project manager for Research and Development RFP project estimated at $3M
Currently project managing Single-Sign On project-automating 400,000+ accounts
Managing 100+ vendor relationships
Serves as SME and liaison to internal business units for IT and business goals
CHICAGO PUBLIC SCHOOLS, CHICAGO, IL
OFFICE OF LEADERSHIP AND LEARNING, 2015 - 2016
Manager – Adult Learning and External Partnerships
Developed strategy supporting citywide adult learning opportunities for Chicago Public Schools parents and community members. Aligned enterprise resources with customer (school) needs. Facilitated strong relationships between Chicago Public Schools and external partners providing adult learning services. Managed the day-to-day IT operations and acquisition of IT assets and services that provide ongoing support for nineteen locations.
Successfully negotiated Chicago Public Schools 3-year contracts with a globally recognized online training provider and a leading IT training provider that saved $100K+ and $500K+ respectively.
Operationalized the core objectives of the office by streamlining the procurement process and supports needed for 19 remote locations
CHICAGO PUBLIC SCHOOLS, CHICAGO, IL
OFFICE OF TEACHING AND LEARNING, 2014-2016
Manager – District Strategy and Partnerships
Managed $16M+ project that resulted in a streamlined procurement process to attract and select new Educational Technology vendors. Aligned enterprise resources with customer (school) needs. Served as the liaison between business units and external partners. Facilitated and managed relationships with current and potential Educational Technology external partners and funders. Worked in collaboration with the Information & Technology Services Department to ensure infrastructure, platform and security standards were aligned with key district goals and objectives. Successfully managed and grew strong relationships with 100+ external partners.
Co-developed sustainable Educational Technology strategy for Chicago Public Schools supporting the continuation of high-quality instruction.
Authored and managed the web filtering process that safeguarded 450,000 students in the district from harmful content.
CHICAGO PUBLIC SCHOOLS, CHICAGO, IL
INFORMATION AND TECHNOLOGY SERVICES, 2011 - 2014
Manager – Student Centric Programs
Initiated, developed and coordinated student centered programs with a district-wide impact on goals and operations. Led program development and maintenance of multiple projects in consultation with programmatic school staff to coordinated programs to support program services. Managed budgets, delivered training and conducted assessments while serving as the primary liaison between customers and IT offices.
Successfully negotiated contracts that resulted in $50,000 in annual cost savings.
Drove cost savings of $300K+ through the development of low-cost technology support services.
Increased the customer base by 48% through the redesign and expansion of service offerings.
CHICAGO PUBLIC SCHOOLS, CHICAGO, IL,
INFORMATION AND TECHNOLOGY SERVICES CHICAGO
Customer Engagement Liaison 2009-2011
Developed and managed a portfolio of customers, including creating strategy and aligning customers with services to meet their needs. Managed customer escalations and complaints, addressing needs and assuring the business process achieved the desired outcomes. Played a key role in creating technology plans focused on strategic, tactical and operational goals of each client services.
Accurately recorded, measured and analyzed reports on customer trends, using data to translate into new business and projects.
Led a 40% increase in customer use of ITS services on the portfolio and 100% customer satisfaction of liaison support based on client feedback.
Achieved 100% success in management and escalation of client issues to appropriate queues based on customer engagement.
Prior to 2009, held two increasingly responsible positions in technology for the Chicago Public Schools with the following achievements:
Reduced school costs by an average of $2,500 per month by minimizing vendor use and securing cost-effective solutions to complete both operational and project-based goals and objectives.
Successfully negotiated and secured a 3-year contract that saved $80,000 on copy machines, consumables and service.
Scaled network from 100 devices to over 350 devices over a three-year period.
Supported over 2500 users as the Technology Coordinator from 2005-2009
EDUCATION, CERTIFICATIONS, & TRAININGS
Bachelor of Science, Business Management – Devry University, Chicago, IL
Minor: Project Management
ITIL Foundations Certified
Lean Six Sigma Green Belt, Six Sigma Masters Certified
Agile Certified Scrum Master Training
A+ Hardware/Software/MCSE Certificate
Electronic Systems Technician Certificate – Lincoln Technical Institute
TECHNICAL PROFICIENCY
Operating Systems: MAC: OX10 IOS 9, 10; Windows: 7,8, 10;Chrome OS
PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS
Member – Consortium of School Networks (COSN) – Chicago Chapter,
Illinois Education Technology Leaders, Chicago Chapter
ITIL Professional - Illinois Chapter
Chicago Deming Association for Lean Six Sigma