Grinnell College Appoints Jonathan Colby Chief Information Officer

Jonathan Colby, Interim Chief Information Officer at Grinnell College, has been appointed to the position on a permanent basis. He has served in an interim capacity since October 16, 2023. He previously served as Deputy Chief Information Officer and Director of Core Services in ITS. With Chief of Staff and Vice President of Administration Myrna Hernández, he convened the Information Technology and Academic Mission Alignment working group charged with coordinating the academic mission and data security with attention to service, policy, and governance.

“Jonathan came to this key leadership position with a spirit of collaboration and partnership and has fostered relationships with senior leaders, faculty, staff, and students,” said President Anne F. Harris. “His focus on furthering the academic mission and goals of the College through the delivery of technology services and solutions recognizes the integral role of technology in multiple facets of the College, from pedagogy to cybersecurity, as well as the need to build trust across key stakeholder groups, and the value of ongoing communication in an environment where technology moves quickly.”

Jonathan joined Grinnell College in 2017. As deputy CIO, he has chaired Grinnell’s Cyber Risk, Governance Committee and leads reviews of institutional technology contracts for cybersecurity and – partnering with the Office of Disability Resources – accessibility.  As Director of Core Services, Jonathan manages both the operations and project budgets for ITS and oversees business operations, the ITS project management office, communications, training, and software contracts and renewals for the College.  He has partnered with others to lead technology selection and integration for the Humanities and Social Science Center and currently leads this function for the construction of Renfrow Hall. 

“Jonathan entered a challenging situation as interim CIO and I have been impressed how he did not hesitate to take on those challenges head-first.  He has made it a priority to rebuild trust by increasing transparency, understanding the needs of faculty and staff, and creating structures that support shared governance around ITS.  Most importantly, he has put a high priority on the educational mission of Grinnell in his decision-making, he is a staunch advocate for what will best serve the institution, and values taking the time to follow the best path rather than the most expedient one,” said Andi Tracy, associate dean of student academic life and associate professor of psychology.  “These qualities are what Grinnell needs at this critical juncture in ITS leadership and I look forward to continuing to work with him as CIO.”

Jonathan is not new to the CIO role, having served in equivalent roles in both higher education and industry.  Prior to joining the College, he served as Chief Operating Officer and Chief Information Officer for OpenArc, LLC, a fast-growing consulting and software engineering firm based in Pittsburgh, PA.  He also served as the Network Engineering Director at the University of Pittsburgh, supporting the needs of 40,000 users on and off campus. He was named CIO of the year by the Pittsburgh Technology Council and holds more than 25 industry-recognized certifications.

He says, “Over the past seven months, we have been working together to create a common understanding of how ITS contributes to the academic mission and our role as a trusted strategic partner on solutions that enhance teaching and learning. I am pleased to be able to continue this important work and want to thank the members of the Information Technology and Academic Mission Alignment working group and all those who participated in interviews and focus groups. This dialogue will continue as we work on continued enhancements to customer support that are necessary to achieving student success.”

“Beyond my professional role, I am the proud father of three and stepfather of four which includes a college junior studying psychology and an incoming college first year. This connection keeps me grounded and reminds me of the broader impact of our work on students' lives.”