The Civil Service Council will feature a civil service employee at Illinois State University each month to highlight an exceptional colleague and the outstanding work being done on campus! This month get a chance to learn about and applaud Kevin Hand from the Office of Technology Solutions.
What is your position on campus and how long have you been with the University?
I currently serve as the Interim Executive Director of Business Administration & Communications in the Office of Technology Solutions. August 2022 marks eleven years at Illinois State.
What do you find most rewarding about your work?
Given the breadth of services our department provides (applications, network, user support, amongst others), we get to work regularly with our friends around campus. While delivering the service levels that are excepted always feels good, the most exciting/rewarding part is when we can use technology in new and innovative ways. Technology has the ability to have tremendous positive impact on the journeys of our students, faculty, and staff.
What are your hobbies or favorite past-time?
When not at work, you can find me with my family, gaming, consuming just about anything Marvel, or supporting Chicago sports teams. Not to mention, of course, supporting the Redbirds!
What else would you like others to know about you or your time at ISU?
As a two time graduate (BS ’04, MBA ’17) and now eleven-year employee, I like to say I owe much of what is great in my life to Illinois State. I met my wife here, and we have a beautiful daughter. We have a beautiful campus in a wonderful town. I work with great people, and I feel like each day is an opportunity to have an impact on at least one person. There’s not a lot of places you can say that, and it is why I say without hesitation that State is Great.
More about Kevin from Charles Edamala, Associate Vice President and Chief Information Officer:
One of the more significant responsibilities that I have in the Office of Technology Solutions is not technology but budgeting. Juggling large contracts and purchases while also ensuring that our staff and student workers get paid is a complex task. Kevin Hand has been a strategic leader in this area. He has been exceptional in making sure that the books balance, month after month, but he also understands technology. He can talk to our vendor partners and to my technical support team and translate what both groups are saying into contract and license terms. He then figures out the best way to fund those needs. This was especially beneficial during the onset of COVID when, for example, we needed to increase the number of Zoom licenses for general use as well as for specialized use cases. We also needed to buy other software, as well as laptops to loan out to students. Kevin worked tirelessly to ensure all these needs were met. In addition to his duties as budget manager, Kevin leads several teams with varied responsibilities. He spends time with each of them and strives to understand how he can assist them be effective. Kevin exemplifies what it means to be an enthusiastic Redbird leader!
