David Blezard

David Blezard has had a 28-year career in higher education IT. David is currently the Senior Director of Enterprise IT Systems for the University System of New Hampshire, overseeing business applications teams and infrastructure services supporting the USNH schools across New Hampshire. His teams install, develop, and manage a wide range of applications ranging from HR, Finance, and Student ERP tools to department-specific software. He also continues to maintain connections back to his academic technology roots with involvement in the planning and operation of the learning management system, web conferencing, and media technologies used for teaching and learning across USNH.

David’s involvement with NERCOMP began with his first role, running the campus computer labs. He contributed his first presentation at the 2001 conference. He has now presented at more than a dozen annual conferences, at many more workshops, and has been part of the professional development organizing since 2013. In 2021, David was asked to fill in a vacant seat on the NERCOMP board where he has worked on the vendor licensing, professional development, and community relations committees. He has contributed to the broader IT community by presenting at many conferences including SIGUCCS, EDUCAUSE, All Day DevOps, and DevOps Enterprise Summit. David also has experience as a faculty member, having taught network and system administration courses as an adjunct instructor for the UNH Computer Science department for 17 years.

David has experience in a range of volunteer roles and community involvement. He has served as a member of the Internet2 NET+ advisory board for Zoom for two years and has been a board member with the Seacoast Chapter of NH Audubon since 2003 serving in various roles including president and treasurer. He also acts as a volunteer naturalist of for the Seacoast Science Center of Rye, NH in their annual BioBlitz! event.

 

 

Mark CJ Davis Jr (Moderator)

Mark Davis is the Associate Chief Information Technology Officer at Swarthmore College. A seasoned IT leader, mentor, presenter, and author, Mark brings deep expertise in change management, IT service management, information security, project management, client relations, organizational leadership, and strategic planning. He has led numerous technology and organizational transformations, excelling at guiding cross-functional teams through complex change by applying best practice methodologies, data-driven insights, and strong communication strategies.

At Swarthmore, Mark has overseen the strategic operations of IT services, including the management of institutional information systems and continuity planning. He works closely with senior leadership, faculty, staff, and students to implement sustainable changes in technology and service delivery, while building lasting partnerships within the community. As Chair of the College’s Information Security Committee, he has driven organizational change by reimagining its mission and strengthening compliance with privacy, GDPR, and GLBA requirements.

In addition to his institutional leadership, Mark serves the broader higher education IT community through NERCOMP. As a Board Member, he actively contributes to initiatives that foster innovation and professional growth, including the Conference Program Committee, Professional Development Committee, Governance and as a workshop facilitator. He also co-chairs the Mentoring Task Force, where he has helped design and launch NERCOMP’s mentorship programs, supporting members in navigating change and developing their leadership potential.

 

Patty Patria

Patty Patria is the Chief Information Officer at Babson College. She is an innovative, strategic thinker with 20+ years of experience in higher education, collaborating with faculty, students, and staff to envision and implement transformative solutions. She is responsible for providing strategic leadership in long-term and short-term planning, managing administrative and academic technology, and proving oversight for the management of security, networks, service desk, enterprise applications, web applications, institutional research, analytics, AI and the library.

Patty holds a Master of Business Administration from Suffolk University. She is also a certified Project Management Professional (PMP), Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP), and Prosci Certified Change Management Professional.