Now, more than ever, the safety of student and personnel data is of critical importance. As part of the effort to keep our learners, teachers and leaders safe online, we offer opportunities to improve district cyber security, participate in disaster recovery and backup, and partake in applications and system hosting services. Ohio’s Information Technology Centers also deliver private access to the Ohio K12 Network, a secure and reliable Internet connection for Ohio school districts. It’s true – district cyber security is our priority.
As technology advances at a feverish pace, the need to keep our learners, teachers and leaders safe online is at the top of every school district’s priority list. We help keep Ohio’s school districts cyber safe by coordinating a statewide effort to implement security tools and standards adoption with consultation from leading cyber security experts. The Security Working Group is a collaborative committee comprised of OECN technical staff that meets regularly to discuss the latest trends and appropriate proactive approaches to keep Ohio’s education community safe from cyber attacks.
Key to these efforts is the implementation of the NIST 800-53 Security Framework, which is currently underway throughout the OECN. The Security Working Group has been responsible for the adoption and implementation of security platforms designed to improve the overall security posture of the OECN, including KnowBe4, WitFoo, and GoGuardian.
In conjunction with the ITCs, we also operate an IronPort email spam filtering platform that, on average, eliminates approximately 112 million spam, phishing, and other dangerous emails from entering the Ohio K-12 Network.
Fiscal applications are fundamental to successful school operations. Funds need to be managed, and employees and vendors must be paid. If a paycheck can’t be issued or a vendor paid, real issues can result. We provide disaster recovery services for all state software fiscal applications as well as the eFinancePLUS application so that schools can operate with confidence that in the event of a disaster the impact to district operations will be minimized.
The Ohio K12 Network is an advanced, state-of-the-art, private, fiber network linking Ohio’s 18 Information Technology Centers (ITCs) to each other and to the Internet. As a collaboration, they create the Ohio Educational Computer Network (OECN) and provide Internet connectivity to Ohio’s PreK-12 education community.
Through the OECN, the Ohio K12 Network is provided to approximately 1.4M students, 100K educators, and more than 1,000 Local Education Agencies (LEAs) including public and private school districts, ITCs, Education Service Centers (ESCs), and Ed Techs.
The Ohio K12 Network infrastructure was developed in 2004 as part of a partnership with Ohio’s Higher Education technology arm, OARnet. OARnet’s network backbone consists of more than 2,240 miles of highly scalable fiber-optic cable which serves Ohio’s colleges and universities, K-12 schools, medical centers, public broadcasting stations, and state and local government.
Looking for more information on OARnet? Visit www.oar.net.
Leveraging the secure, reliable, and scalable Ohio K12 Network, the Management Council provides a suite of services for use by ITCs, school districts, the Ohio Department of Education, and the Ohio Department of Higher Education. Our private cloud of Shared Services includes application and systems hosting along with backups and disaster recovery services in a highly redundant, secure, and always-on architecture for the most exacting needs of the PreK-12 education community of Ohio.
Applications and services within our Shared Services suite include Frontline ProgressBook Suite, SIRSI Dynix BlueCloud, Roster Verification, State Software Employee Kiosk, State Software Redesign, PowerSchool eFinancePLUS, Cherwell Service Desk, and others.
Chad Carson, a 1994 graduate of Ohio University Athens in computer science, has spent the last twenty-nine years serving the Ohio Education Computer Network. Chad began his career at the LACA ITC in 1994, immediately after college. Originally hired to support Student Services, Chad advanced to systems manager, then served as LACA’s director of technology from 2001-2017. Chad was the executive director of LACA for four years prior to joining the MCOECN in the fall of 2021 as the manager of the MCOECN Data Center Operations team. In his current role, Chad is primarily responsible for the overall operation of the MCOECN server, network, and storage infrastructure, and continuously focuses his technical skills on enhancing, optimizing, and improving delivery of hosted services to MCOECN’s customers.
Roy Templeman has spent his career serving the K-12 education community in Ohio. Beginning at an Information Technology Center (ITC) in the late 1990s, he served various roles throughout the organization, gaining a broad understanding of educational technologies and ultimately providing leadership as executive director. Honored to be elected as a member of his local school district’s Board of Education, he served eight years working on various committees and leading several terms as board president.
Focused on aligning K-12 technology needs with educational outcomes, Roy joined the Management Council team in early 2022. As chief technology officer, he is responsible for the Information Technology strategies, systems and software that support the operations, services, and strategic direction of the organization.
Joe spent 29 years in public education as a teacher, coach, assistant principal, principal, assistant superintendent, and superintendent. He started his career in Grove City, Pennsylvania as a teacher and coach and finished in Ellwood City, Pennsylvania in the superintendent role. During his time as an administrator, Joe was focused on innovative ways to deliver instruction, both in the classroom and through technology. He led Ellwood City in their 1:1 laptop adoption for students and changing instruction to both direct instruction and using Google Classroom as a learning management system. He also was integral in bringing a 3-12 STEM program to the district.
Joe finished his career leading the district through the pandemic and then transitioning to the Management Council as the RemotEDx Connectivity Champions Coordinator. He oversees 18 customer service representatives who assist families and schools in finding internet connectivity for students. Joe is married to Amy, who teaches 4th grade math, and has two grown children.
Geoff has served as CEO of the Management Council since 2015, leading the mission and strategic plan for the Council and growing the organization that connects, optimizes, secures and empowers academic and administrative systems that support every learner, teacher and leader in Ohio. He is responsible for the array of work done by the Management Council on behalf of the Ohio Department of Education and Ohio’s 18 Information Technology Centers.
He spent the prior decade serving as the Superintendent of Schools in Oberlin, OH, and then as the Head of School at the Western Academy of Beijing (WAB) in Beijing, China. Geoff led the Oberlin Schools to become the first in Ohio authorized to offer the International Baccalaureate Primary Years, Middle Years, and Diploma Programs. Oberlin enrolled all PreK-10 students into the IB Primary Years and Middle Years Programs, leading to significant outcomes: Oberlin moved from Academic Watch to a rating of Excellent in just four years, and 100% of the Oberlin High School graduates were accepted into college for five subsequent years. He led WAB to similar gains.
Prior to leading schools, he served in other administrative and teaching roles. He also served as co-Principal Investigator and fiscal agent of a $10M US Dept of Education Technology Innovation Challenge Grant (for Cleveland, Miami and Phoenix), and led several other multimillion-dollar educational technology and interactive video projects.
Cited by Converge Magazine as one of our nation’s “Shapers of the Future,” Geoff has consistently brought fresh ideas and creative solutions to educational environments. He studied artificial intelligence while getting an MS in Computer Science and has been an advocate of various forms of personalized learning ever since. He serves on various boards and commissions. Geoff is an honors graduate of Dartmouth College and has graduate degrees in Computer Science and Education.
Jessica began her career in higher education working for the Art Institute of Ohio – Cincinnati, Kaplan College, and the Everest Institute before discovering that the public sector was her passion. She left the realm of higher education to pursue a non-profit career with the Griffith Foundation before securing a position with the Ohio Educational Service Center Association as Program Manager for Membership & Special projects.
It was in this role that Jessica was introduced to the Management Council and was immediately intrigued by the educational technology solutions that the organization implemented statewide for Ohio’s education community. Upon relocation from the central Ohio area in the mid-2010s, Jessica was afforded the opportunity to join the Management Council as the Director of Marketing & Communications. She now serves the Management Council as the Director of Stakeholder Engagement. She enjoys sharing the story of the Management Council and Information Technology Centers and the good work they do for Ohio’s leaders, teachers, and learners.
Melissa began her career as a district technology coordinator and computer application/business teacher and during that time was fortunate to develop a wonderful relationship with her district’s Information Technology Center (ITC). While at the district, she led the implementation of OhioSchoolNet and Raising the Bar technology initiatives. In the mid 2010s, she transitioned from the district to an ITC, which introduced her to the Management Council and many of the programs that they support state-wide.
Melissa joined the Management Council in the mid 2010s and currently serves as the Director of Customer Services and Support. She previously served the Management Council as a Program Manager for several programs supported by the Customer Services and Support division.
Erica came to INFOhio in the early 2010s with more than 10 years’ experience, including as an early childhood teacher and elementary music teacher. Prior to her role as an INFOhio ILibrarian, now known as Instructional Specialist, she worked for two collegiate universities, one as the Humanities Librarian and the other as Library Director. In her role with INFOhio, Erica evaluated and selected digital tools and resources aligned with Ohio Learning Standards, and supported integration of those tools and resources into classroom instruction. She also collected, analyzed, and shared INFOhio usage data to inform instructional design, and wrote for INFOhio’s social media, blog, and news. She earned a BA in English and Music and a Master of Humanities from Wright State University, and a Master of Library Science from Indiana University.
In her role as Director of INFOhio, Erica is responsible for developing and implementing plans that advance INFOhio program priorities and initiatives. She will lead the ongoing development and delivery of all INFOhio programs, resources, and services to Ohio PreK-12 students, educators, and parents. She is also responsible for the operation of INFOhio digital tools and resources, INFOhio professional development for PreK-12 educators, and school library automation services.
Matt Calmes serves as the Director of State Software Development. Matt has been with the State Software Development Team since the early 2000s. In his current role, he leads and manages the teams that develop and support the various products in the SSDT’s portfolio. He has a passion for technology and solving hard problems that provide benefit to Ohio’s educational community and the students they serve.
Greg Buddelmeyer serves as the Chief Financial Officer for the Management Council. He joined the Management Council staff in the mid 2010s. Greg began his career with the Ohio Auditor of State’s Office as an Assistant Auditor, working on audits of Ohio government entities. In the early 1990s, he accepted his first school district treasurer position with Liberty-Benton Local School District. He also spent time as the school treasurer for Defiance City School District and Shawnee Local School District. He eventually moved to The University of Findlay as the Financial Director for Projects and Grants, overseeing the financial operations of The All Hazards Training Center and university grant programs.
As Director of Customer Services and Support, Bill Young is the chief evangelist for excellent customer experiences across the Ohio Education Computer Network (OECN). Bill manages customer support teams that are dedicated to delivering timely and knowledgeable support for major K-12 programs and applications used by teachers and leaders across Ohio. Teams deliver support via a live-chat, a statewide call center, email, and responsive self-help web sites.
Bill is also responsible for the Management Council’s IT Service Management strategy based on the Cherwell Service Management. This environment is used by over a dozen major K-12 service providers across Ohio to support their customer service and support missions.
Bill has been a key member of the Management Council leadership team since the early 2010s. Prior to joining the Management Council, Bill was a senior consultant for seven years at the Office of Information Technology within the Ohio Department of Administrative Services. There he participated in the development of Ohio’s enterprise architecture, IT policies and related technology standards.
Scott Gaughan serves as the Director of Network Services. He currently focuses on network related initiatives, information security, video conferencing, and collaborative purchasing agreements. He joined the Management Council in the early 2010s after spending 30 years in state government, including Ohio DAS/OIT, Ohio SchoolNet and eTech Ohio.
Scott has been actively involved in the Ohio K-12 technology arena for the last 25 years, leading high profile programs such as Interactive Video Distance Learning (IVDL) and ONEnet Ohio. He also served as the lead architect for the current Ohio K-12 Network, which provides connectivity to Ohio’s Information Technology Centers and districts.
Ryan has committed his career to serving the K12 education community in Ohio. Starting out in serving INFOhio at a regional Information Technology Center in the 1990s, he quickly adapted to the changing needs of the ITC and became their lead systems administrator. When given the opportunity in the mid 2000s, he came to the Management Council to initiate the first disaster recovery services. Since then and through leading many diverse initiatives, Ryan has developed into a talented technologist who focuses on aligning technology needs and educational outcomes.