Brad Christ
Associate Vice President for Information Technology and Chief Information Officer, Eastern Washington University
Brad’s leadership within the NWACC community began in 2011 when he joined the CIO Council as the representative from Southern Oregon University. It continued without interruption when he moved from SOU to Eastern Washington University in 2018. During his years on the Council, Brad has exemplified thoughtful leadership and an unwavering commitment to NWACC’s mission.
Among the NWACC leadership roles that Brad has played are these:
- Chair of the Council Cybersecurity Committee – Thanks to Brad’s insightful contributions, the cybersecurity program has been a perennial success and has significantly strengthened collaboration across NWACC institutions.
- Federated Identity Task Force Leader – Brad led an NWACC initiative to explore ways in which NWACC member institutions could exploit federated identity technologies. His position as a member (and former chair) of the Internet2/InCommon Steering Committee helped to facilitate this initiative.
- Board of Directors – After stepping in to finish the term of departing Board member, Brad was subsequently elected to the Board for two more terms. Brad was an active contributor to Board deliberations and his ideas helped to shape the direction of the Consortium, especially during the difficult years of the pandemic.
- CIO Professional Development Retreat – Brad’s experience as a leader was reflected in the creative ideas he contributed as a member of the 2020-2021 NWACC CIO Retreat Planning Committee. Thanks to the guidance of this committee, the March 2022 Retreat turned out to be an exceptionally valuable experience for Council members.
- Cohort Leadership Program – Brad served as a faculty member and panelist for IT staff in Cohort-5 of NWACC’s Leadership Development Program.
In addition to these many roles, Brad took the initiative to serve as an informal liaison between NWACC and Ellucian, the purveyor of the Banner and Colleague enterprise systems. Working closely with Ellucian, Brad navigated numerous challenges, ensuring that communication channels remained open and productive. His ability to maintain a strong, results-oriented relationship with this crucial vendor greatly benefited enterprise operations for many NWACC institutions.
Brad Christ embodies the qualities that the NWACC Leadership Award seeks to recognize: exceptional leadership, a collaborative spirit, and a commitment to use his expertise to advance not only the strategic goals of his own university but those of the broader NWACC community as well. It is with gratitude for his service that we acknowledge Brad’s service with the 2024 Hugi Leadership Award.