With over 30 years of higher education information technology experience at public, land-grant universities, Tony serves as Vice President and Chief Information Officer at Washington State University. Tony’s career began at the University of Idaho where he served for 22 years. In 2012, he joined Washington State University as Associate VP and Deputy CIO and served as Interim VP and CIO from February 2023 until his current appointment of VP and CIO, effective August 1, 2023.
As VP and CIO, Tony is responsible for WSU’s systemwide information technology systems and services and collaborates with stakeholders across the university to advance WSU’s mission, vision, and values. His work effectively promotes an enhanced infrastructure and technology planning process that supports WSU’s growth. Tony aspires to be a leader, coach, mentor, and collaborator and believes in “leadership by example, management by process.”
Opheim received his B.S. in Computer Science from the University of Idaho where he also taught for seven years and served on various advisory boards, including the Idaho Regional Optical Network and Pacific Northwest Gigapop.
When not in his office, Tony enjoys spending time with his wife and daughter, traveling and formula car racing!