IT Leadership Spotlight: Jim Innes, IT director, Auxiliary Services

Where are you from originally?

I was born in Provo, Utah. When I was a baby, my parents moved my family to Inglewood, California, and later, some small towns in Arizona, landing back in Utah during my teen years.

What post-secondary degrees or certifications do you have, in what areas, and from which schools?

I earned my associate and bachelor’s degrees from Utah Valley University (UVU). My bachelor’s degree is in technology management. While at UVU, I also earned my Six Sigma Green Belt certification.

I also earned my Master of Science in Information Systems from the University of Utah in 2018.

What led you to the University of Utah?

I come from a family that highly values education. My father was a junior high school teacher for 33 years and my mother created and directed UVU’s IT help desk department. One of my first jobs after high school was working for the telecom department pulling/terminating telecom wires and network cable at UVU (when it was still named Utah Valley State College).

Later on in life, I found myself back at UVU as the IT manager, then associate director, for Parking Services. During my 12 years there, I managed IT for various other departments/systems in the facilities umbrella. In 2012, I helped modernize the IT infrastructure and move the department to virtual parking permit technology. Two years later, an opportunity arose to help the U’s Commuter Services department make a similar transition in technology.

I was fortunate to be selected for that position and have been working in the Auxiliary Services division ever since.

Can you describe the path you took to IT leadership?

I am still on that path, always learning and trying to improve myself. IT is a fascinating field to be in. I have always had the mindset of trying to figure out how things function, how to make them work better, and how to minimize errors in systems.

I feel my path is similar to many others in IT. Our love for the technical work leads us to opportunities to be mentored by great people in this field, and thanks to their teaching, we grow and develop. I feel lucky that I now have the chance to share that same passion for the work and give support to those I am fortunate to work with.

How would you describe your leadership style and/or philosophy?

My style is fairly straightforward and is the same style I personally thrive working under. I have been very fortunate to have had some amazing managers in my career, including in my current role. I find that when a leader trusts their employees, empowers them to make decisions, and gives them access to the tools they need, they generally thrive. I trust my team to do their tasks and then verify with them how things are going and what is needed from me to help them to be successful. I enjoy getting into the details of a problem with my team and working alongside them to find a solution. Communication is very important to me. We are all in this together, so we help each other when help is needed and ask for help when we encounter a roadblock. It is amazing what kinds of solutions we often find from talking out an issue with our peers.

I also have had managers who truly cared for my well-being, and that aspect is something I try to emulate with my teams. Employees who feel heard and respected often go out of their way to help their team succeed.

What do you enjoy most about your role at the U?

It’s the people I enjoy most. The university attracts some of the most caring, devoted, and intelligent people I have ever worked with. Their drive, passion, and loyalty to the U’s success helps motivate me to be better.

What do you find most challenging about your job?

The university is a complex and varied operation. Some of the biggest challenges we face are making sure the solutions we are working on will be able to integrate with campus securely and properly, as well as serve the campus audience as a whole efficiently. Another challenge is prioritizing the many projects we manage properly to satisfy the timelines, IT security requirements, and budgetary needs of a diverse group of stakeholders.

What are some of your hobbies?

My current hobbies include reading, playing board games with my kids, and home remodeling projects. I love learning new things and fixing/building things for my home. I have always loved anything radio-controlled (RC) (cars, trucks, boats, helicopters, etc.). My children and I can sometimes be spotted driving our small RC rock-crawlers outside.

Is there a fun fact about yourself that you’d like to share?

A number of years ago, I enjoyed a stint as an editor-at-large for a magazine in the RC helicopter hobby, RC Heli Magazine. I really enjoyed writing technical articles, testing equipment, and interviewing people in the hobby during that time — before drones made “hovering” something anyone could do.

Is there anything else that you think our readers would like to know about you?

I feel very fortunate to be part of the U family. My kids are excited to be students here, my oldest son just received his acceptance letter, and I will enjoy occasionally riding TRAX together when his schedule aligns with mine. Speaking of TRAX, if you live in an area where you can use it to get to campus, I highly recommend it. It gives me so much more productivity time during that commute period!

 

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