CRENISHA WRIGHT
CIO at Arkansas Foodbank
Can you please provide a little introduction about yourself
I joined Arkansas Foodbank as the Chief Information Officer in July of 2021. Arkansas Foodbank is located in Little Rock, AR and the work that we do impacts more than 330 agencies in 33 counties where we serve more than 280,000 neighborhoods who are facing food insecurities.
When I joined the food bank and assessed the state of technology there were several upgrades that were necessary. Under my leadership, my technology department was awarded a grant that funded 95% of the organization’s network infrastructure, licenses and support for 5 years. The enterprise resource planning system was upgraded, equipment was refreshed, computer systems were migrated to Microsoft O365, an automated help desk was implemented, a new telecommunications system has been deployed, and more. We are now preparing to upgrade our servers and once that’s finished, I feel like the organization’s technology will be highly efficient.
What has your journey to your position been like? What path have you taken?
I have always been intrigued by computers. So, when I went to college, I decided to major in Computer/Management Information Systems. The journey to my position has not been the easiest but I have always remained focused on technology. Before working at Arkansas Foodbank, I worked for education entities (school district, state department and university) for 18 years. I worked with student and financial software systems and data analytics. While working at the university, I decided to utilize the employee incentives and I obtained my second master’s degree in information science. This gave me the opportunity to collaborate work and school projects and work with artificial intelligence. I consider myself to be a lifetime learner and have found that the more I learn and evolve in technology, the more intrigued I get by this infinite field.
Has it always been your vision to reach the position you’re at? Was your current role part of your vision to become a tech leader?
If you had told me 3 years ago that I would soon be a CIO, leading a technology department for Arkansas’ largest food bank, speaking on national stages about technology advancement and more, I would not have believed you. I did not have plans to be at this level and I think I had a bit of imposter syndrome. I am very excited that I took a leap of faith and stepped onto this platform. It has been an amazing growth opportunity and I have found fulfillment in knowing that the leadership that I am providing and the work that I am doing is serving our organization’s mission which is to ultimately connect those with food insecurities with nourishing food. Technology is typically in the background but it’s rewarding to know that indirect, yet vital work can support such a mission. I am grateful to lead that work.
Have you had a role model or mentor that has helped you on your journey?
I want to first mention my Mom. She had me at a young age and decided to take on motherhood and not go to college. However, she pushed me and my brother to do so and has lived vicariously through us. I will forever dedicate my education and career journey to her for her sacrifice and love.
When I entered the technology field, I noticed that there was a very low representation of women and black people. I did not foresee myself being a technology leader until I met Dr. Jody Fields and Dr. Elizabeth Pierce. Dr. Fields is the Director of the IDEA Data and Research Office at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock (UALR). Dr. Pierce is an Associate Professor and the Chair of Information Science at UALR. These intellectual women are leaders in education and technology, and they provided what I needed to see for inspiration. They both not only inspired me to strive for a higher position but also to embark on the journey to getting my PhD in Computer and Information Sciences. They both now serve on my dissertation committee, and I feel confident in their guidance and critique on this journey.
How do you see the role of the technology leader evolving over the next 5 years?
Technology is infinite. I believe that 5 years from now people will be working in jobs that don’t currently exist. It is difficult at times to plan for this evolving field. Technology leaders will have to stay prepared for change and be change agents. We will need to quickly adapt while keeping up with what is needed for the organizations and staff. Technology leaders will need to be strategic planners. A lot of strategic plans span over a period of 3 years but leaders in technology will need to plan, according to their industry, for 5 to 10 years.
What skills do you think leaders of the future will need in order to thrive?
Technology leaders will need to be pioneers and change agents. This is a field of continuous innovation and we as leaders will need to have people management skills in order to facilitate that change.
How do you keep current with new skills, technologies and personal development?
I am a lifetime learner. I’m currently working on my PhD in Computer and Information Sciences at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. I am looking forward to being a researcher and enhancing the technology field for many years to come.
What do you see as the next leap in technology that will impact your business or industry in particular?
Many people are fearful of the capabilities of artificial intelligence. I, as a technology leader, am a bit excited about how it can be utilized. I’ve had experience working with predictive analytics and studied natural language processing. Both are an advantage to organizations and the information age. The utilization of data for decision-making and output is necessary and there are so many opportunities for this type of technology in the workforce.
"You can do hard things and you belong in leadership"
If you were mentoring a leader of the future, what advice or guidance would you give to help them on their way?
I would tell them that you can do hard things and you belong in leadership. I almost shied away from this field because many people told me that the computer science field and programming was hard. I had to sit in many classrooms, meetings, and conferences and be the only woman or the only black person. I’m so glad that I decided to stay on the course and do the hard things or continue even when I felt like I didn’t belong. I feel a sense of success because I did not give up.
Is there anything in particular that you would still like to achieve in your career or what is the next step on your journey?
I am looking forward to consulting with school districts and organizations on technology and analytics. I plan to work with children and families on cyber safety. As technology advances, I am also concerned about our elderly community, that are a part of the digital divide, and their safety.
I have future plans to become a professor. I want to create the platform that I did not have as a college student. As a professor and researcher, I will work to fill in the gaps to continue to enhance technology and analytics. I feel that my education and real-world experience as a CIO will be a gift to young minds and encourage future technology leaders to excel at the top.
If you could change one thing in the world, what would it be?
A big thank you to Crenisha Wright from Arkansas Foodbank for sharing her journey to date.
If you would like to gain more perspective from Tech Leaders and CIOs you can read some of our other interviews here.
