STEVEN CLEMENTS
Chief Information Officer at Lancaster County
Can you please provide a little introduction about yourself
My current role of Chief Information Officer is based in Lancaster, Pa. A mid-sized local government.
What has your journey to your position been like? What path have you taken?
My journey began with going to night school to learn programming languages. To take a step back I was enlisted in the Pennsylvania Army National Guard at the time, and I was working in the payroll department. My friend suggested that I give this course a try and that led to a job change that changed my life. I moved into management with a manufacturing company and later became the Director of IT for AAA Central Penn. I had the opportunity to move into my current position as the CIO for Lancaster County to rebuild and re-engage the IT department, and that was a position that I simply could not pass up.
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?
Absolutely, I have always been a visionary, and this position allows me to do just that. I have the ability to mentor up as well as down to make the greatest contributions.
Have you had a role model or mentor that has helped you on your journey?
I can count on one hand the number of mentors that I have had. I have chosen to follow people not based on technology, but based on leadership, principle, ethics, and sound judgement. These people have guided me during the many years of my journey.
How do you see the role of the technology leader evolving over the next 5 years?
Now that COVID is starting to become less of a threat, we are starting to see new trends evolving. The role of the Technology Leader will be a business partner first and a Technology partner second. This is a trend that we are seeing in every sector as world events are changing how we plan our business.
What skills do you think leaders of the future will need in order to thrive?
Leaders will always need to have skills of empathy and integrity and being able to be servant leaders. Leaders need to be able to listen as well as make decisions. Our greatest asset is our people
How do you keep current with new skills, technologies and personal development?
I never stop learning, I am always looking for courses, webinars, or group chats to share ideas. I am engaged with my team. I am reaching out to my peers to ask questions. Always stay motivated.
What do you see as the next leap in technology that will impact your business or industry in particular?
I think the next big leap will be a new era of chip design. We have found that any impact on the shipping of microchips can have a devastating effect.
"Inspire people to do the impossible, encourage them, lead them."
If you were mentoring a leader of the future, what advice or guidance would you give to help them on their way?
Inspire people to do the impossible, encourage them, lead them.
Is there anything in particular that you would still like to achieve in your career or what is the next step on your journey?
Just to be better than I am today!
If you could change one thing in the world, what would it be?
End the war in the Ukraine.
A big thank you to Steven Clements from Lancaster County for sharing his 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.
