Emily Jarvis

Texting to 911–that’s an exciting and potentially life-saving innovation for sure! It’s great to see CIOs like Mr. Collins hard at work driving government technology into the future.

Great interview Emily! This gives valuable insights into the gears turning behind a thriving IT office.

Really helpful tips! Great post for these uncertain times.

Congrats to all the finalist! So many diverse roles and achievements.

These are great attributes Emily – thanks for sharing! Mentorship programs are only as strong as the people that become mentors. If your organization has a formal mentorship program, find out how the vet people that become mentors. Often times it is simply those that volunteer – and are not necessarily the best mentors (see Emily’s article above).

Please do not overlook the importance of informal mentorship. The attributes are the same, just without the formal program. I work for a small state agency (about 70 employees) with no formal program. But in my team of six, four of my 5 colleagues, including my boss, are all younger than my oldest kid. The 5th person is still a good 15 years younger than me. I take my informal role of mentoring them and helping them develop very seriously. We have great team dynamics. They appreciate my experience and advice and I love the energy and innovation they bring to the table. You don’t need a formal program to be an effective mentor.

Great article Emily,
We are practicing those traits in our mentor program and I am forwarding your article to the others mentors.