Melodie Mayberry-Stewart, 2009 Honoree
- Title
- CIO, director of the Office for Technology
- Employer
- State of New York
- Location
- Albany
- First job:
- Lifeguard and water safety instructor
- Most valuable career advice:
- "No one accomplishes anything by themselves."
- Life's ambition:
- "I have already achieved it: a great mother, daughter, sister and friend and public servant."
- What do you love about IT?
- "The ability to transform organizations."
- Best mentoring relationship:
- "I am fortunate to have several. One special one is my IBM manager, who has been a mentor for 28 years and counting."
- People you'd invite to your dream dinner party:
- Harriet Tubman, Martin Luther King Jr., Bette Davis and Robert Frost
- Passions outside of work:
- "Fishing, and mentoring youth to pursue IT careers."
- Your recreational best:
- "I have attended three Master Angler Awards events."
- Favorite book:
- "I love biographies. Just finished a book on Barack Obama."
- What about you would surprise the people you work with?
- "My childhood fantasy was to be an Olympic swimmer."
- Leadership philosophy in a nutshell:
- "I believe in building a culture of discipline and good leadership. I have encouraged my entire staff to adopt the philosophy [from the book]