Todd Shechter named vice chancellor for information technology

Senior Vice Chancellor for Operations Janel Forde has appointed Todd Shechter as vice chancellor for information technology, effective Nov. 16, following a national search.

Shechter joins CU Boulder from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where he has served as chief technology officer since 2019. He succeeds Marin Stanek, who retired in May after 25 years at CU Boulder. Orrie Gartner has served as interim vice chancellor since then and will continue to lead the Office of Information Technology (OIT) until Shechter arrives.

"Technology is integral to everything our campus community does, and OIT's dedicated people make it work," Forde said. "I am pleased to welcome Todd, who brings more than 25 years of higher education IT experience and a well-earned reputation for building trust and operational excellence. I look forward to working alongside him as OIT continues to strengthen the systems our students, faculty and staff rely upon."

Shechter has worked across research computing, cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, enterprise architecture and administrative transformation. He spent nearly two decades at Oregon State University, where he began as a student employee and went on to lead technology services for the College of Engineering, which serves almost one-third of the university’s students.

As vice chancellor, Shechter will provide campuswide IT leadership and lead OIT, which supports a campus of more than 38,000 students and roughly 10,000 faculty and staff. He will report to Forde and serve on the Chancellor’s Cabinet and the University Executive Leadership Team.

“Technology works best when people from across the university help shape it. I have spent my career bringing folks together around a shared goal, and I look forward to doing that with the OIT team and our partners in every college and unit. I am honored to join CU Boulder, and I am grateful to Janel and the search committee for the trust they have placed in me,” Shechter said.

Shechter holds a bachelor’s degree from Oregon State University. Outside of work, he volunteers with the Mountain Rescue Association and has taken part in several hundred missions to assist missing or injured people.