Mark Thomas Email & Phone Number

In February 2016, I retired from my State of Minnesota, Information Technology career, serving higher education in Minnesota. The objective of my LinkedIn presence is to reflect on my past work experiences in order to create stepping-stones toward my next career. The scope of my work and responsibilities grew from humble beginnings, as the third-shift EDP Operations Technician, to EDP Operations Scheduler and second-in-charge of Operations, eventually to Multimedia Project Manager, and finally as a Web Team co-founder and leader, at Minnesota State University, Mankato. In 1998 I joined the newly-formed Campus Services Unit of Minnesota State Colleges and Universities, (MnSCU) as Emerging Technology Architect. I worked in that role for two-years, surveying new and emerging technologies, and writing reports. In 2000 I took on the challenge of System-wide Software Contract Administrator. This provided an opportunity to work with software vendors in negotiating affordable pricing and providing technology access for the faculty, staff, and students of MnSCU, the fifth largest higher ed organization in the USA.My negotiations included sixteen annual renewals of the Microsoft Campus Agreement. I also managed software contracts for Autodesk, Novell, VMware, and Adobe, to third party patch management software from Lumension and Secunia. Also Esri (GIS), and technical computing software from Wolfram and Maplesoft.In order to accomplish these goals, I worked internally with MnSCU campus CIOs, IT staff, faculty, business office staff from across the MnSCU and System Office staff including the General Counsel Office. Externally, I worked with Software Account Reps. and I counted on the legal expertise of the Minnesota Attorney General’s Office.After working on software agreements for sixteen years I feel that I’ve mastered much of the interpersonal communication and negotiation skills required to bring home the best deal.

Listed skills include Software Contracts, Contract Negotiation, Educational Technology, Higher Education Leadership, and 27 others.

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  Minnesota State University, Mankato

  Educational Leadership: Ba, Philosophy & Anthroplogy