Today’s IT environment continues to grow in complexity; however, the challenges are no longer limited to keeping up with new technology. With new regulations being introduced in the form of Sarbanes-Oxley, HIPPA and others, the role of the IT leader is becoming more critical to the business operation and is no longer a simple service role. The Nashville CIO Council’s primary mission is to provide a forum for IT leaders to come together, share their experiences and brainstorm with others in similar situations to identify potential strategies and approaches to the issues they are facing. Whether that problem involves alignment of IT with business plans, implementation strategies for new technologies, identification of outsourcing partners, or clarification and strategy for meeting government regulations, the Nashville CIO Council has become a great resource for its members via the network of executive IT leaders in the community.

As the Nashville CIO Council has developed over the past few years, a secondary mission emerged in conjunction with the Nashville Technology Council. This partnership with the NTC is aimed at enhancing the business environment in the Nashville area with respect to Information Technology through community awareness of IT issues. The Nashville CIO Council frequently provides speakers to Nashville Technology Council sponsored events and works with the Center for Information Technology Education (CITE) to help improve the connection between area businesses and the university education system. This partnership works to improve the quality and quantity of technical resources available in the Nashville area and to attract new technology oriented businesses to the Nashville area. The CIO Council feels that through this effort, the quality of their IT organizations can be better maintained and enhanced to address new challenges that will certainly develop in the future.