Cedar Rapids, Iowa – July 15, 2020 – Involta, an industry-leading hybrid IT, cloud computing and data center services company, is pleased to announce Michelle Bates, Chief Innovation Officer, was recently named CIO of the Year by the Technology Association of Iowa (TAI). This prestigious accolade was given as part of the organization’s annual Prometheus Awards, which celebrates leaders in technology, business, education and government for their most impactful innovations of the year.
Bates won this award, in part, because of her development of and dedication to her innovation framework philosophy. Her philosophy aligns and enables people and processes to help Involta clients achieve their business outcomes through strategic IT solutions and service delivery.
“Not only does Michelle implement change management for clients who embody this philosophy at its core, but she also recognizes its importance to the success at Involta. She consistently drives home the point that any type of change, growth or success begins with people,” stated Bruce Lehrman, Involta CEO.
Bates’ strategic approach to client acquisition has been a fundamental component of the company’s success in delivering consulting services across public, private and hybrid cloud platforms. Her ability to develop trusting relationships and execute sophisticated client engagements helped Involta acquire some of its most influential clients of record in 2019.
“It’s an honor to receive this recognition,” stated Bates. “As a young woman growing up in the land of the Amish, I never dreamed of having an opportunity to help organizations transform their business leveraging technology. I humbly accept this award on behalf of the talented team at Involta who drive digital transformation every day to achieve the business goals of our customers.”
Prior to joining Involta in 2018, Bates served as owner and CEO of BluPrairie Technologies, an IT cloud consulting firm that helped businesses, governmental agencies, start-ups and higher education institutions leverage technology to transform the way business is conducted. She also previously held positions as Director of IT Architecture Services for a Fortune 500 Aerospace and Defense leader and Vice President of Technology for a software and solutions start-up. Her extensive Fortune 500 and start-up experience includes work with leading cloud service providers, such as Google and Amazon Web Services™. Bates is Prosci certified and a day-to-day leader of change management.
To watch Michelle Bates’ most recent interview with TAI, click here.