Terrie Wolfe

My journey in IT started in an unexpected way - back in high school, they gave us aptitude tests, and the counselor called me in and said he didn't know what to do with me because I scored 99% in mechanics, higher than the boys, and my next score was electronics. He suggested this new technical school program called data processing, and that's how I ended up in this field. I started my first IT job in November 1973 as a second shift computer operator, working with punch cards and mainframes - the old Honeywell and IBM systems. Over the years, I've worked for several different companies in various roles, and that breadth of experience has given me insights that people just starting out don't have. I went to night school at University of Texas at Arlington while raising two little kids, graduating in 1992 with a business degree because I realized that without a degree, my career path would be limited. I switched from IT coursework to business because the technology education wasn't keeping up with what I was already doing in the field, and I didn't want to get disheartened arguing with instructors. Today, I'm a senior IT consultant at CDW, specializing in IT Service Management with expert level certification in ITIL. I work full-time with one client - I'm basically one of their team members, what they call 'the adopted one.' I've been with them for about 6 years, helping them mature their IT department through strategy, execution, coaching, and partnering with their leadership. Before this consulting role, I was VP of IT administration at SPX, where I led a successful project to consolidate 12 different solutions across 26 locations onto a single platform for a worldwide organization. What I love about consulting is that I don't have to run a team anymore - I don't have to be Miss Mom - but I can step into projects, work with strategy and execution, coach people, make suggestions, and work with a client that appreciates me. I've learned that it's not just about installing new software and saying 'this is how you use it' - you have to help people embrace and understand the why, show them the business value, and take their hand to lead them through the process. You have to be a true partner, be good to your word, and help them realize you're on their side and want to see them successful. My typical day starts early - I'm East Coast working with Central time zone clients, so I get up before my customers wake up to have some thought time without constant team message distractions. I might do anything from training to writing technical manuals, policy, procedures, mentoring, or planning roadmaps. As I look toward retirement in the coming months, I'm proud of the progress my current customer has made - they started with just 3-4 people in the group, and now there's 15, and I've been there through it all, even helping interview people and watching the team grow.