Ben Markley

With over 20 years dedicated to serving students, staff, and communities across several California school districts, Ben Markley’s strategic leadership ensures technology has a positive impact on classrooms and student achievement. Ben’s vision for a supportive, empathetic, and responsive IT team, prioritizing classroom needs, significantly influences student learning through technology. In 2015, Ben became a certified CTO through the California IT in Education (CITE) organization. He strives to give back and invest in future IT leaders as he serves as an instructor and mentor for the CITE CTO Mentor program and regularly presents on topics focused on IT leadership, strategy, and systems thinking.

As the Chief Technology Officer at Hemet Unified School District, Mr. Markley believes it is critical to develop a proactive team focused on customer service, while at the same time using innovation and creativity to discover solutions. His recent initiatives include successful projects like a district-wide technology refresh of all classroom and user devices, 1:1 take home student devices, implementation of a comprehensive cybersecurity plan, and extending internet access to remote families. In 2022, the California School Board Association honored Ben and his team with the Golden Bell Award for “Innovation in a Time of Crisis.” Additionally, Ben’s individual accolades include ACSA Region XIX’s 2024 Technology Administrator of the Year, 2022 CITE Technology Leader of the Year, and San Diego County’s 2018 Technology Administrator of the Year.