Member Spotlight: Board of Director Candidate - Jamie Lewsadder

Jamie Lewsadder

Jamie Lewsadder is the Associate Superintendent of Technology Services for La Cañada Unified School District. The LCUSD Tech Team is on a mission to shift the balance from managing students to empowering students. Her personal charge is to leave anyone the tech department counters smarter than they found them by teaching basic tech support skills, encouraging a new lesson, or uncovering an efficiency. She works closely with the Superintendent to align all technology initiatives with that of the instructional side of the district while balancing the infrastructure demands of this new world. She taught English for five years at La Canada High, before moving to the director of technology position, then became the first CTO for the district. While this seems like an unlikely leap, she credits her grandfather for teaching her to build computers, her tech mentor at USC for opening the world of educational technology, and the CITE organization for teaching her about leadership.

How long have you been in your current role and how did you get there?

"Like technology, my role and title get updates every few years. I've had my current title and expand duties for two years. Before that, I had the best title of CTO for about 6 years. I should have considered that before accepting one that doesn't have an acronym. My path in leadership has been about finding challenges and creating sound solutions. I look for ways to make feature updates for our little district and take care of not just students, but staff, teachers, and families. I give back as much as possible and build relationships with people smarter than me. Those are my secrets!"

What's a recent win you've had at work?

"My big win this year was getting a board resolution passed around AI. I'm super excited to have this document as a guide for our progress towards cautious exploration. But we also had a big win with getting more of our athletic coaches on Parentsquare. That has been an ongoing project and the scales are tipping! My team is crushing it. And by team, I mean my ed tech partner Lindsay Staley. She is a hunter!"

How long have you been a CITE member? What is your favorite memory from a CITE event?

"I joined CITE in 2015. My best memory would have to be my CTOM graduation. I love my cohort, the most interesting cohort in the world, the uncommoncohort. We got tshirts (that we still wear at conference) and produced a great video showcasing our talents and humor. That was an amazing accomplishment. We meet up each year at conference for a reunion photo."

What do you do in your limited free time?

"I love being outside. You can find me in the sun whenever possible hiking or riding my bike. I live for time in nature. That is where I reset my brain and cycle through the week's events."

Are there any special shout outs you'd like to give to someone in your life or the CITE community who has made a special impact on you?

"I'm grateful for my partner and best friend, Tobias. We started our relationship as camp counselors and and years later got married. He builds me up and challenges me. I couldn't have a better person to lean on."

If someone is intimidated or reluctant to get involved with CITE, what advice would you give them?

"Are you interested in a joining a community where ego is suspended and people give free tech support daily? Why haven't you signed up yet? You can find 1000 tech besties here always happy to share ideas and learn from you too!"