Villanova University Names Kelly P. Doney as Chief Information Officer
VILLANOVA, Pa.—Villanova University has announced the appointment of Kelly P. Doney as Chief Information Officer (CIO), effective Monday, Feb. 3. This appointment is the result of a comprehensive national search led by Koya Leadership Partners, which yielded a strong pool of candidates from around the country.
“Villanova is attracting top talent, and we are thrilled to have Kelly join the University in this important role,” said the Rev. Peter M. Donohue, OSA, PhD, Villanova University President. “The CIO position requires a visionary leader with expertise in both the business and technical practices of the University, and Kelly has that vision, along with the expertise, to lead Villanova in this area as we move into the next decade.”
As Villanova’s CIO, Doney will be responsible for providing overall leadership and direction for the University-wide information technology program and infrastructure to meet the varied and complex needs of the University. Among the CIO’s areas of oversight are technology infrastructure, information security, network, ERP, tech support, card systems, communication systems, instructional technology and application development.
“I look forward to joining Villanova just as the University is beginning to execute its new Strategic Plan,” said Doney. “As a leader in higher education technology, I have seen firsthand how technology can transform the student experience, enhance the research mission and enrich teaching and learning. As each generation of students enters the University, they bring with them a new set of digital experiences and expectations. Couple that with the advances we see in areas like artificial intelligence, data analytics and the continuing evolution of cloud solutions, and I cannot think of a more exciting time to be in higher education—especially at a university that clearly embraces the critical role technology will play in shaping the next decade.”
With more than 20 years of experience in the information technology field, Doney most recently served as a vice president at Ellucian, a global market leader in higher education technology. While at Ellucian, she built a management consulting practice, created the company’s first global strategic delivery partner program and designed the company’s first Collaboration Lab for the California Community College System. Doney also represented Ellucian on EDUCAUSE’s Corporate Member Advisory Committee, where she collaborated with other higher education industry leaders to bring increased value to the corporate-EDUCAUSE relationship.
Prior to joining Ellucian, Doney was associate vice president for Enterprise Applications at Georgetown University. In that position, she established and executed the enterprise technology strategy for the University’s administrative, student, teaching and learning, constituent relationship management, institutional reporting and research domains. Under her leadership, Georgetown received industry recognition for being among the first to bring core administrative and teaching and learning systems to the cloud.
“I am extremely excited to welcome Kelly to Villanova to lead the University’s Information Technology efforts and align our IT strategy with a new Strategic Plan that will guide Villanova’s future over the next decade,” said Kenneth G. Valosky, Villanova University Executive Vice President. “The field of information technology continues to evolve, and universities must always have an eye on emerging technologies, best practices and regulatory requirements. Kelly brings strong leadership, as well as technical knowledge and experience managing the changing technology of higher education.”
Beyond her work in higher education, Doney has extensive consulting experience with leading management consultancy firms, including Booz Allen Hamilton and Deloitte Consulting, where she managed complex technology strategy, modernization and software development contracts for the federal government.
Doney received her Master of Science in Experimental Psychology from Syracuse University and her Bachelor of Arts in Music and Psychology from Ithaca College.
About Villanova University: Since 1842, Villanova University’s Augustinian Catholic intellectual tradition has been the cornerstone of an academic community in which students learn to think critically, act compassionately and succeed while serving others. There are more than 10,000 undergraduate, graduate and law students in the University's six colleges—the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, the Villanova School of Business, the College of Engineering, the M. Louise Fitzpatrick College of Nursing, the College of Professional Studies and the Villanova University Charles Widger School of Law. Ranked among the nation’s top universities, Villanova supports its students’ intellectual growth and prepares them to become ethical leaders who create positive change everywhere life takes them. For more, visit www.villanova.edu.