2026 CONNECT Program Committee

Ted Pennell, Chief Information Officer, Camosun College (Program Committee Chair)

Ted Pennell is the CIO for Camosun College and is passionate about enhancing education through technology. He values innovation as an empowering agent for change and is skilled at building and maintaining productive relationships and developing capable teams that value customer service and collaboration. Ted holds an MBA degree with a specialization in consulting management and has numerous technology and business certifications and designations.

Antonio Brandao, Director, Cybersecurity Services, BCNET  

Antonio is a seasoned IT security and network infrastructure expert with extensive experience in Linux and Windows Server administration. He has designed, deployed, and hardened networks for commercial and government organizations, including enhancing web-application firewall protections for Brazilian military systems to reduce exposure to zero-day and brute-force attacks. A former Army Lieutenant Colonel, he led complex operations and made decisive, risk-calibrated decisions under pressure. As a Cyber Security professor at the Military Academy for seven years, he developed and delivered curriculum on threat modeling, penetration testing, secure system design, and incident response. His core competencies include: Security policy development & compliance, Network design, hardening & administration, Penetration testing & vulnerability assessment, Scripting & automation (Bash, PowerShell, Python), and Operational support & incident response. Antonio is committed to lifelong learning and staying ahead of emerging cybersecurity threats.

Brian Lamb, Director, Learning Technology and Innovation, Thompson Rivers University 

Brian oversees learning technology for both campus and Open Learning communities at TRU. He is a co-founder of the OpenETC. He blogs at Abject. 

Crawford Millen, Director, IT, University of the Fraser Valley

Crawford Millen leads cybersecurity strategy, governance, and resilience efforts across the University of Fraser Valley's cloud and on-premises environments.  With over 20 years' experience in financial services, government, and enterprise consulting, he has driven complex transformations in identity governance, cloud adoption, and risk management. At UFV, he built and mentored the cybersecurity team, strengthened incident response capabilities, and advanced data protection.  

Passionate about mentorship, he empowers the next generation of professionals through knowledge sharing.  

By working collaboratively across both IT teams and the institution, he ensures both innovation and alignment with institutional priorities.  Crawford’s love of technology fuels a constant curiosity about emerging threats.  This is balanced with personal growth and time for family, recognizing that resilience and perspective come from both professional excellence and a well-rounded life.

Dave Lampron, Chief Information Officer, Vancouver Island University

Dave is the Chief Information Officer (CIO) at Vancouver Island University. He's worked in academia for over 25 years. Dave is a student of empathetic leadership. He strives to create the organizational conditions that allow for an 'Idea Meritocracy' culture. An Idea Meritocracy is designed to produce the best possible decision under the circumstances by enabling the best thinking by all team members. Dave also has a passion for assisting rural and remote communities in augmenting access to essential services.

Devon Keys, Manager, Shared Technology Solutions, BCNET  

Devon manages the diverse portfolio of shared IT solutions that are offered by BCNET’s Shared Systems and Technology team. Working collaboratively with our member community, she acts as a liaison between BCNET’s members and service providers in developing and implementing shared services and technology solutions at their institutions. With a career thus far dedicated to higher education IT, she is well versed in the needs of the post-secondary sector.

Elizabeth Kinney, Senior Manager, Learning Applications, IT, The University of British Columbia 

Elizabeth Kinney is the Senior Manager, Learning Applications, UBC IT.  She has a Juris Doctor from the University of Victoria, BC, and a Master in Law from the University of British Columbia.  With over 14 years of experience in clinical research and health research administration in both Canada and the United States, she has firsthand experience with telemedicine and health technology.  

Ellis Herbert, Director, Shared Technology Solutions and ERP, BCNET

Ellis Herbert is an accomplished IT leader with over 25 years of experience in driving technology transformations within the higher education, K12, research, and healthcare sectors. Specializing in enterprise resource planning (ERP) and technology solutions, he consistently aligns digital initiatives with organizational goals to enhance service quality and operational efficiency in both public and private sectors. His strategic vision and expert navigation through complex technology landscapes have led to impactful improvements and the implementation of scalable technology solutions. Ellis has held senior technology roles at Kwantlen Polytechnic University and served as Director of Enterprise Systems and Deputy CIO at Thompson Rivers University.

James Peltier, Director, IT Services, Research Computing Group, Simon Fraser University 

James Peltier is a seasoned professional with over 25 years of experience in supporting research in IT. He has been a valuable member of Simon Fraser University community since 2006, when he started as a Research Associate (R.A.). In 2008, James joined the Network Support Group, became manager in 2010, and the team was later rebranded as the Research Computing Group (RCG) in 2015. During his tenure, James has played a crucial role in the provisioning and support of the Cedar supercomputer from 2016 to 2022 and successfully transitioned from a technical role to become the Director of Research Computing Group, where he currently leads the team.

Jordan Perrey, CIO, IT Services, Okanagan College 

Jordan Perrey is an accomplished IT professional with over 20 years of experience. He has spent close to a decade with the BC Government before working in a private technology company. There he worked with a number of NHL, NBA and NFL teams. Over the last 6 years he had been the CIO at Okanagan College.

Keith Webster, Associate Director, Centre for Teaching and Educational Technology, Royal Roads University 

Keith manages teams within the Centre for Teaching and Educational Technologies that support both online and classroom technologies at Royal Roads. He has been an educational technologist and instructional designer for close to 20 years and has taught in the K-12 and post-secondary systems. Keith is a past chair of the Educational Technology User’s Group (ETUG) and teaches part time as an Open Learning Faculty member at Thompson Rivers University.

Ken Bigelow, Systems Administrator II at Advanced Research Computing, The University of British Columbia

Ken is a Systems Administrator II with the Advanced Research Computing group at UBC. Ken has over 23 years of experience with assisting researchers, students and fellow administrators to provide access to the latest in hardware / software technology in an easy to understand format.

Kevin Schretlen, Manager, IT Infrastructure and Operations, University of Northern British Columbia 

Kevin is the Manager of IT Infrastructure and Cloud Adoption at UNBC. He has spent most of his career in Academia, first at CNC, and now at UNBC. He has gained experience in various domains including cybersecurity, systems and network administration, governance, and management.

Reza Khakbaznejad, Chief Information Officer, Kwantlen Polytechnic University

Reza Khakbaznejad is the Chief Information Officer (CIO) at Kwantlen Polytechnic University, where he has been a driving force in the institution's technological evolution since 2018.  Reza's experience in IT leadership spans both private and public sectors.  Prior to joining KPU Reza spent 8 years at Canadian Tourism Commission and 14 years at Coca Cola Company.

Rita Leone, Associate Director, IT Client Services, Thompson Rivers University

Rita is the Associate Director of IT Client Services at Thompson Rivers University, where she has worked since 2006 and joined IT in 2010. With a background in business management, she brings expertise in leadership, planning, and organizational development to higher education. Rita oversees IT Client Services, emphasizing collaboration, strong relationships, and exceptional support across campus. She is dedicated to fostering an inclusive, service-focused environment that empowers students, faculty, and staff. Passionate about innovation.

Ryan Enge, Director, Research Computing Services​, University of Victoria 

Ryan Enge is the Director of Research Computing Services at the University of Victoria and national site lead for “Arbutus",  part of the Digital Research Alliance of Canada's national cloud platform. He started in Advanced Research Computing (ARC) after joining the High-Energy Physics (HEP) group at the university in 2004. When UVic received its first WestGrid system at the end of 2009, Ryan helped deploy Compute Canada’s first infrastructure as a service (IaaS) cloud. The RCS team was formed in April 2017 and Ryan switched from a technical role to a leadership role of this team.

Sunny Jassal, Chief Information Security Officer, British Columbia Institute of Technology

Sunny is an enthusiastic cybersecurity leader with 20+ years of experience driving secure digital transformation. He bridges the gap between business and technology, translating strategy into actionable plans that enable innovation while safeguarding critical assets. As a trusted advisor to executives and boards, Sunny leverages his expertise in cybersecurity and corporate governance to foster a "security by design" culture. His background includes leading high-performing technical teams across diverse industries.

Zoë Armer, Program Manager, Cybersecurity, The University of British Columbia

Zoë Armer is the Program Manager, Cybersecurity at the University of British Columbia (UBC), where she has worked in IT since 2012 and cybersecurity since 2016. With decades of experience, she leads the non-technical side of cybersecurity, managing programs, projects, and portfolios. Her work includes communications and engagement, with a focus on building a culture where cybersecurity hygiene is second nature and shared across the institution. Zoë is passionate about the human dimension of cybersecurity, promoting inclusive, awareness-driven approaches that empower individuals and communities to take ownership of digital safety.