Lee Leiber joined Baylor last fall as chief information officer and vice president of the information technology office with responsibility for meeting the College’s IT needs. Now that Leiber has gotten the chance to learn more about Baylor, here’s the chance to get to know a little more about him and his priorities.

In the time that you have been here so far, what have you learned about the IT needs of the College? What are your goals for the IT department?

I learned that there is no shortage of demand for IT services throughout the College. The vast majority of those needs relate to the data of our organization – most notably, the ability to protect, organize, report on and mine the data.

My goal for the IT department is to build stronger alignment with the BCM mission areas. I believe that we need to better understand the various needs across the mission areas and build stronger organizational relationships. We can leverage technology to solve so many of the College’s challenges, but that cannot occur without open communication and strong collaboration.

Lee Leiber

What has impressed you most about Baylor College of Medicine so far? About the IT department specifically?

I hate to echo what other interviewees have said, but it truly is the people. Everyone that I have met shares a strong passion for BCM and is engaged in the Baylor community. In the short time that I have been at BCM, I have felt welcome by both the IT team and the organization as a whole.

What is your professional background? What drew you to this career?

My educational background is in electrical engineering, and I had initially planned to work in the robotics field. I began my career doing robotics research at the Nemours Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children in Wilmington, Del., and I managed the lab computer network on the side. Learning that medical insurance did not cover robotics, combined with the tech-boom of the mid-90s, drove my decision to shift my primary focus to IT.

The majority of my career has been spread across healthcare, higher education and non-profit. During that time, I have had the privilege of working in a variety of IT functional areas, including infrastructure, application development, project management, IT governance and information security. I am passionate about solving problems and discovered over the years that IT has no shortage of interesting problems to solve.

Where are you from and where did you attend college?

I am originally from Philadelphia and attended the University of Delaware for my undergraduate studies.  While I spent the past 16 years in Washington, D.C., I am a die-hard Philadelphia Eagles fan.

How do you like Houston so far?

So far, I love Houston. I moved here at the end of October from the Northeast, and I am enjoying the Houston winter. Since I am new to the area, I am staying close to the Texas Medical Center and am enjoying a short commute. I reserve the right to modify my answer after I experience the Houston summer and the infamous traffic (although D.C. has hot and humid summers and terrible traffic too!)

What are some of your personal hobbies?

In my 20s, I was a competitive ballroom dancer. I spent the past 15 years coaching the George Washington University Ballroom Dance Team prior to moving to Houston. I still enjoy social dancing and look forward to learning how to two-step. I also love to golf, and I am still amazed that I can now golf in February.

Family? Kids? Pets?

I have a wife, Sarah, and two dogs – a Jack Russell Terrier named Sophie and a Golden Retriever named Emma.

Anything else you want to add?

I have a terrible sweet tooth. I keep a large candy dish in my office so if you are ever in the McGovern building, please stop by to say hi and grab some candy.