Dave Scott steps into the role of ITS Managed Desktop Services (MDS) manager today, May 31, after nearly 22 years with the Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools.
Scott replaces Anne Vail, who served as MDS manager from 2016 to 2021.
Experience and accomplishments
Scott joins MDS after holding multiple positions at Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools (CHCCS), most recently as Executive Director of Technology. Previously, he served CHCCS as Director of IT Technical Services, Manager of IT Collaboration and Data Integration and IT Network Specialist. In 2021, he was nominated for CHCCS Classified Administrator of the Year.
“Being so close by, I’ve been interested — especially as of late — in the similarities and differences of technology support and services between K-12 and higher education environments,” Scott said.
Before working at Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools, Scott held a variety of technology positions with private sector companies, ranging from healthcare to federal government contracting. He also served as an adjunct teaching assistant professor at North Carolina State University.
Ray Reitz, Executive Director of Information Technology for Finance and Operations at UNC-Chapel Hill, is a former colleague of Scott. Reitz served as Chief Technology Officer at CHCCS before coming to Carolina. He describes Scott as an IT professional who possesses a combination of technical skills, leadership skills and interpersonal skills.
Scott earned his bachelor’s in business administration, majoring in management and economics, at James Madison University. He also received his master’s of education in instructional technology from NC State University.
Future of MDS
MDS provides IT support to faculty, staff and administrators at UNC-Chapel Hill. The group supplies “fixers” for technical support as well as consultative services, with a focus on security and reliability. It supports 14 different campus departments.
“This position was particularly interesting to me because it feels like the perfect fit with what I want in my career going forward,” Scott said. “Specifically, this role focuses on what I love the most about technology support — customer service. I feel so fortunate for this opportunity to work with this incredibly talented team.”
Scott will oversee a team of seven people.
Looking forward, Scott seeks to implement best practice models to enhance the efficiency of services provided by the MDS team. He also hopes to collaborate with contracting units and IT service providers to develop and refine service level agreements.
Scott’s goal in this position is “to contribute to the success of the MDS team through representation, advocacy, support and customer contact.” He wants to ensure that all members of the MDS team reach their ultimate potential as they work to provide the best service to their clients.
David Eckert, Director of Managed IT Services, is glad to have Scott joining the MDS team. “We’ve known Dave for many years through the CHCCS and Computer Repair Center partnership, and we know that he has a great track record of leading effective teams and delivering high-quality service to his customers,” Eckert said. “He brings a great diversity of IT experience to our team and we’re all very much looking forward to working with him.”
Outside of work
Scott grew up in Northern Virginia, but moved to Raleigh in 1990 and considers North Carolina his home. He moved to Chapel Hill in 2014 with his wife, Donna. They have two daughters, Kacey and Eryn.
Scott loves sports, and you can often find him at UNC and Durham Bulls baseball games. He is also passionate about animals and live music, especially small venue acoustic shows.
“I love challenges and I know this position will be one that I’m very much looking to and has me energized for the future,” Scott said.