Several years ago the Omaha CIO Forum was created from a group called the Data Processing Managers group. The Chief Technolog ... y leaders from several very large companies identified a need for a group that would meet periodically and discuss their relevant issues with technology, people, and processes. These leaders wanted a venue where they could compare their thoughts without the “noise” of vendors. Their thought was that vendors would make the meeting irrelelvant and tiresome. Raymond (Jay) Garren became the owner of the Omaha CIO Forum in 2010. He quickly realized that for the forum to be successful, new sources for members must be identified and invited. Jay widened the scope to include companies and vendors from Lincoln, Des Moines, and other communities whose businesses can have an impact on Omaha. His view was, and is, all CIO’s from any organization should have a voice in the forum. This allowed the forum to grow very quickly and it was then that the first Omaha CIO Forum golf outing was held at Quarry Oaks with 45 “C” level members attending. The Annual Omaha CIO Forum Golf Invitational has become the signature event for the forum and allows technology leaders to gather for a day to strengthen relationships, share ideas, and discuss how current and emerging technologies are impacting their businesses and industries. The forum’s members also host events, typically a breakfast or a happy hour, periodically throughout the year to share their technology successes and for networking purposes. The Omaha CIO Forum has continued to grow and is proud to share it now has over 200 members, of which 75% are CIO’s – with the remainder comprised of CTO’s, VP’s of IT, and high level directors. The role of the “CIO” has seen tremendous growth in the last decade, but the forum knows some organizations still do not have a formal “CIO” and we would still offer their IT leaders membership. If you are a CIO or a high-level technology leader within your organization and are open to the idea of both giving and receiving guidance to Omaha’s technology community, please reach out to us by navigating to the Contact Us page and send an email to the forum’s Operations Manager, Sean McCary. ***There is never any cost associated with membership or attending an Omaha CIO Forum Event*** read more