Shoffner Named New Vice President for OBU Technology Services
November 2, 2022
Joshua Shoffner has been named the new vice president for technology services and digital innovation/chief technology officer at Oklahoma Baptist University. He assumed his role Oct. 31.
“It is an honor to become part of a Christ-centered institution and to use my skills to help lead Oklahoma Baptist University into the future,” Shoffner said. “Being able to apply all my experiences to an institution that at its heart is looking to further the kingdom of Jesus is a dream come true.”
His primary responsibilities in this role will be to provide vision and leadership in the planning, development and implementation of university-wide information technology systems. He will also provide leadership and support for audio/visual services, video production and campus photography. He will emphasize cybersecurity in all systems, placing the highest importance on securing employee and student data.
“I have been eager to welcome Joshua Shoffner to our leadership team at OBU,” Dr. Heath A. Thomas, OBU president, said. “He brings to this role extensive experience in education, state government and industry. His leadership, evident faith, and deep commitment to our university will carry us forward. These are exciting days on Bison Hill!”
Shoffner has more than 24 years of experience in the technology industry, most recently serving as chief technology officer for the State of Oklahoma’s Office of Management and Enterprise Services, assigned to the Oklahoma Insurance Department. There, he led the agency with technical vision and policies including the infrastructure, application portfolio, budget, security standards, regulatory requirements and operational procedures.
Prior to his work with the state, Shoffner was manager of information technology for the NBA Thunder basketball team where he was responsible for the testing, implementation and maintenance of all NBA-required game day technologies. His team also supported customer service to over 300 basketball operations and business office employees in Oklahoma.
From 2004 to 2019, Shoffner served at Catalina Foothills School District in Tucson, Arizona, first as network manager and then as director of educational technology. While there he provided leadership for multiple areas including the management of thousands of network devices, business data and voice needs, technology support for students and staff, and student information systems. He also provided long-term technology vision for the school district as well as strategic and disaster recovery planning.
Shoffner earned a Bachelor of Arts in Interdisciplinary Studies at the University of Arizona in 1996.