NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Yvette Clark, Middle Tennessee State University’s vice president for information technology and chief information officer, was recognized Friday, May 31, as one of the state’s top information technology leaders.

Clark was among five government and public sector executives who were category finalists in the 2024 Tennessee Orbie Awards, one of the industry’s premier honors. She was the only university IT leader recognized in the category, with Shelby County Government’s Sandra Jefferies-Perry receiving the award. 

The ceremony, held at the Omni Nashville Hotel, recognized 24 finalists in six categories. It is sponsored by TennesseeCIO, part of a 30-chapter network of industry professionals in the U.S. 

Clark’s success story, shared by the Orbies through a special section in the Nashville Business Journal, lauded MTSU’s Information Technology Division team for spearheading “numerous initiatives to meet business needs and enhance the university’s technological infrastructure.”

Those initiatives, the Orbies said, “have strengthened campus-wide initiatives, benefiting student success … and overall experiences.”

MTSU President Sidney A. McPhee said Clark’s leadership “has not only fostered innovation and collaboration within our IT department but has also strengthened our university’s position as a leader in higher education.

“From streamlining communication channels to enhancing technical support and implementing cutting-edge initiatives like campus-wide lecture recording, Yvette’s impact has been transformative.”

IT executives from the Tennessee Department of Education, the Metropolitan Nashville Airport Authority, Shelby County Government and Memphis Shelby County Schools were also recognized in the category. 

Clark was named to her current position in April 2023 after serving in an interim role starting in February 2022. She began her tenure at MTSU in August 2021 as the associate vice president of enterprise application systems.

Clark holds a Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering from the Colorado School of Mines and a Master of Science in Civil and Environmental Engineering from Tennessee Tech University.

— Andrew Oppmann (Andrew.Oppmann@mtsu.edu)