After five years of service to Kansas State University, Deputy CIO for Strategy,
Planning, and Enterprise Architecture will retire on June 2. As Deputy CIO, Draper’s work has included the planning for and coordination of strategic investments, managing the enterprise architecture, evaluating business processes, maturing business practices, overseeing the reporting and tracking of metrics, evaluating and developing the skills of the Division of Information Technology (IT) staff, and fostering an inclusive, networked environment. Draper joined K-State in 2016 as the Associate Vice Provost for Information Technology in the Office of the CIO and served for one year as interim Chief Information Security Officer. In 2019, she was promoted to Deputy CIO for Strategy, Planning, and Enterprise Architecture.
Draper was a crucial driver in developing the IT Strategic Plan and seeking input from across campus. After the Hale Library fire, Draper worked with the IT Directors to prioritize the restoration and rebuilding of systems and services to meet campus needs in preparation for the fall semester. To improve communication and networking among IT, she and her team developed the One IT Quarterly meetings and the monthly IT meetings.
“Draper worked with staff to understand business process analysis and implement analysis tools in our everyday work. According to the IT Directors, she worked to build consensus around some of the difficult and complex discussions of institution-wide business architecture and process improvements. One of her most significant contributions to IT is her willingness to mentor and invest in so many people in our organization, which will impact our organization and the trajectory of staff for years to come.”
“Through her leadership and willingness to mentor individuals across campus, Betsy was instrumental in fostering collaborative relationships between diverse units. These relationships will be fundamental in reducing information silos in future business processes for the organization. Her passion and expertise for business architecture and process efficiency have inspired me to work within my own unit to become a champion for process improvement,” remarked Stacy Divine, an HR systems analyst from HCS. “Many of the tools and skills I use in this work were developed under Betsy’s mentorship. Her impact on our organization has not yet been fully realized. Still, it is evident to me in conversations across campus that involve implementing new systems and processes.”
Draper came to K-State from the US Department of Agriculture National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA), where she served as Chief Enterprise Architect and IT Portfolio Planner. Anthony Phillips, IT project manager, commented, “She brought the concept of a Business Capability Reference Model to K-State, as well as many other tools from her experience in the federal government.” She has been an active member of the enterprise architecture group in EDUCAUSE.
Draper holds a BBA degree from Iowa State University, an MBA from North Dakota State University, and an EdD from the University of South Dakota. The Division of IT is planning a card shower for Dr. Draper. Cards can be sent to 2323 Anderson Ave., 116 Unger Complex, Kansas State University, Manhattan KS 66502.
