Rich Valerga,

Rich Valerga has extensive work experience in the field of information technology and operations management. Rich has held various leadership positions in both public schools and charter school associations.

From 2004 to 2006, Valerga served as the Information Technology Division Manager/Operations Manager at the University of Phoenix. In this role, they oversaw the planning, implementation, and administration of all information systems, technology, and operations.

From 2006 to 2008, Valerga worked as the Chief Operations & Technology Officer at Algiers Charter Schools Association. Rich was responsible for managing operations and technology, including facilities management, transportation, food service, infrastructure, and student data. Rich also played a crucial role in developing and executing a disaster recovery and business continuity plan during Hurricane Gustav.

From 2008 to 2010, Valerga served as the Director of Information Technology at Saint Paul Public Schools. Rich led the planning and execution of an enterprise-wide information technology strategy and successfully right-sized the information technology department within eight months, resulting in annual savings of $2 million.

From 2010 to 2013, Valerga worked as the Chief Information Officer at Shelby County Schools. Rich was appointed to oversee the consolidation of Shelby County Schools and Memphis City Schools, one of the largest governmental mergers in history.

From 2013 to 2015, Valerga served as the Chief Information Officer at Minneapolis Public Schools. In this role, they led the enterprise-wide information technology strategy and delivery functions, transforming the IT team and resolving failing projects.

Since 2015, Valerga has been working as the Chief Operating Officer at Acero Schools. Further details about their roles and responsibilities at this organization are not provided.

Rich Valerga has an extensive education history that includes various degrees, certificates, and professional development programs.

In 2000, they earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Information Technology from the University of Phoenix. Rich then pursued a Master's degree in Business Administration from the same university and completed it in 2003.

Rich Valerga's education continued with a specialization in Service Management from ITSM, where they studied from 2005 to 2007. In 2010, they obtained two Professional Certificates from Stanford University, one in Strategic Decision and Risk Management and another in IT Benchmarking.

In 2011 and 2012, they attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where they earned a Professional Certificate in CERTIFIED GOVERNMENT CHIEF INFORMATION OFFICERS (CGCIO). During the same period, they also completed an Executive Program in Leadership from Leadership Memphis.

In 2014, Valerga attended the MIT Sloan School of Management for a short-term program focused on Developing a Leading Edge Operations Strategy.

Building on their educational foundation, Rich Valerga pursued a Doctor of Management degree in Organizational Leadership from the University of Phoenix, which they completed between 2023 and 2026.

In addition to their degrees, Rich Valerga holds several professional certifications. Rich obtained the most recent certifications in 2023, including the NIST Cybersecurity Framework Professional Foundation from APMG International and the Illinois ASBO - Leadership Institute Graduate from the Illinois Association of School Business Officials. Other certifications they hold include Scrum Fundamentals Certified (SFC), Certified in Risk and Information Systems Control™ (CRISC), Certified Information Security Manager® (CISM), ISO/IEC 27001 Auditor, Certified Data Privacy Solutions Engineer™ (CDPSE™), Certified in the Governance of Enterprise IT® (CGEIT), Certified Information Systems Auditor® (CISA), Prosci® Certified Change Practitioner, Business Relationship Management Professional (BRMP®), ISO/IEC 27001 Foundation, Certified School Business Official, ISO/IEC 20000 Internal Auditor Certified, ISO/IEC 20000 Consultant/Manager Certified, ITIL Expert V3, Certified Process Design Engineer, Chief School Business Official, Project Management Professional (PMP)®, and Certified Information Privacy Manager (CIPM).