Laura L. Hill is a strategic technology executive, educator, and former Army Signal Corps Lieutenant Colonel whose career spans federal agencies, higher education, and national-scale IT modernization. She currently serves as the Department Chair for Information Technology at the College of Western Idaho (CWI), where she architects workforce-aligned programs that prepare Idaho’s next generation of cybersecurity, networking, and cloud professionals. She is recognized for turning complex technical systems into easy-to-understand, effective learning and operational environments. Before joining CWI, Hill made history as the first woman to serve as Assistant Chief Information Officer for the U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service. In this role, she led enterprise-wide modernization efforts, strengthened cybersecurity posture, and guided nationwide IT operations supporting more than 30,000 employees. Her federal leadership is marked by a commitment to resilience, transparency, and mission-driven service. Hill’s 20-year military career in the U.S. Army Signal Corps shaped her reputation as a decisive, adaptive leader. She commanded teams across diverse operational environments, oversaw secure communications infrastructure, and cultivated the next generation of military technologists. Her service continues to inform her leadership philosophy: clarity of purpose, disciplined execution, and unwavering respect for people. At CWI, Hill leads one of Idaho’s most rapidly evolving academic departments, driving curriculum modernization, faculty development, and hands-on training environments aligned with industry certifications and statewide workforce needs. She is the architect behind CWI’s next-generation IT and cybersecurity facility proposal, a project designed to expand instructional capacity, strengthen Idaho’s talent pipeline, and create a regional hub for applied technology training. Hill is widely recognized for her ability to synthesize complex technical concepts into actionable strategies, build collaborative and drama-free cultures, and communicate with precision, empathy, and vision. Her work bridges the worlds of federal IT, higher education, and workforce development, positioning her as a trusted leader in Idaho’s technology ecosystem. She holds advanced expertise in cybersecurity, cloud infrastructure, Zero Trust principles, IT governance, AI, and instructional design. Across every role, Hill is driven by a singular mission: to build resilient systems, empowered teams, and opportunities that elevate people and communities. She lives in Garden City, Idaho, with her husband, LTC (R) Bart J. Hill, and their yellow lab, Anni.
