Paula Starr
Stilwell
Summary
Forward-thinking technology leader with proven ability to drive a culture of innovation in the public sector. Adept at navigating complex challenges while fostering collaboration between technology teams and other departments. Accomplished and outcomes-driven seasoned professional skilled at driving engagement across organizations.
Overview
23
23
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification
Work History
Chief Information Officer
Cherokee Nation
04.2021 - Current
- Lead a technology department serving the United States' largest federally-recognized Tribal nation, with almost half a million citizens worldwide and operations distributed across the 7,000 square mile reservation of the Cherokee Nation.
- Led implementation of Salesforce solution to support the tribe’s single largest direct assistance campaign, distributing over $730 million in assistance to over 350,000 citizens.
- Led the selection and implementation of cloud-based ERP and HCM suites.
- Solving problems quickly and creatively with limited resources, including standing up the tribe’s first call center in less than one week.
- Adapted guidance from Gartner to create a recognition program based on technology service delivery in combination with the practice of Cherokee Community Values.
- Sponsored and curated the tribe's first technology summit, Living United through Technology, for internal Cherokee Nation employees, providing education on and assistance with the tribe's technology stack while driving collaboration between Cherokee Nation IT and the departments it supports.
- Digitizing citizen assistance and outreach and internal workflows for the nation’s largest tribe while collaborating with diverse departments.
Director/Sr Manager of Enterprise Applications
Cherokee Nation Businesses
11.2014 - 04.2021
- Increased the number of applications implemented and supported each year while maintaining a flat headcount through improved resource planning.
- Provided strong leadership to enhance team productivity and morale.
- Achieved the highest level of engagement among all Cherokee Nation Businesses IT leaders for each year of measurement, with Enterprise Applications team reporting especially high levels of empowerment and trust in leadership.
- Managed large-scale projects and introduced new systems, tools, and processes to achieve challenging objectives.
- Performed leadership roles in the implementation of company’s first cloud application, ServiceNow, as well as Oracle HCM Cloud.
HR IT Manager
Golden Living
09.2013 - 10.2014
- Led development teams across sites on-premise and in Mumbai and Chennai, India.
- Introduced and gained buy-in of the company’s first use of agile methodologies.
Onsite Technical Lead
Lionbridge Technologies Inc.
07.2006 - 09.2013
- Served as onsite lead of a remote Mumbai-based development team supporting 40,000 customers across over 500 locations.
- Led team to its highest levels of customer satisfaction.
- Provided educational expertise and mentoring to team members.
- Investigated system issues and implemented resolutions to reduce downtime.
- Assessed project milestones and team performance to keep staff on-task.
Developer / Systems Administrator
Cherokee Nation Enterprises
06.2000 - 07.2006
- Implemented and administered company’s first enterprise application, PeopleSoft HCM.
- Performed application installations and upgrades.
- Resolved issues and escalated problems with knowledgeable support and quality service.
Education
Executive Master - Hospitality Administration
University of Nevada - Las Vegas
Las Vegas, NVBBA - Management Information Systems
University of Oklahoma
Norman, OKAccomplishments
- Business Transformation 150, Issued by Constellation Research, October 2023.
- Top 100 HR Tech Influencer, Issued by Human Resource Executive, October 2023.
- CIO 100 Award, Issued by Foundry, August 2023.
- Top 100 Women in Technology 2023, Issued by Technology Magazine, March 2023.
Certification
- Salesforce Certified Associate, Salesforce, Issued 2023.
- ITILv4 Foundations Certification, Axelos Global Best Practice, Issued 2021.
Timeline
Chief Information Officer
Cherokee Nation
04.2021 - Current
Director/Sr Manager of Enterprise Applications
Cherokee Nation Businesses
11.2014 - 04.2021
HR IT Manager
Golden Living
09.2013 - 10.2014
Onsite Technical Lead
Lionbridge Technologies Inc.
07.2006 - 09.2013
Developer / Systems Administrator
Cherokee Nation Enterprises
06.2000 - 07.2006
Executive Master - Hospitality Administration
University of Nevada - Las Vegas
BBA - Management Information Systems
University of Oklahoma
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