A message from the ITS Management Team:
It is with mixed emotions and deep appreciation that we announce the retirement of John Levay, Chief Information Officer. John’s last day at the college will be December 18.
To celebrate John’s incredible career, there will be an open house in his honour at The Core at the Welland Campus from 3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. on Thursday, December 11. All are welcome to stop by, share stories, thank John for his outstanding contributions to Niagara College, and wish him well as he begins this next chapter of his life.
John has been working in the field of Information Technology for well over 40 years, progressing to CIO at Niagara College, with most of that time dedicated to the higher education sector. His career has been defined by innovation, mentorship, and a deep commitment to improving the student, faculty, and staff experience through technology.
Before joining Niagara College, John spent a considerable portion of his career at Brock University, where he made lasting contributions to their IT systems. As a programmer, he developed Brock’s first online registration system, an innovation ahead of its time, with major components of that system still in use today. He also served as a part-time faculty member at Brock for 25 years and taught in Niagara College’s Business and Technology areas for five years, shaping the minds of future IT professionals.
Since joining Niagara College nearly 19 years ago, John has guided the institution through a remarkable digital transformation:
- 2007 Infrastructure Overhaul: John spearheaded major upgrades to the College’s data center and network, laying the foundation for future growth.
- Campus Expansion: He played a pivotal role in the design and implementation of technology for at least 10 new buildings. This work included digital design for networks, physical security, door access, digital signage, PA systems, AV technology, video walls, and classroom collaboration tools.
- Security Enhancements: Following a critical incident in 2007, John worked closely with HR and Facilities Management to implement sweeping physical security changes, integrating technology and safety measures across the College.
- Business System Transformation: Under his guidance, Niagara College consolidated distributed computing systems and created authoritative sources of data, future-proofing operations and making them AI-ready.
- World-Class Network: John led a massive redesign of the College’s network security and fabric topology, resulting in one of the fastest and most secure networks in higher education.
Throughout his career, John has been a strong advocate for cybersecurity in higher education. He was a founding member of the ORION Shared CISO initiative, a collaborative pilot project that brought together colleges and universities to strengthen digital security across Ontario. For this work, John and his peers were recognized with the ORION Higher Education Leadership Award in 2019, a testament to his vision and impact.
Beyond his technical achievements, John is known for his mentorship and storytelling. A quick hallway chat often turns into a memorable anecdote that leaves you laughing or reflecting. He has a genuine interest in helping others succeed and often takes time to guide and inspire colleagues.
Please join us in thanking John for his outstanding contributions to Niagara College and in wishing him all the best in retirement.
