Press Releases
ATLANTA (December 3, 2015) – Jay Ferro, chief information officer for the American Cancer Society, was recently honored by the Georgia CIO Leadership Association with its 2015 Georgia CIO of the Year Award for non-profit/public sector at the 17th annual Georgia CIO of the Year Awards breakfast at the Cobb Galleria Centre in Atlanta.
The Georgia CIO of the Year Awards, which were established in 1998, honor chief information officers who have demonstrated excellence in technology leadership. Nominated CIOs and those in equivalent positions are evaluated on innovation, leadership, business value creation and community involvement.
Awards were presented in four categories: Global, Enterprise, Corporate, and Non-profit. The GCLA received a record 165 nominations in 2015. Mark Hurd, CEO of Oracle, gave the keynote address to 1,000 guests representing Georgia's largest organizations and their technology partners.
As CIO for the American Cancer Society, Ferro is responsible for the people, strategy and operations of the global information technology of the organization. He is a recognized technology leader, known for creating and executing strategic visions to achieve business goals.
Ferro joined the Society executive staff in 2012, bringing a deep personal connection to the fight against cancer. In 2007, he founded the nonprofit group Priscilla’s Promise, in honor of his late wife, who died from cancer. Priscilla’s Promise, for which Ferro serves as the executive director, raises funds for cervical cancer education and research.
Known as a thought leader in the information technology arena, Ferro is a frequent guest speaker and panelist, both in Atlanta and nationwide. In recognition of his accomplishments, Ferro was selected as one of ComputerWorld’s 2015 100 IT Leaders, as well as Georgia CIO of the Year in 2011, and is currently serving as chair for the Georgia CIO Leadership Association.
Ferro also was selected to join Leadership Atlanta’s Class of 2015 and participate in a rigorous year-long leadership development program alongside other prominent Atlanta leaders. His commitment and dedication to community involvement is evidenced by the time and energy he contributes. In addition to his work with Priscilla’s Promise, in 2011, he was elected to the board of directors for TechBridge, an Atlanta-based nonprofit organization that helps other nonprofits use technology to improve their capability to serve the community.
Ferro earned both his BA in political science and his MBA from the University of Georgia. He continues to be involved with his alma mater, both as a mentor for young alumni and as a member of the alumni board of directors for the Terry College of Business. Ferro lives in the metro Atlanta area with his three sons.
The Georgia CIO Leadership Association (GeorgiaCIO) is Georgia’s preeminent professional association for senior technology leaders. Founded in 2003, its membership is comprised exclusively of chief information officers or individuals in equivalent positions from public and private companies, government, education and non-profit organizations throughout the state. The GCLA is a 501(c)(6) professional association led by a CIO Advisory Board from organizations including: Southern Company, American Cancer Society, NCR Corporation, and The Coca-Cola Company.
About the American Cancer Society
The American Cancer Society is a global grassroots force of 2.5 million volunteers saving lives and fighting for every birthday threatened by every cancer in every community. As the largest voluntary health organization, the Society's efforts have contributed to a 22 percent decline in cancer death rates in the U.S. since 1991, and a 50 percent drop in smoking rates. Thanks in part to our progress, 14.5 million Americans who have had cancer and countless more who have avoided it will celebrate more birthdays this year. We're determined to finish the fight against cancer. We're finding cures as the nation’s largest private, not-for-profit investor in cancer research, ensuring people facing cancer have the help they need and continuing the fight for access to quality health care, lifesaving screenings, clean air, and more. For more information, to get help, or to join the fight, call us anytime, day or night, at 1-800-227-2345 or visit cancer.org.
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