By Michelle Price
Special to the UCBJ
COOKEVILLE – City Manager James Mills announced that the Cookeville has established a new division of the General Department, the Information Technology and Telecommunications (ITT) Division. The new department will be headed by Steve Corder in his new role as chief technology officer.
The ITT Division will oversee the City’s computer systems, networks, cyber security and telecommunications operations as well as plan for future needs.
“With the fast pace of technology changes, increasing cyber security threats and the need for expanded digital services, I felt the creation of this division was a necessity for the City to move forward while providing a dedicated staff to serve our departments,” Mills said explaining the need for the new division.
Previously Cookeville had a Computer Operations division headed up by Corder as operations manager.
“Steve has been employed with the City of Cookeville for over 25 years,” said Mills. “He brings extensive knowledge to this position and is very capable of the duties required as well as the vision to continue to plan and maintain our technology and communication needs. I am very pleased to have Mr. Corder in this position, his skillset has been proven with multiple large projects over the years, he is an asset to our departments and citizens.”
Mills anticipates a seamless transition and looks forward to working with Corder in his appointment to this new position.
“I am excited to serve the City in this new role. I appreciate the foresight of the leadership to create this division, it is very timely,” Corder said of the appointment.
Corder added, “My love of computers and technology from an early age has led to my enthusiasm for and dedication to the IT field. I am anxious to continue our work while expanding on the current technology system as the need arises. This past year has proven the need to continue to transition to alternate methods of doing business during the pandemic and for future progress.”
A native of Church Hill, Corder has resided in Cookeville since 1991. He and his wife, Cheryl, along with their three dogs, Peaches, Bella and Little Bit, enjoy being a part of the community. Corder is a graduate of TTU with a bachelor’s degree in computer science and is a member of the Middle Tennessee Chapter of InfraGard. In his spare time, his pursuit of hobbies includes scuba diving, reef aquaria and PC gaming.
