Laurie Panella, Bus Ad ’88, serves as the Chief Information Officer. She is responsible for developing and implementing the university’s technology strategic direction and leading the IT services that support academic and administrative computing, networking, support services, classroom and instructional technology, programming services, and telecommunications. In collaboration with the students, faculty and administration, Panella ensures alignment of technology resources in support of the university’s strategic plan, Beyond Boundaries. 

Prior to joining Marquette, Panella held progressive leadership roles within Milwaukee County, most recently serving as the Chief Information Officer since 2009. In this role, Panella was named CIO of the Year in 2017 by the Milwaukee Business Journal. She was also named among the ‘Top 25 Doers, Dreamers and Drivers’ in 2012 for national public sector IT by Government Technology magazine. 

Panella holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Marquette, specializing in marketing and human resource management. She is active in several professional and community organizations, including the WisconsinCIO Advisory Board, the Evanta Milwaukee CIO/CISO Governing Body, the CIO Tech United Advisory Board, TEMPO Milwaukee, and the Versiti Audit and Compliance Board. Panella has presented at several professional events, specifically in technology leadership, cloud computing, cyber security and smart cities.

Panella and her husband Nick, Bus Ad ’02, met at Marquette and have two adult daughters, Samantha and Emily, who continue to emulate the familial pride of MU.