20. Learn how Fire played a part in her learning and love of Science and career in Tech!

Charisse Richards is currently the Chief Information Officer for the Judicial Branch of Arizona in Maricopa County, the country’s 4th largest court system, supporting a staff of more than 3,000 employees and serving a population of 4.8M.  She joined in 2019.  Richards oversees the transformation and delivery of IT solutions to provide the community access to the Court’s services and ensure public trust and confidence in the Judicial Branch.  During her tenure, the Court has been nationally recognized for implementing several innovative solutions supporting Criminal Justice and Public Safety during the COVID pandemic.

Richards has more than 25+ years of infrastructure and operations experience and has held senior leadership roles in the Data Center, Hospitality, and Government industries.  Previously, she led IT strategy as Chief Information Officer for IO Data Centers and Vice President of Global Integration for Iron Mountain Data Centers.  At Choice Hotels International, her team designed the infrastructure for ChoiceADVANTAGE©, the hospitality industry’s first cloud-based property management system.

Charisse was recognized as #9 of the Top 50 Women Leaders in Arizona for 2022 and in 2018  as one of the TOP 5 Most Influential Women in the Data Center Industry; she has served as Diversity and Inclusion Chair and Co-Chair and Advisory Council member for Infrastructure Masons, and has collaborated with Girl Scouts, Google, Arizona’s state universities, and various professional organizations on diversity and inclusion in STEM. Richards earned an MBA from Arizona State University with a concentration in Supply Chain Management.

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