Rachel Jurs-Lauderdale

Rachel Jurs-Lauderdale is an Administrative Assistant for NIU Division of Information Technology, member of NIU Administrative Professionals Advisory Council and Assistant Secretary for iFiber. She has been with NIU more than 7 years and provides expert and confidential administrative support to the Chief Information Officer, Chief Information Security Officer, Associate Vice Presidents, Directors, Managers, and staff within the Division of Technology Services (DoIT). She also works with iFiber and Ventures members and Board of Directors to coordinate strategic goals and map progress.

Rachel earned a BS in Business Administrations from NIU, is a licensed substitute educator, member of the National Society for Leadership and Success, Executive Officer for Delta Sigma Pi professional business fraternity, and NIU Business Passport Scholar. She is currently working toward completing a Scrum Master Certification along with an advanced degree in Management of Information Systems at NIU. Beyond her duties as an employee of NIU, Rachel is a member of the #337 Bayard Brown American Legion Auxiliary, an officer for the Genoa Community Women’s Club, and volunteer for “It’s a Pittie Rescue.” Rachel said she “has two awesome sons: one an NIU alumni working as a graphic designer for a firm in Chicago and the other an Augustana alumni working with Polk County Iowa Conservation Core who also share her interest in technology.”

Prior to working for DoIT, Rachel worked in Educator Licensure for NIU managing licensing and Illinois State Board of Education (ISBBE) compliance for all K-12 educators completing programs at NIU. She coordinated and helped manage the most recent accreditation cycle for the University Office of Educator Licensure and Preparation to earn the Higher Learning Commission (HLC) stamp of accreditation. Her interest in technology and working with the public evolved during her 5 plus years with the 16^th Judicial District Court as a Deputy Clerk for Kane County. Before working with the public through governmental agencies, Rachel enjoyed a career working with architects, builders, decorators, and engineers as a Design Specialist creating high end kitchen and bathroom designs using AutoCAD.

Rachel believes “people steering technology and commerce are central to the core mission of iFiber and our vision to bring affordable Internet connectivity to under-served areas.” She said, “building strong IT -business relationships and mobilizing digital transformations at scale across organizations requires the whole team and a healthy culture that embraces change.”