Technology leader Lowell Ballard has been named the new director of Technology Support Services at Harris County Department of Education.

With more than 25 years of technology experience, Ballard’s strengths include information technology (IT) strategy, IT security/disaster recovery and business intelligence. The Spring, Texas resident most recently served as the chief information officer at the University of Texas of the Permian Basin, where he coordinated university-wide IT initiatives in a high-growth environment.

Ballard holds a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from Virginia Tech and a master’s degree in information systems from George Mason University. He is also a certified Information Systems Security Professional and holds a number of additional leadership and management certifications.