Dr. Michael Casdorph, vice president for Information Technology and chief information officer at Augusta University, is a finalist for the 2021 Georgia CIO of the Year ORBIE Awards.

The ORBIE Awards acknowledge chief information officers across public and private business, government, education, health care and nonprofit organizations. Since inception of the first CIO of the Year Awards in 1998, over 900 CIOs have been honored as finalists and over 200 CIO of the Year winners have received the ORBIE Award.

For the 2021 ORBIE Awards, over 170 nominations were received, demonstrating the depth and breadth of technology leaders in Georgia-based organizations. Over six categories of competition, only 35 finalists were selected.

Casdorph participated in an in-person finalist video interview Aug. 24 and submitted a finalist questionnaire Sept. 2. These materials will be reviewed by a CIO judging panel to determine next steps.

Two finalist events will be held in October and the 2021 ORBIE Awards will be hosted Nov. 5.

Casdorph said he has his team to thank for this recognition.

“It’s all team, all day and every day! As a leader, my goal is to create a culture that inspires, motivates and empowers employees to embrace change and innovation, and champions the tenets of ownership, accountability, autonomy and trust,” he said.

“At the end of the day, this honor is a direct reflection on our team of dedicated IT professionals who demonstrate service excellence on a daily basis.”

Casdorph earned his master’s degree in education from the University of South Carolina and his doctoral degree in educational leadership and administration from Georgia Southern University.