Lonnie Long

Lonnie Long has over 20 years of work experience in the Information Technology industry. Lonnie began their career in 1996 as a Network Communications 3C05X in the US Air Force. In 1999, they worked as a Client Services Technician at Blue Cross Blue Shield. In 2000, they joined Howden Buffalo Inc. as the Network Services Manager, where they managed an IT budget of $2M for North America and oversaw multiple high profile IT projects. In 2007, they took on the role of Adjunct Instructor at Central Carolina Technical College, where they developed the curriculum for their new IT fundamentals class. In 2008, they became the IT Operations Manager for North America at ESAB Welding and Cutting, leading a staff of 23 and directing a technology budget of $4M and a Print Shop budget of $800K. In 2011, they joined The Thompson Group as the Director of IT, developing their Information Technology department from conception to its current state and managing best practices and industry oversight for their technology initiatives and support. In 2014, they became the CEO/Partner of Business Technology Partners, LLC.

Lonnie Long obtained their Masters in Business Administration from Saint Leo University between 2006 and 2009. In 2013, they completed a CIE Certification for CIO's from The Institute for CIO Exellence. Between 1998 and 2001, Lonnie attended the University of South Carolina-Columbia, studying Computer Science. Lonnie also holds a Project Management Professional certification.