Career profile
Scott Swartzentruber
Chief Information Security and Privacy Officer, Western Carolina University
- Role as of 18 November 2024, the date of the latest source
- November 2024
As of November 2024, Scott Swartzentruber was the chief information security and privacy officer of Western Carolina University, a post he took up that month.
Career path
Swartzentruber began his work at Western Carolina University in 1994, taking the university's first networking position in information technology.
By 2006 he held the title of Director of Networking, Operations and Communications, and in that capacity he served on the university's Data Stewardship and Security Task Force, a body formed to address the security and integrity of institutional data made easy to generate, access and transmit by information technology, and potentially exposed to unauthorized access, use and alteration.
The task force also included an associate general counsel, an associate vice chancellor for administration and finance, an assistant director of internal audit, and an associate provost for information services as chair.
He later served as director of networking and communications within the Division of Information Technology.
Following a nationwide search, the Division of Information Technology named him chief information security and privacy officer, effective in November 2024.
In total, Swartzentruber has worked at WCU for more than 30 years across these roles in networking, operations and security.
The Division of Information Technology, where his role sits, is organized under the chief information officer and direct reports, with an Office of the CIO overseeing the division's units.
Background and credentials
Swartzentruber holds a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering technology from Georgia Southern University.
He is a 20-year retired veteran of the U.S. Air Force and Air National Guard.
He is a certified information systems security professional.
On the new role
Speaking about his appointment, Swartzentruber said, "I've truly enjoyed my time working in IT at Western and take great pride in all that the team has accomplished," Swartzentruber said.
He described the move into the security and privacy post as a chance to build on existing work within the Division of Information Technology.