AFCOM, the data center industry advocacy organization that puts on the Data Center World conference twice a year, has revealed the three finalists for its annual Data Center Manager of the Year award.
The 2014 finalists are Dave Leonard, Chief Data Center Office at ViaWest; Robert McClary, Senior Vice President and General Manager at FORTRUST; and Jason Pfaff, Vice President, North America DCaaS at IO.
These three IT professionals have all been recognized for outstanding leadership and excellence in the field of data center management. The Data Center Manager of the Year winner will be announced Tuesday, April 29, during a luncheon at the 2014 Spring Data Center World in Las Vegas.
“Nomination for the Data Center Manager of the Year award marks the pinnacle of professional achievement in our industry,” said Tom Roberts, president of AFCOM and chairperson of Data Center World and himself a former Data Center Manager of the Year. “These three individuals stand out at as leaders for their companies and demonstrate clear leadership in the data center industry. In a business that evolves as rapidly as ours, Dave Leonard, Rob McClary and Jason Pfaff are leading the way.”
Award recipients are effective leaders who run highly efficient data centers, giving their company an edge in the industry. The award embodies innovation, organization, versatility and ambition in data center management. Judging criteria is based on the following characteristics: tenure of excellence, history of innovation, superior customer service, positive team environment, and community focus.
Leonard of ViaWest directs the design and construction of new data centers and data center expansions, as well as defining the standards and practices for operation of ViaWest’s data centers. He is also responsible for strategy and positioning of the data center colocation product lines.
Leonard is also a Fellow at the Uptime Institute, the leading educational and standards organization in the data center industry, and is a judge for their annual Green IT awards in the Data Center Design category.
McClary of FORTRUST is responsible for the overall supervision of business operations, high-profile construction and the strategic technical direction of FORTRUST. He has developed and implemented the process controls and procedures that support the continuous uptime and reliability that FORTRUST’s customers seek.
Pfaff of North America DCaaS, IO has been directly involved in the design, build, and operation of 1.5 million square feet and 175 megawatts of power. He oversees all of North America for IO, which equates to 1.3 million square feet and four sites, and is specifically responsible for the successful construction, commission and delivery of a 12-MW dedicated data center suite in only 90 days.
Spring Data Center World 2014 will be held April 28-May 2 at The Mirage in Las Vegas. The schedule for DCW can be found here.