HR- Leslie Shaw

As assistant director of Information Technologies, Les wears many hats.

Les has done the major planning for telecommunications at UMaine for many years. It was his planning and effort that resulted in the upgrade to the new voicemail system installed in December, and he is hard at work in this area now, planning on how the campus will move to the next generation of telephones using fiber optic cables instead of copper wire.

Les also is responsible for helping each area in IT live within its budget. IT staff say they don’t always like to get their monthly budget sheets from Les, but as a result of them, the department is able to end each year with a balanced budget.

Les has coordinated many of the developments in video-conferencing at UMaine. He installed and operates the first bridge allowing multiple sites to join conferences, and also a device that allows instant streaming of video-conferences on the Internet for remote viewers unable to be in a video-conference room. He is now testing a new high-definition video-conference system at UMaine.

Les also is an all-around nice guy. He runs the grill at departmental picnics and he treats the staff to ice cream at ice cream socials on the mall.

Les’s counsel and advice are always welcome, and his fair management decisions have earned great respect from the people who work with him.

Congratulations to Les on his 25th anniversary. We are all so very pleased that he is a member of the Information Technologies team.