Wendi Cannon stepped foot on Florida State University’s campus in 1997 – and she’s still here! Once a student, Wendi is now a thriving IT Professional, working at Florida State’s College of Medicine as the Associate Director of Information Management.
“I loved being a student at FSU for several reasons, but one of the most important to me was the variety! I took classes that ranged from Social Work to Public Relations to IT,” Wendi said.
Through her varied coursework, it was IT that stole her heart. During an introductory Communications class, she designed a website and loved it. “When I think back at the site I made, it was horribly ugly!” she laughed. “I was fascinated with web design and knew that I needed to find a major where I could do more and learn more.”
In December 2000, Wendi graduated with a degree in Information Studies, concentrated in Web Development. She went to work as the Webmaster for the Florida Department of Environmental Protection and later, the Systems Project Administrator at the Department of Business and Professional Regulation.
Today, Wendi leads a team of six that focuses on mission-critical services such as application development, database administration, website and SharePoint administration, statewide videoconferencing infrastructure and media production. The team currently has around 25 active projects.
When she isn’t helping the College of Medicine run smoothly, Wendi is co-chair of the 2015 Information Technology in Academic Medicine Conference to be held in June in San Diego and the incoming co-chair of the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) Education Technology Work Group.
The community is a huge part of Wendi’s life. She’s a member of the Tallahassee Young Professionals Group and a TalTech Alliance board member. In February, she ran her first half marathon and in April, she will mentor a young girl participating in her first 5k through the Girls on the Run program. Alzheimer’s is a cause near to Wendi’s heart and will be playing in the 2nd annual Alzheimer’s Association Fight to Tackle Alzheimer’s Blondes vs. Brunettes flag football game to raise awareness. Find out more about Wendi on her personal site.