By: Diane Stirling
(315) 443-8975

Vickie L. McCray, a 2001 graduate of the School of Information Studies information management masters program, will return to campus to meet with students and host an author’s chat about her newly published book.

McCray is the author of How to Swim With the Sharks, A Survival Guide for Leadership in Diverse Environments, published last July. Her book talk is scheduled from 4:00 to 5:00 p.m. on Thursday, February 26 in the Katzer Conference Room at 347 Hinds Hall. A reception will follow until 5:30. The event is being sponsored by student groups BLISTS, the Information Security Club, and WIT-Grad.

McCray describes her book as “a compilation of advice for navigating the political waters of organizations.” Using real-life vignettes, it offers “tried and proven leadership techniques for use in challenging business or personal environments” and presents take-away lessons specifically written “for those, who, despite being highly skilled and qualified, encounter setbacks due to office power dynamics,” its book jacket notes.

McCray, now president and chief executive officer of the McCray Group Inc., a management, operations, and executive leadership consulting firm, has more than 25 years of experience in federal government and private-sector business operations and information technology management roles.

Early in her career, she worked as an auditor for the U.S. Department of Agriculture in the Office of the Inspector General in Chicago. She moved to Washington DC in 1991 for a position as a senior auditor in the Office of Inspector General in the U.S. Department of State, where she also worked in information systems. McCray also was a technical advisor for the Bureau of Information Resources Management in its Systems and Integration Office. There, she managed configuration management and quality assurance operations, and also served as information system security officer.

In 2001, Vickie left government to work in the private sector. She became an IT audit manager at KPMG’s Risk and Advisory Services Washington, D.C. practice, then later joined ManTech Security Technologies Corporation as assistant executive director. She currently serves as program manager at Pragmatics, Inc., managing a diverse team of IT professionals, as well as  operating her consulting firm.

In addition to her Syracuse University degree, McCray holds a bachelor’s degree in accounting from Chicago State University. She completed the Georgetown University senior executive leadership program and graduated from the National Defense University, Information Resources Management College’s advanced management program at Fort McNair.  She holds a number of certifications: Certified Information Security Manager (CISM); Certified Government Financial Manager (CGFM); Chief Information Officer (CIO); and the General Services Administration’s 1000 X 2000 Certification. Her consulting firm is a certified minority-owned small business. Vickie also has served as an adjunct professor at Syracuse University’s, School of Information Studies, where she taught a two-day leadership course, “IT Leadership and Private Sectors.”