James Daniels

About James Daniels

Strategic leader with deep experience guiding enterprise-scale initiatives across energy, healthcare, telecommunications, and the public sector. Known as an \"enterprise connector\" who aligns strategy, execution, and governance to drive measurable outcomes in complex, regulated environments.Currently serving as Director of the Office of the CIO at a regulated energy utility, overseeing portfolio management, capital planning, vendor relations, quality management, enterprise architecture, innovation, and data & analytics enablement. Trusted partner to executive leadership in translating business strategy into executable roadmaps, improving organizational maturity, and strengthening decision-making through data, structure, and governance.Career experience includes leading multi-million-dollar portfolios, spearheading transformational change, modernizing operating models, enabling business outcomes through technology, and supporting regulatory engagements. Recognized for building high-performing teams, fostering trust-based partnerships, and bringing clarity to complex challenges.Motivated by work that creates long-term value, strengthens organizational resilience, and enables people and systems to perform at their best.

Experience

1. Director - Office of the CIO

   Central Hudson

   Feb 2020 — Present · Poughkeepsie, NY, US

   Lead strategic enablement, portfolio management, and administrative activities supporting both IT and Operational Technology (OT) functions within a regulated energy utility. Partner with business and technology leaders to align strategy, investment decisions, and execution with organizational priorities and stakeholder expectations.Key Contributions & Impact+ Guide and develop multidisciplinary teams spanning enterprise architecture, business enablement, data and analytics, project management, vendor management, and quality functions.+ Lead portfolio planning and execution for more than $40M in annual capital investments, supporting business priorities, regulatory commitments, and long-term operational goals.+ Strengthened operating model effectiveness by improving governance, decision-making processes, and cross-functional coordination across technology and business teams.+ Established consistent portfolio and financial management practices, improving transparency, prioritization, and executive visibility into investment performance.+ Support regulatory and rate case activities, including technology investment justification, readiness coordination, and cross-functional input.+ Enhanced vendor management and sourcing practices, improving accountability, service quality, and cost control.+ Promote a culture of continuous improvement, strengthening collaboration across IT, operations, and business partners.

Education

• Community College of the Air Force

  Associates, Electronic Systems Technology

• Marist University

  Master of Business Administration - MBA

• New York Institute of Technology

  Bachelor of Science

• University of Maryland Global Campus

  Associates, Business Administration and Management, General

Skills

• Program Management
• Telecommunications
• Pmo
• Pmp
• Project Management
• Voip
• Business Process
• Avaya
• Software Project Management
• Process Improvement
• Crm
• Team Leadership
• Strategy
• Management
• Business Development
• Leadership
• Vendor Management
• Business Analysis
• Enterprise Software
• Software Implementation
• Networking
• Customer Service
• Quality Assurance
• Pre-Sales
• Business Intelligence
• Marketing Communications
• Wan
• Co-Location
• Business Alignment
• Security Clearance
• Epicor
• Tfs
• Operations Management
• Pos Solutions
• Customer Relations
• Non-Profits
• Pstn
• Military Experience
• Start-Up Environment
• IT Operations Management