College of Communication and Information (CCI) Associate Dean Ebe Randeree presented at the 2023 ITEN WIRED Summit. This Southeast premier tech conference is centered around cybersecurity and information technology (IT). It provides opportunities to connect, collaborate, and build community with industry leaders, entrepreneurs, students, and educators.

The conference has been held annually for 14 years. Randeree has attended since 2011. He told CCI that he attends every year to network, to work with organizations in the Panhandle, and to track trends in technology. Specifically, Randeree is learning how FSU students can get involved with these innovative companies and build connections.

When asked about his presentation, “Regional Partnership Development (a tech perspective),” Randeree shared that his goal was to look at how the 16 counties in the Panhandle can work together to “enhance our regional economy with a tech focus.” He explained that the three largest industries across our area are education, tourism, and agriculture. “Technology is not visible even though we have many businesses using technology, many small tech employers, and educational institutions investing in technology.”

Randeree said, “We must do a better job of coordinating our efforts across the region to help tech startups, to identify employment opportunities for our IT graduates, and to invest in tech innovation. My presentation looked at efforts that were ongoing in the area and other ways in which we can partner to help build that technology ecosystem to attract more students and alumni to stay here.”