News & Updates • October 8, 2025
Lanita Collette to lead NAU Information Technology Services following Steve Burrell’s retirement
Steve recently announced his retirement from NAU after a decade of service to the Lumberjack community and welcomes back Lanita Collette to the ITS family.
After nearly a decade of service to NAU and a career in higher education spanning 43 years, CIO and Vice President of Information Technology, Steve Burell, announced his retirement to the ITS family in September of 2025. Steve’s internal announcement to ITS colleagues was followed by an official statement from President José Cruz Rivera.
Read the official statement from President José Cruz Rivera ›
Steve’s career at NAU brought numerous innovations and advancements to how our extended community interfaces with technology in the university, such as the introduction of Starship food delivery robots, the groundwork for the Smart Campus Master Plan, and shaping how the university implements and adapts to the recent emergence of artificial intelligence.
We’ve been enormously grateful for Steve’s leadership, and the extended ITS family wishes him the best in the next chapter of his life!
Lanita Collette will assume the role of CIO in 2026
We’re excited to announce that Latina Collette will be returning to the ITS family and will assume the role of CIO beginning on January 5th, 2026. Lanita is currently serving as the Deputy CIO at the University of Arizona, and brings with her a wealth of experience in higher education and information technology.
Lanita previously worked for ITS back in the early 2000’s, serving roles culminating in the Deputy CIO and Chief Information Security Officer before her transition to the University of Arizona in 2017.
Lanita will assume her role as CIO following Steve’s retirement at the end of the fall semester, with a slated start date of January 5.