Harris Search Associates Recruits CIO for Northwest State Community College

July 15, 2025 – Following a national search that included a highly competitive, diverse candidate pool, Harris Search Associates has recruited Darin Seiler as chief information officer of Northwest State Community College. Jeffrey Harris and Ed Christ led the assignment.

Mr. Seiler has over 25 years of technology experience, driving data-informed decision-making and leading transformative IT initiatives. He most recently served as chief information officer at Adrian College where he oversaw all areas of administrative and academic technologies and led a team of seven full-time staff, and 13 part-time student workers. As CIO, Mr. Seiler spearheaded a multi-year project to migrate the campus to a new ERP cloud solution, including the student information system, admissions, billing, advancement, payroll/HR, business office, and data integrations.

Located in Archbold, OH, Northwest State Community College is a public two-year community college accredited by the Higher Learning Commission. The college is divided into four academic divisions with nearly 70 degree and certificate programs available. The four academic divisions are the arts & science division, business & public services division, nursing & allied health division, and the STEM & industrial technologies division.

Harris Search Associates, an IIC Partners member firm, is a global higher education executive search and board advisory consulting firm with 44 offices in 33 countries worldwide. The firm’s higher education executive search practice is focused on identifying and attracting leaders to support the growth of clients in the areas of research, science, engineering, academic medicine, and healthcare enterprises. Clients include leading universities, research parks, institutes, academic medical centers, and healthcare organizations driving global innovation and discovery. Founded in 1997, Harris Search Associates was modeled after the first premier management consulting firms, in addition to its Ohio headquarters, the firm has regional offices in San Francisco and Dallas.

Mr. Harris is the founder of the firm and leads the higher education, academic medicine, and healthcare administration practices. Prior to establishing the firm in 1997, Mr. Harris worked five years for a leading retained executive search firm where he concentrated on senior assignments on behalf of leading engineering, research, and health sciences clients. He is the global leader of the IIC Partners higher education/academic medicine practice, and from 2010 to 2013, was appointed to the board of IIC Partners as vice chair for the Americas.

Mr. Christ is an executive search professional and human resources consultant with more than 20 years of experience in non-profit and for-profit industries, including higher education, healthcare/life sciences, engineering and consulting, industrial/manufacturing, and financial services. His executive search experience includes research and recruitment from the C-level executive to the specialized technical level.

CIO Recruiting

Over the past year, a number of organizations have turned to executive search firms to help them find top flight CIOs. Here are a few of the top assignments tracked by Hunt Scanlon Media:

Toronto-based executive search firm Massey Henry was recently retained by Prairie Payments Joint Venture (PPJV) to lead in its search for a new CIO. Reporting to the CEO, the CIO is responsible for overseeing technology architecture, infrastructure management, information systems, and information security – either delivered in-house or through third-party partners. In collaboration with the PPJV leadership team, this executive develops and maintains the technology strategy and roadmap, ensuring alignment with emerging technologies, industry standards, and corporate objectives. The search firm is looking for a seasoned technology executive with strong knowledge of the credit union ecosystem, payment systems, and broader Canadian financial services sector.

JM Search, a senior-level talent provider serving private equity investors, portfolio companies, and Fortune 1000s, recently helped to recruit Aurelian Sin as CIO of Subaru of America. Partners Bill Hogenauer and Ben Millrood led the assignment. “With more than 20 years of experience in IT leadership roles, Aurelian has developed successful IT strategies and roadmaps aligned with the business goals of each venture, making him the perfect fit for this position,” JM Search said. “Congratulations to Aurelian on his new role. We are excited for the continued success of Subaru and Aurelian.” Mr. Sin is a seasoned IT and business executive noted for building high-performing teams and a talent for quickly understanding business needs to design and implement IT-based transformations. He has in-depth experience in ERP/SAP platforms, analytics, and cloud/SaaS technologies with hands-on operations and performance management experience. Mr. Sin has a track record of implementing global, enterprise-wide IT solutions across multiple industries/geographies and translating business needs into a comprehensive strategy.

Executive recruitment firm Anthem Executive has placed Henry G. Torres as the new chief information officer Texas Woman’s University (TWU) in Denton, TX. Dr. Torres joins TWU from the Arkansas State University System, where he has served as vice president of information technology & CIO. In his role at Arkansas State, he led teams of IT professionals across seven system campuses and was instrumental in overseeing several key initiatives related to emerging technology, cloud services/hosting, and improving IT service. In his private-sector career, Dr. Torres has been an information technology executive specializing in the areas of distribution, logistics, store operations, and e-commerce. In his new position with TWU, Dr. Torres is responsible for advancing the university’s curriculum, providing leadership for the faculty, overseeing research, and developing strategic, innovative programs that complement Texas Woman’s mission and strengths.

Related: CIO Partners Recruits Portfolio President and CIO for AccelerEd

Contributed by Scott A. Scanlon, Editor-in-Chief and Dale M. Zupsansky, Executive Editor  – Hunt Scanlon Media