AUBURN – Ryan Connon, department chairman of computer technology at Central Maine Community College, has been appointed to the provisional board of the Maine Chapter of Infragard. The chapter is a cooperative between leaders and experts in a number of fields to devise comprehensive plans to improve Maine’s critical infrastructure and homeland security.

“This group is in the initial stages of creating a Maine chapter of Infragard, which has many chapters across the United States,” said Connon. “The Infragard board in Maine is currently working on an application to become an official chapter within the system, which is a part of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.”

Connon said board members draw from their diverse backgrounds to address subjects ranging from water systems protection to information security issues. “Many different industries have become dependent on information technology,” Connon explained. “Most aviation companies and water districts are dependent on computers in some fashion, so protecting the computer infrastructure that run these resources is critically important to an effective overall approach to homeland security.”

A 2002 graduate of Thomas College in Waterville, Connon was a teacher’s assistant in computer science while a student. He is now adjunct lecturer of computer science there. In addition he is a computer consultant to companies across the United States and pilot and instructor.

Prior to attending Thomas, he was among the youngest of Maine’s directors of information technology, serving as one of the original employees of Village Soup, a Camden-based technology service provider and news source.

For more information on Infragard, visit the Web at http://www.infragard-me.org, or http://www.infragard.net.

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