P2P

22 HOW DID YOUR CAREER AS A LEGAL TECHNOLOGIST UNFOLD? I was fortunate to work in a department at Lamar University, where the department chair was a leader in his field and had a deep appreciation for technology. Much of his grant funding went towards purchasing state-of-the- art computers. At the time, there was only one microcomputer specialist on campus, and a waiting list existed for equipment installation. I began helping with the setup and then progressed to setting up and configuring the equipment independently. My initiative, rooted in curiosity and love for learning new things, led to a promotion. The microcomputer specialist who sparked my interest in technology went on to become the university's Microcomputer Services Manager, and my initial supervisor was the User Services Manager. When both departed for the corporate world, their roles merged into a single position, User Services Manager, and I stepped into that role. The Microcomputer Services Manager from Lamar moved to Houston and accepted a director role at Vinson & Elkins. He eventually recruited me for the Systems Administration Supervisor position at Vinson & Elkins. It was a new role within the firm, and I was responsible for cross-training and supervising a team of five individuals who were previously in charge of separate, standalone technology systems. As the Systems Administration Supervisor, I established a department to oversee and manage these separate systems collectively. I oversaw the firm's network upgrade, implemented the first company- wide email system, and eventually replaced the telephone and voicemail systems. Leading this initiative involved re-staffing, training, implementing helpdesk software, and establishing procedures for escalated trouble tickets, as well as first-line and third-level support. I worked with our applications team to select, program, and implement helpdesk software, develop processes and procedures, and hire and train the staff. Next, I transitioned from systems administration to managing architects, including systems, servers, and storage engineers. I entered the Systems and Operations Manager role and later became the firm's Systems and Networks Manager. As technology advanced, I worked to move the firm's server, storage, and network environments from our corporate office server rooms to colocation centers. Leading the transition to multiple data centers MELANIE PREVOST is the Senior Director of Infrastructure and Technical Support Services at Vinson & Elkins. She has volunteered with ILTA for over 17 years, bringing her signature inclusive ideology to the roles she filled within ILTA's community. Melanie attended her first ILTACON in 2007. Shortly after attending her first ILTACON in 2007, she accepted a volunteer role as the Houston Member Liaison. Melanie joined the Relationship Management Team, which coordinated the Member Liaisons and the Women Who Lead (WWL) Advisory Committee, in 2017. Melanie is passionate about sharing her professional experiences and knowledge with others. She speaks at Vinson & Elkins events and others, such as LegalWeek, Cowen Cafe, and most recently, to ILTA staff. She is skilled at addressing issues such as women's empowerment, imposter syndrome, and work-life balance.

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