January 3, 2022
Brad Nellis has assumed the role of President of the Akron/Canton chapter of the Association of IT Professionals (AITP), succeeding Craig Purnell who served as President from 2018 – 2021. Nellis will serve a three-year term.
Nellis joined the board in 2019 and has been responsible for events and programming since that time. He has been involved in the IT industry for more than 25 years in a variety of roles. Of note, Nellis served for more than 10 years as executive director of OHTec (formerly NEOSA), a tech industry trade association serving member companies across northeast Ohio. Notable accomplishments include creating the Best of Tech Awards, the CIO of the Year Awards, Tech Week, and the CoolTech Challenge. The organization also implemented a legislative advocacy practice and established statewide partnerships with other Ohio-based tech associations. Nellis serves/has served on IT advisory boards at CCC, The University of Akron, Kent State, and Regional IT Engagement (RITE).
Craig Purnell joined the AITP board in 2016 and assumed the President role during a time of heavy transition with the organization, successfully leading it through the national acquisition by CompTIA as well as a global pandemic. Craig was a steady influence on the local chapter. He ensured the chapter’s interests were protected during the merger and subsequent divestiture by CompTIA, led evaluation and acquisition of new membership software, supported decisions the put the chapter on firm financial ground, and encouraged innovative approaches to events and content for members. Craig’s efforts over his tenure helped the chapter survive the pandemic and put the chapter in a position to grow its membership base and provide additional value to its members.