Laurie Panella, Bus Ad ’88, has served as the Chief Information Officer since 2019. She is responsible for developing and implementing the university’s technology strategic direction and leading the IT services that support academic and administrative computing, networking, support services, classroom and instructional technology, programming services, and telecommunications. In collaboration with the students, faculty and administration, Panella ensures alignment of technology resources in support of the university’s strategic plan.

Prior to joining Marquette, Panella held progressive leadership roles within Milwaukee County, most recently serving as the Chief Information Officer since 2009. In that capacity, Panella was responsible for the strategic technology direction, planning, and execution of IT solutions and systems for the county's extensive operations. She led a team that served a community of 900,000, ensuring that technology not only met the current needs but also paved the way for future advancements. Her leadership was instrumental in making government services more user-friendly and accessible, thereby enhancing the lives of the county's residents and the efficiency of its employees.

Panella holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Marquette. She is active in several professional and community organizations, including the AJCU Collective on Information Technology Management (President), the WisconsinCIO Advisory Board (Chair), Evanta Milwaukee CIO/CISO Governing Body, the CIO Tech United Advisory Board, the Versiti Audit and Compliance Committee, and the Church of Gesu Parish Council.

Panella was named among the ‘Top 25 Doers, Dreamers and Drivers’ for national public sector IT by Government Technology magazine (2012); the CIO of the Year by the Milwaukee Business Journal (2017); the Wisconsin CIO of the Year by InspireCIO (2022); and Notable Women in Technology by the BizTimes (2024).

Panella and her husband Nick, Bus Ad ’02, met at Marquette and have two adult daughters, Samantha and Emily, who continue to emulate the familial pride of MU.