2026 Technology Staff Award

Bryan Powell
Lead IT Support Technician
Hemet Unified School District

Bryan is our primary technician overseeing student device operations, including collection, repair, deployment, delivery, and warranty support. This work directly impacts thousands of students, and his team repaired over 7,000devices during 2025-26. This year, our IT department set a goal to improve the efficiency of our student device process by 10%. Our overall goal was to reduce the amount of time a device was outside of the classroom. Bryan led the effort with focus, collaboration, and a continuous improvement mindset. Through his leadership, the team exceeded that goal and achieved approximately an 18% improvement. This was not just a process win. It meant students received working devices faster, and our schools experienced fewer disruptions to learning.

Bryan’s impact also extended beyond IT. The system he designed and the data his team collected helped us identify patterns in student device needs, particularly at the middle school level. That information became the foundation for collaboration with our Educational Services colleagues and contributed to organizational changes in how we support middle school student devices. Bryan’s work helped move the conversation from isolated repairs to district-wide solutions and improvements.

Through this improvement work, Bryan also led the team in streamlining and automating ticket processes. Using our ticket system, Bryan’s team designed reports and built custom API connectors that automated daily communications, gave technicians clearer priorities, and improved consistency across the team. These improvements strengthened accountability while helping the team work smarter and serve sites more effectively.

One of Bryan’s most innovative contributions was the design of a student self-help kiosk for device troubleshooting. Through this tool, students are walked through how to resolve common software and firmware issues on their own. As a result, students have self-repaired 54.2% of software related issues, greatly reducing tickets to IT while also reducing the time students are without a working device. More importantly, it empowers students and helps reduce time out of the classroom.

Bryan is also a mentor and culture builder. He has coached and supported our Chromebook repair interns with patience, technical skill, and encouragement. His mentoring has helped five interns transition into full-time technician roles, where they were able to contribute immediately because of the hard and soft skills Bryan helped them develop.

Bryan is a TMAP graduate and reflects the heart of the CITE community. He solves meaningful problems, supports those around him, improves systems that serve students, and leads with humility, integrity, and purpose.

Q&A

How long have you been in your current role and what career opportunities shaped your path?

“I joined Hemet USD as a Computer Technician in 2020 and was later promoted to Lead Information Technology Support Technician. My role grew as I became more involved in our student device repair program, developing new processes, solving operational challenges, and taking on greater responsibility for supporting devices across the district.” 

What’s a recent win you’ve had at work?

“A recent win was seeing a coworker I mentored, who started as an intern, grow in his career and recently earn a promotion to Network Technician. It has been incredibly rewarding to see his hard work and growth.”

How long have you been a CITE member? What is your favorite memory from a CITE event?

“I joined CITE in 2021. One of my favorite memories was attending my first CITE keynote and seeing the passion and dedication of so many educational technology professionals gathered together. It gave me a real appreciation for the CITE community and the people who make it so valuable. I’d especially like to recognize Matt Forys, Ben Markley, and Josh Killebrew, whose guidance and support have had a meaningful impact on my professional growth.”