Charles Franklin brings over 25 years of technology leadership spanning the U.S. Army, Siemens Energy, Houston ISD, Air Liquide, and Cypress-Fairbanks ISD. He holds an MBA in Management of Information Systems from Western Illinois University and a BBA in Technology Management from American Intercontinental University. A proud veteran, Charles served eight years in the U.S. Army—deploying to Afghanistan and leading more than 120 IT professionals under the Department of Defense— before transitioning to civilian roles. Throughout his career, he’s spearheaded major programs including CFISD’s 1:1 Chromebook rollout, a 400,000-user Office 365 migration, and enterprise-wide cybersecurity initiatives.
Global Experience, Local Innovation
Charles’s journey began as a DoD contractor in conflict zones like Afghanistan and Kuwait, where he managed field operations and built resilient communications networks under extreme conditions. Returning stateside, he joined Air Liquide’s headquarters team, directing global IT strategy for manufacturing and R&D facilities across Europe, Asia, and North America. There, he refined his skills in large-scale system integrations, vendor management, and aligning executive vision with technical delivery.
His transition to education came with a five-year tenure at Houston ISD, where he led instructional technology, infrastructure modernization, and digital equity programs. Charles designed and launched a district-wide mobile device management solution that supported 80,000 students and staff. A subsequent two years at Siemens Energy broadened his cybersecurity acumen: he conducted risk assessments, developed incident response plans, and implemented secure remote-access platforms for critical energy assets.
Six years ago, Charles joined Cypress-Fairbanks ISD as Associate CIO. Eight months ago he assumed the CTO role, now guiding a team of 180 technology professionals. His remit spans network engineering, application development, instructional support, data analytics, and security operations.
Day-to-Day Leadership
Charles’s mornings start before dawn with policy work—reviewing or drafting district regulations, board submissions, and governance models to streamline approval cycles. By mid-morning, he convenes cross-functional strategy sessions: one week he’ll workshop data governance frameworks with finance and curriculum leaders; the next he’ll chair the cybersecurity steering committee to prioritize risk mitigation projects.
It’s easy for tech-savvy team members to run ahead, but that can leave others behind. The real opportunity lies in raising the entire team’s capabilities 
To foster a unified culture, Charles established district-wide technology committees—covering networking, applications, support services, and innovation labs—and publishes a monthly newsletter highlighting project milestones, team achievements, and professional development opportunities. He organizes quarterly “Tech Talks” where staff present lessons learned from pilots, and he partners with HR to deliver role-based training on emerging tools. These efforts have cut project silos by 40 percent and increased cross-departmental collaboration by 60 percent in the past year.
Data-Driven Decision Making
Recognizing the power of integrated insights, Charles is leading an initiative to build a centralized data lake. This platform will consolidate student performance metrics, attendance, financial records, human resources data, and operational logs into a single analytics environment. Early use cases include predictive modeling for at-risk students—combining attendance trends, disciplinary records, and assessment scores to flag intervention needs—and budget forecasting that aligns resource allocation with instructional outcomes. By empowering leaders with interactive dashboards and real-time reports, the district aims to shift from reactive to proactive decision making.
Holistic Cybersecurity Strategy
In parallel, Charles is redesigning the district’s security architecture. He’s consolidated disparate endpoint protection solutions into a unified platform that leverages AI-driven threat detection, automated patch management, and zero-trust principles. By negotiating enterprise licensing agreements and consolidating vendors, he’s on track to reduce annual security costs by 25 percent while strengthening system resilience. A new security operations center (SOC), staffed 24/7 by rotating shifts, now monitors network traffic and alerts, ensuring rapid incident response and compliance with state and federal regulations.
Aligning Technology with Educational Goals
Charles knows that in K–12, technology’s value lies in its impact on student outcomes, equity, and safety. In a region surrounded by industry giants—Shell, ExxonMobil, Siemens—and world-class medical centers, he argues that schools must harness those private-sector insights to serve public-sector priorities. To that end, he meets monthly with principals, directors of special programs, and the student services team to identify pain points—whether it’s outdated lab hardware, bandwidth bottlenecks, or gaps in digital literacy— and demonstrates how targeted tech investments (or more effective use of existing tools) can drive measurable improvements.
He co-designed a digital equity pilot that provided Wi-Fi hotspots and training for 500 underserved families, resulting in a 30 percent reduction in chronic absenteeism among participating students. By showing clear links between technology support and board-approved performance indicators, Charles ensures every project aligns with the district’s mission.
Preparing for the Global AI Race
Artificial intelligence has moved from buzzword to boardroom imperative. Early on, Charles adopted a cautious stance—limiting student access to ChatGPT-style tools while authorizing staff to explore productivity gains. Today, AI extensions are embedded across student information systems, learning management platforms, and security tools. Charles emphasizes that ignoring AI risks leaving students unprepared for jobs—and even civic life—in an AI-driven world.
While CFISD hasn’t yet launched a district-wide AI learning platform for classrooms, Charles and his instructional technology partners monitor emerging K–12 solutions and engage with Microsoft’s Copilot cohort of leading districts. In administrative domains, they’ve deployed Microsoft Copilot to executives, facilitating automated report generation, quick policy research, and enhanced meeting prep.
Building AI Literacy and Capability
To scale AI fluency, Charles champions collaborative training:
• Executive Workshops: Quarterly sessions on AI ethics, data governance, and change management.
• Hands-On Labs: Copilot Studio hackathons where teams prototype chatbots that answer policy questions or guide parents through enrollment processes.
• Peer Coaching: A district “AI Champions” network where early adopters mentor colleagues, share use cases, and coauthor best practice guides.
These initiatives have already slashed time spent on routine administrative tasks by up to 50 percent, freeing staff to focus on strategic priorities.
Fostering a Culture of Innovation
Charles’s guiding principle: transformation succeeds only when the entire team advances together. He encourages every staff member—from helpdesk technicians to solution architects—to experiment with new technologies. He sets team-wide challenges (“Who can design the most useful AI proof-of-concept?”), awards innovation grants for promising pilots, and publicly recognizes creative problem-solvers at monthly all-staff gatherings.
By embedding a growth mindset across every role, Charles ensures that no one is left behind as technology evolves. His vision extends beyond infrastructure and applications: it’s about empowering people, unlocking potential, and building a smarter, safer future for all students and staff in Cypress-Fairbanks ISD.