Holden Scyster
Chief Information Officer
Holden Scyster joined the READ USA team in October 2022 and currently serves as Chief Information Officer (CIO). As CIO, he supports READ USA’s mission as the technology administrator and oversees all data and reporting functions of the organization, a time- and resource-intensive role that is vital to demonstrating the effectiveness, depth, and impact of READ USA’s programming. As part of these responsibilities, Holden supervises all of READ USA’s internal and external program or project data, including academic assessments, to report outcomes to evaluators, funders, and partners. His passion for these functions stems from his relentless drive to achieve programmatic excellence through innovation, efficiency, and effectiveness.
Prior to joining READ USA, Holden was a middle school math teacher for six years at Duval County Public Schools. He previously served for eight years in the U.S. Navy as an avionics technician, where he earned the Military Outstanding Volunteer Service Medal and Blue Jacket Sailor of the Quarter award numerous times for superior performance of his duties.
An undergraduate of Louisiana State University, Holden recently earned his master’s degree from Jacksonville University in Applied Business Analytics. His master’s degree further cultivated his interest in using data and information technology to make strategic business decisions, studying how to design effective statistical models and implementing predictive and optimization models.
Holden and his wife have called Jacksonville home for more than a decade and enjoy volunteering and serving the community in multiple capacities and finding new restaurants to enjoy. In his downtime, he can be found watching sports, enjoying time outside, or – of course – reading a book about leadership development.