A retired College of ACES administrator has been named as the interim replacement for Sally Jackson as the Chief Information Officer, or CIO, of the Urbana campus.

Paul Hixson, who retired last August from his assignment as assistant dean and director of information technology and communication services at the University’s agricultural college, was selected as the Urbana CIO by newly-appointed executive CIO Michael Hites and Interim Provost Richard Wheeler.

Jackson resigned her post as April 8, 2011, following a controversial appointment and restructuring initiative that created an executive CIO to which each campus CIO would report, rather than their respective provosts.

Jackson said decision making at a University administration level would hurt the “technology and communications leadership” at the Urbana campus after her resignation.

“We often have to make decisions that are forward. That becomes difficult when the authority is lodged not in the campus,” she said.

According to a University press release, Hixson’s appointment will last for at least a year, “in part so that he can oversee the campus’s transition to a unified communications system.” Hixson, whose appointment takes effect July 1, will supervise campus Information Technology, or IT, units and the Administrative Information Technology Services.