Harvard Townsend is an accomplished IT professional with expertise in various fields, including IT security, IT infrastructure management, IT policy, senior IT leadership, budget management, and IT communications. He studied MS in Computer Science and Bachelor of Science (BS) in Wildlife Biology at Kansas State University. He has worked as a Chief Information Security Officer at Kansas State University, Director of Computing and Network Services at Kansas State University, and Director of Infrastructure and Security at Wheaton College. Currently, he holds the position of Interim CIO at Wheaton College.

Throughout his career, Townsend has served in various leadership positions, showcasing his ability to take on significant responsibilities and work under tight deadlines. He possesses excellent communication skills, both written and spoken, helping him to communicate complex technical information with ease. Townsend is a quick learner and an expert in IT policy and security matters.

Away from work, Townsend enjoys traveling with his wife Dr. Dana Townsend, who also works at Wheaton College as a faculty member. This duo moved to the Chicago area, where Wheaton College is located, in 2012.