" There is no one path into cybersecurity; soft skills can add immense value and open doors to leadership "

Lester Godsey has spent over three decades shaping public sector cybersecurity, and as he approaches retirement in 2024, his career offers a testament to leadership, adaptability, and the importance of diverse skill sets in cybersecurity.

Godsey’s journey into cybersecurity began during his time at Arizona State University (ASU). Initially an undergraduate music major with aspirations of becoming a band teacher, his career path shifted when he discovered an interest in system administration and cybersecurity. At the time, the internet was still emerging, and cybersecurity was not a distinct field. Godsey’s early web experience involved HTML programming for non-graphical browsers. Like many others entering the field in its infancy, he began to engage with security without fully realizing it.

Godsey’s first role in cybersecurity came as a Support Center Analyst in ASU’s College of Engineering and Applied Sciences. After two years, he was tasked with helping secure the new ASU Polytechnic campus on a former military base. There, he supported over 200 users and collaborated with IT staff to build the campus’s security program from scratch.

Godsey’s next role took him to the ASU Department of Psychology, where he became a Technology Support Analyst. He managed a team of IT professionals, oversaw a substantial budget, and acted as the department’s primary systems administrator. His ability to manage diverse responsibilities became a key strength throughout his career.

“My entire IT career has focused on being a ‘jack of all trades,’ rather than specializing in one discipline,” Godsey explains. “At ASU, and in many of my other roles, I handled a broad range of responsibilities.”

In 2006, Godsey moved to the Town of Queen Creek, Arizona, where he served as the Division Manager for Information Technology. For nearly eight years, he led the IT department, supporting various initiatives like application development and municipal fiber networking. He also managed an annual budget of around $1.6 million. Godsey played a critical role in facilitating communication between government officials and the private sector to ensure effective collaboration.