Our Team

Jannette Akridge serves as interim chief information officer in addition to her role as associate vice chancellor for Strategic Data and Process Innovation. Before returning to higher education, Akridge spent over two decades at Walmart Inc., where she held multiple senior leadership roles, including Sr. Director II of Business Intelligence and Data Analysis and Sr. Director II – Financial Planning and Analysis. Her work at Walmart included leading global data governance, designing enterprise dashboards, and developing predictive models to support strategic initiatives across Information Systems, HR, Finance, Legal, and Corporate Affairs. She holds a Ph.D. in analytical chemistry from the University of Arkansas and a B.S. in chemistry with a minor in mathematics from Northwestern State University.

Riley Davis is the Director of Strategic Operations and Campus Partnerships for the department. He oversees project alignment, resource coordination, and process improvement to support the department’s strategic goals.  Additionally, Riley oversees the development of the Razorback Analytics Fellowship. Riley joined the University of Arkansas in 2023 and earned both his BBA and MBA from Harding University.

Brandon Bayles is the Director of the Office of Strategic Analytics and Insights, which includes Institutional Research and Advanced Analytics. Brandon joined the university in late 2022 and brings industry experience from Tyson Foods, the Walmart vendor community, and JB Hunt. He has served in various enterprise data-related leadership and analytics architecture roles in his career. He has a B.S. in Information Systems from the University of Arkansas and an M.B.A. from Harding University.

Crystal Johnson is the Senior Director of Shared Services Data Analytics at the University of Arkansas, where she leads a team of data scientists and analysts delivering actionable data-driven insights to support the units within Vice Chancellor for Finance and Administration (VCFA). Crystal joined the university in late 2024, bringing more than 20 years of experience in data strategy, HR analytics, and financial planning at leading organizations like Walmart and Lamb Weston. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Accounting with a minor in Computer Science from Southwest Oklahoma State University.

James Morrison is the senior director of finance business process management at the University of Arkansas. He is responsible for leading strategy and execution of initiatives that analyze, design, and optimize finance and human resources processes, ensuring alignment with institutional goals and compliance requirements. Morrison collaborates with stakeholders, process owners, and technical teams to streamline workflows, improve data integrity, and enable data-driven decision-making across the university. He has more than 25 years of IT leadership experience in higher education and holds a Bachelor of Arts in Theatre Education from Oklahoma Baptist University and an MBA in Business Analytics from Northeastern State University.

J’onnelle Colbert-Diaz is the senior director of HCM Business Process Management at the University of Arkansas. She leads efforts to optimize Workday processes across HR, academic, and payroll, ensuring efficiency and compliance. By partnering with departments and campus leadership, she advances strategies that improve the user experience and drive operational excellence. She previously directed equal opportunity and compliance initiatives and holds a passion for process improvement and organizational effectiveness.