Traci Townsend

Over the past 10+ years, Traci has been the service manager overseeing the replacement and maintenance of Wi-Fi access points across the entire UW Network, including the Bothell, Seattle, and Tacoma campuses, as well as UW Medical Center Montlake, UW Medical Center Northwest, Harborview Medical Center, clinics, and other sites. Her efforts have been instrumental in ensuring reliable, secure, and high-quality wireless connectivity for thousands of students, faculty, staff, and visitors.In addition to managing the technical aspects, Traci has taken on broader responsibilities such as managing purchasing, assisting with budget planning, managing projects, and assigning work to Wi-Fi engineers. She also plays a supportive role in coordinating events within UW-IT and volunteers for temporary assignments, such as serving as a liaison for the Digital Accessibility Initiative.

What truly sets Traci apart is her exceptional ability to coordinate and collaborate across multiple units within UW Central Facilities and UW-IT, building coordinators across all campuses, and external contractors. Her proactive approach to learning new procedures and systems, along with her willingness to serve as a resource for others, has greatly benefited our division. Her collaboration with the Business and Finance team during the Workday implementation exemplifies her commitment to understanding and supporting university-wide initiatives.

Traci also works alongside the Network Project Management team, where she shares her knowledge of project management and campus wide procedures, helps coordinate work efforts to ensure complementary projects are completed in the most efficient manner, and provides status reports for Wi-Fi projects that are in progress.

Aside from her normal duties, Traci is often called upon to help coordinate events for UW-IT; these could be a Town Hall meeting, a training course, a meeting with multiple UW groups and outside vendors, or even a social event.

Everywhere you experience Wi-Fi at the UW, Traci has played a part in making it work seamlessly. Her dedication, teamwork, and willingness to go above and beyond make her an outstanding candidate for this recognition.

Tell us why you are nominating this individual

Traci is an exceptional professional whose collaborative abilities, organization, and proactive approach significantly contribute to the success of complex Wi-Fi projects at UW. Her work across diverse environments—residence halls, medical facilities, remote labs, and multiple bases—demonstrates her adaptability and dedication. She effectively coordinates with internal teams, external contractors, and stakeholders to ensure projects are completed on schedule, within budget, and to high standards, all while maintaining a positive attitude that fosters teamwork.

Her role in managing multi-phase projects like the Friday Harbor Labs installation and the Airlift Northwest Wi-Fi deployment highlights her strong project management skills, attention to detail, and ability to navigate logistical challenges in remote and high-stakes environments. Additionally, her involvement in departmental activities and leadership development showcases her organizational talent and commitment to the broader UW community.

Her work is exemplified through several detailed projects that highlight her exceptional collaboration, coordination, and problem-solving skills:

• Friday Harbor Labs (FHL) Facilities Wi-Fi Deployment: This project involved over twenty buildings in a remote location, requiring multi-day travel and careful planning. Traci coordinated the entire process—helping to design the Wi-Fi network, arrange fiber optic cabling installation, and work with the Communications Infrastructure team, FHL staff, and external contractors. She managed schedules, travel logistics, procurement of equipment, and installation of switches, Ethernet cabling, and access points. She also coordinated site surveys and broke the project into three phases over three years, tracking progress and ensuring smooth restart of work, which greatly enhanced team efficiency. Her behind-the-scenes support and advice contributed to UW-IT receiving numerous compliments on the professionalism and efficiency of the project.
• Deployment of Wi-Fi at 9 Airlift Northwest Bases: This project involved both wired networking and Wi-Fi across bases in Washington and Juneau, Alaska. Traci played a key role in supporting the Wi-Fi efforts, suggesting that one staff member handle both wired and wireless tasks to reduce travel costs and personnel. She negotiated with contractors for better pricing on Ethernet cabling and access point installation, helping to keep the project on schedule and budget. The success of this high-visibility project garnered many compliments from UW Medicine and Airlift Northwest, who provide critical air ambulance services.

Throughout these projects, Traci’s positive attitude, willingness to learn new procedures, and her organizational skills have been instrumental in ensuring continuous, high-quality Wi-Fi service—despite the constant changes and challenges involved.

In addition to her core responsibilities, Traci actively contributes to a wide range of collaborative activities beyond her normal work. For example:

• Coordinating the Leadership Development Program: She helped organize this program created by UW-IT, which involved students from across campus, fostering leadership skills and professional growth within the UW community.
• Planning Social and Staff Appreciation Events: Traci has been instrumental in coordinating holiday celebrations, departmental barbecues, and large meetings that include both UW-IT staff and external participants, helping to build a strong sense of community and teamwork.

Overall, Traci exemplifies the qualities of a highly effective collaborator and leader, ensuring that the Wi-Fi network remains reliable and performs seamlessly amidst ongoing technological and infrastructural changes.

These activities demonstrate her dedication to fostering a positive, collaborative environment within UW-IT and the broader campus community, further exemplifying her organizational and leadership skills.

What makes this nominee worthy of the DSA?

Traci’s work has a profound impact on everyone at the University of Washington and UW Medical Centers by ensuring the Wi-Fi network—comprising over 16,000 access points—operates at or above expected levels. Her efforts touch every department, building, and campus, benefiting the broader UW community by providing reliable, seamless connectivity that supports teaching, research, healthcare, and daily campus activities.

Her influence extends significantly within UW-IT as well. Known for her willingness to assist with a wide variety of tasks, her reputation for being capable of handling anything makes her a vital resource. She often makes tasks easier for colleagues or helps ensure the success of departmental events. Traci is truly the heart of the Wi-Fi team, taking on logistical responsibilities that allow engineers to focus on technical work. She also helps manage their workloads to prevent overburdening, enabling timely project completion and prompt responses to routine questions. Her skill in setting clear, acceptable expectations with customers ensures work is completed on schedule while maintaining positive relationships.

As her supervisor, I see her impact as immense. When challenges arise, she takes the time to understand what’s needed and brings well-considered solutions for us to discuss and implement. Her skills complement mine; I rely on her to develop relationships with contractors, campus staff, and handle day-to-day finance and logistical tasks. When others approach me for assistance, my response is often, “Let me talk to Traci,” reflecting her trusted role within our department.

Outside of work, Traci is equally dedicated to helping others. She frequently assists friends, neighbors, and family with a variety of needs—whether cat sitting, dropping off or picking up children from school, helping family recover from surgery, or coordinating travel arrangements. Her willingness to support others demonstrates her caring nature and strong sense of community.

In summary, Traci’s contributions significantly enhance the university’s infrastructure, department operations, and community well-being, making her an invaluable member of UW.
Was there anything else?

In addition to her collaborative skills and accomplishments, Traci also excels in other areas such as innovation and impact. Her ability to approach unexpected challenges as learning opportunities and develop effective solutions demonstrates her strong problem-solving skills and adaptability.

For example, during the supply chain issues in 2022/2023, she identified that restrictions on purchase orders prevented fulfilling large orders all at once. She proposed using a different type of purchase order that allowed for pay-as-you-go shipments, enabling the team to receive equipment in multiple parts and pay for each shipment. When others faced similar issues, she shared her solution, which became a standard practice across the Data Networks group. This approach was crucial in allowing the department to continue its technology refresh work. Additionally, she negotiated with vendors to purchase a new AP model with better stock availability at the same cost, saving thousands of dollars and allowed us to complete the projects as planned.

Another notable example was her leadership in a project in July to improve Wi-Fi quality in Schmitz Hall, home to the Crisis Center. Recognized as one of the most challenging buildings to work in due to design and hazardous materials, Traci defined the full scope of work, collaborated with UW Facilities to modify their original plan, and saved approximately $200K. The upgraded Wi-Fi now supports Zoom sessions with distressed individuals, a critical improvement. The project also included wiring upgrades and data closet cleanup, preventing future costs and streamlining work for other teams.

Her impact extends deeply within UW-IT. She manages workloads effectively, ensuring engineers aren’t overwhelmed, and takes over coordination and project completion tasks, often saving months or years of effort. Her knowledge of procedures and willingness to help with tasks or events make her highly valued by colleagues. Her professionalism and positive personality foster a collaborative environment, enabling teams to work more efficiently and complete projects they might not have otherwise.

Ultimately, Traci’s innovative problem-solving and her ability to manage and support her team have a broad, positive impact on everyone at the University of Washington, especially those closest to her. Her contributions help ensure that UW’s infrastructure remains resilient, efficient, and capable of meeting ongoing challenges.

Amel Caldwell
Assistant Director
UW-IT Wireless Design and Architecture

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