About SIG

We’ve solved problems for more than 900 higher education institutions globally, since 1988.

What We Do

SIG Solves Problems

Strata Information Group (SIG) has been a trusted partner to over 900 higher education institutions globally since our inception in 1988.

SIG is a leading technology consulting firm for Higher Education, supporting a broad range of solutions for ERP/SIS, CRM, Business Intelligence, and Cloud technologies.

Our solution sets include Strategy & Optimization Consulting, Enterprise Applications Implementation and Managed Services, Data Services, and Cybersecurity.

Strategic Partners

We are platform-agnostic and partner-centric. SIG is committed to partnering with industry leaders. While each partnership is unique, our goal is to deliver a broad range of solutions, expert guidance, and quality services.

By the Numbers

Years of Success
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Technical & Professional Certifications
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University & College Clients
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Leadership

Brent Rhymes

Chief Executive Officer

Brent has over 32 years of experience in software and technology services experience. Before joining SIG, Brent was the Chief Executive Officer of PakEnergy, Zimbra, iWave, and Software Realization. Brent held technical and managerial positions at Exxon, Microsoft, and IBM Global Services earlier in his career. Brent, his wife Jennie, and four children live on their cattle ranch north of Abilene, Texas. Brent is a graduate of the University of Tennessee. In the fall, you can find him in Neyland Stadium, cheering on the Vols when not attending one of his children’s events or traveling with his family.

Chief Executive Officer

Heather Schlenger

Chief Financial Officer

Heather joined Strata in 2022 as the CFO. She has worked the last 18 years in accounting & finance, beginning with public accounting in both audit and tax, serving both privately held and private equity backed companies. In early 2018, she moved into private accounting role for a Private Equity backed healthcare company. As CFO, she recently helped grow a group nationally through 23 acquisitions. She is a transplant to California, born and raised in Portland, Oregon and is one of seven siblings. The youngest sibling, David Mayo, is a linebacker for the Washington Commanders. Heather has been a Rotary member since 2010. She also served on the Board of the YMCA of San Joaquin for 8 years. She and her husband, Chris have been married 21 years and have two children, Eric and Natalie.

Chief Financial Officer

Tiffany Palacz

Chief Operating Officer

Tiffany has over 26 years of management consulting experience with a focus on mission-based organizations and operates with a continuous improvement mindset while striving for outstanding employee and client experience. She thrives on coaching, mentoring, and fostering an environment of belonging and inclusion. Prior to joining SIG, Tiffany was the Chief Operating Officer at Collaborative Solutions and oversaw global solutions, front and back-office operations, and capture strategy. She has held various solution delivery and development roles at PeopleSoft and Oracle where she first began to consult with higher education, nonprofit, government, healthcare, and professional services sectors, focusing on financial and operational transformation. And, for many years was an independent consultant in various roles from program/project management, to advisory, and architect. In her spare time, you can find Tiffany with her family, friends, and two dogs on the beaches or in the waters of Cape Cod, or on the mountains of Vermont. Tiffany is based in Connecticut.

Chief Operating Officer

Jon Poole

Chief Sales Officer

Jon has spent 20 years as a sales manager in the higher education space. His varied experience includes digital content, learning design, assessment, and online program management.  Before joining SIG, Jon held senior sales management roles at Nearpod, Pearson, Blackboard, VitalSource, and as an independent consultant, operating in both domestic and international markets. His focus has been on building teams, driving revenue, launching sales and marketing initiatives, fine-tuning sales operations, and cultivating strategic and channel partnerships. Prior to his time in the higher education market, Jon was a systems implementation consultant for Ernst & Young and Nortel. Jon is a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He spends his free time with his wife and two sons, reading, watching sports, and traveling. Jon and his family live in Raleigh, NC.

Chief Sales Officer

Brian Kirk

Executive Vice President
Cybersecurity Services

Brian has more than 25 years of experience in Information Technology with the last 15 years focused on cybersecurity. Prior to joining SIG Brian was Cyber Practice Leader at a top 40 accounting and advisory firm and the Chief Information Security Officer at a Fortune 500 engineering, design, and construction firm. Brian and his wife Christy are both Clemson graduates (Go Tigers!) and reside in Greenville, South Carolina. They have 3 daughters and enjoy travel and being outdoors.

Executive Vice President
Cybersecurity Services

Brent Mellow

Executive Vice President
Strategic Alliances and Marketing

Brent brings over 30 years of leadership experience to SIG where he leads Strategic Alliances & Marketing. Brent formerly led the Salesforce Services division of SIG (which he founded in 2009 and was later acquired by SIG in September 2022). Brent has been a member of the Salesforce ecosystem since 2001. Previously, Brent held positions including VP/Chief Administrative Officer and VP Sales & Marketing of a multi-national call center outsourcer and spent over a decade with a variety of commercial and investment banks and had roles including Senior Vice President and Managing Director in Bank of America’s Global Corporate and Investment Banking Group. Brent has been a featured presenter and panelist for Salesforce, Guidepoint, UBS, Verified First, the Call Center Networking Group, and the Southwest Venture Forum. Brent resides in Colorado Springs, Colorado, is happily married, and has three wonderful children. He enjoys fly fishing, hiking, camping, and mountain biking.

Executive Vice President
Strategic Alliances and Marketing

Sam Waterson

Executive Vice President
Slate, Enrollment, Institutional Marketing

Sam has more than 20 years’ experience serving colleges and universities and other not-for-profit organizations. A 2001 journalism graduate of Franklin College, Sam brings to our clients a deep knowledge of higher education. He has served as an account manager, account executive and corporate ethnographer, along the way amassing a depth and breadth of diverse experiences. He was named Executive Vice President and Creative Director in 2010 and President in 2019. Sam leads our goal-exceeding efforts, lending imagination, wisdom and data-driven perspective to proposed solutions and strategic counsel. His up-to-the-minute familiarity with trends in culture, entertainment and design help RHB develop communications and strategies that powerfully connect with target audiences. Sam’s work on behalf of our clients has won more than 50 national, regional and local awards, and has been featured in The Wall Street Journal, The Chronicle of Higher Education and on NPR. He is a speaker at national and regional conferences, including AMA Higher Ed, UCDA and CCCU. In 2018, Sam earned a certificate in digital marketing from Cornell University.

Executive Vice President
Slate, Enrollment, Institutional Marketing

EXPERTISE

A commitment to providing top functional and technical talent for our clients. SIG develops robust partnerships and holds numerous professional and technical credentials at the consultant and firm level. 

* GIAC Certified Incident Handler (GCIH)

* GIAC Foundational Cybersecurity Technologies (GFACT)

* GIAC Information Security Fundamentals (GISF)

* GIAC Penetration Tester (GPEN)

* GIAC Python Coder (GPYC)

* GIAC Security Essentials (GSEC)

* GIAC Web Application Penetration Tester (GWAPT)

* HTB Certified Bug Bounty Hunter (HTB CBBH)

* INE Security: Certified Prof Penetration Tester (eCPPT)

* INE Security: Junior Penetration Tester (eJPT)

* INE Security: Web Application Penetration Tester (eWPT)

* INE Security: Web Application Penetration Tester (eWPTX)

* ISACA: Certified Information Secuirty Manager (CISM)

* ISACA: Certified Information Security Auditor (CISA)

* ISC2: Certified Information Security Professional (CISSP)

* ISC2: Info Systems Security Architecture Professional (ISSAP)

* OffSec Certified Professional (OSCP)

* OffSec Web Expert (OSWE)

* OffSec Wireless Professional (OSWP)

* Oracle Certified OCI Architect Associate

* Oracle Certified OCI Architect Professional

* Oracle OCI Cloud Security Specialist

* Oracle Partner

* PCI Security: Qualified Security Assessor (QSA)

* PeopleCert: ITIL Foundation

* Salesforce Administrator

* Salesforce Advanced Administrator

* Salesforce AI Associate

* Salesforce Application Architect

* Salesforce B2B Solution Architect

* Salesforce Business Analyst

* Salesforce Business Units Accreditation

* Salesforce Data Architecture and Management Designer

* Salesforce Data Cloud Consultant

* Salesforce Deployment Designer

* Salesforce Education Cloud Consultant

* Salesforce Einstein Discovery

* Salesforce Experience Cloud Consultant

* Salesforce EXPERT Navigator – Education Solutions

* Salesforce Field Service Consultant

Firm History

Henry A. Eimstad

Founding Partner

Henry was a Founding Partner of SIG and has over 40 years of experience in higher education and information technology systems. He has served as CIO/CTO, has conducted numerous ERP procurement processes, and has managed many large ERP implementations for colleges and universities throughout his consulting career.  A veteran of the US Navy and the Peace Corps, his interests include travel to Africa and South America. He is a life-long runner and completed the 2018 Boston Marathon under some of the harshest weather conditions in years.

Founding Partner

Frank M. Vaskelis

Founding Partner

Frank was a Founding Partner of SIG and has over 40 years of experience in IT and higher education. In addition to serving as CIO and CTO at several institutions, Frank also has a technical background in telecommunications, network design, database administration, and more. Frank’s personal interests include traveling, hiking, scuba diving, photography, and high-handicap golf (more practice might help).

Founding Partner

SIG was formed in 1988 by co-founders Henry Eimstad and Frank Vaskelis. Henry served as SIG’s President until his retirement in 2024. He remains active on SIG’s board of directors.

Together, Henry and Frank laid a strong foundation for SIG, leveraging their vast experience to drive the company’s success in the higher education sector.

Careers

Our Business is Our People

We are a team of committed IT professionals dedicated to solving problems and doing what’s best for our clients.

SIG staff are located in 42 U.S. states and in the United Kingdom. 


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