A Junior Employee Publicly Questioned Whether She Was Being Overpaid. She Stood Up and Said: "I Believe I Am Appropriately Compensated." Dr. Monique, CIO at Cal State Chico, on Advocacy, Bias, and Leading With Confidence

She came to the United States from Cameroon almost 30 years ago with a master's degree in education, almost no exposure to computers, and a goal to pursue a doctorate. Her two sisters, both already in IT careers, redirected her. She thought she could never succeed in the field. She became an IT help desk worker. Then a network administrator. Then an IT manager. Then a director. Then a CIO. Then a COO in Spain. Then a Chief Technology and Innovation Officer. Then a Vice President and CIO at a California State University. Her PhD — the original goal from 1995 — she completed in 2019. Twenty-four years later than planned.

Dr. Monique is Vice President for Information Technology and CIO at California State University, Chico, and a multiple CIO award winner. In this episode, she shares the specific moments — some planned, some forced on her — that defined how she uses her voice to steer her career.

You'll learn:

• Dr. Monique was the only person of color in senior leadership at an elite STEM university. She organized the conversation her organization wasn't having: a roundtable on race and social justice with her IT team. She went first, dropped her own protective mask, and shared her own experiences with racism — which is what unlocked everyone else. The sessions grew into a six-cohort DEI program across the entire university, co-developed under her executive vice president.
• A junior male employee publicly questioned in a group meeting whether she was being overpaid. Her two white male predecessors' salaries had never been questioned by that same group. She stood up calmly and said: "I did not come to this meeting to discuss my salary. But if I must, I believe I am appropriately compensated for the work that I do." The room went silent.
• How she trained herself to respond to the angry Black woman stereotype: when emotions rise, her voice drops lower instead of higher. She slows down. She puts her hands on her thighs. She stands with her feet flat on the ground. She stated her intention to her team before a difficult conversation: "I am standing up not to be overpowering, but because having my feet on the ground helps me control my emotions." Days later, people were still reaching out saying it changed how they see her.
• At a conference in Chicago, a vendor friend insisted she skip the Super Bowl to meet someone he knew. She agreed. The stranger asked her about her career. She "unabashedly spoke up" about her achievements. He told her they were building a role to lead technological innovation. She applied. She got the job as Chief Technology and Innovation Officer.
• She applied for Deputy CIO at the Colorado School of Mines with none of the required higher education experience. Got interviewed. Got the job. Eight months later: interim CIO. Three months after that: full CIO. She directly asked her executive vice president there to sponsor her — sharing her goals specifically and asking for stretch assignments. That EVP let her serve as deputy COO while still serving as CIO.
• The framework she and Ivna coin in this episode: "confident humility." Women often embrace the humility and delete the confidence. The combination of both — taking no apologies for what she has accomplished while doing so with poise and grace — is what she credits for attracting sponsors throughout her career.
• Why she asks directly for sponsorship by naming specific career goals and specific asks, and why she audits her sponsor network regularly — including thinking about what would happen to her if her strongest advocate left the organization tomorrow.

About Dr. Monique: Vice President for Information Technology and Chief Information Officer at California State University, Chico. Multiple CIO award winner. Immigrant from Cameroon. Former CIO at Colorado School of Mines, Chief Technology and Innovation Officer, and Chief Operating Officer in Spain. PhD in Education and Organizational Leadership. Started her IT career at the help desk.