Chief Information Officer, Associate Professor, and Program Director at Mountain Empire Community College (MECC), Ritchie Deel brings extensive expertise in Cybersecurity and Networking. Since joining MECC in 2017—initially as Network Administrator and now as CIO—he has been instrumental in enhancing the college's IT infrastructure and cybersecurity practices.
Mr. Deel holds a Master of Science in Cybersecurity and Information Assurance, a Bachelor of Arts in History, and an Associate of Applied Science in Computer Networking Technology. His industry certifications include SANS GIAC Python Coder (GPYC), CompTIA Security+, Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA) Routing and Switching, CCNA Cyber Ops, EC-Council Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH), EC-Council Computer Hacking Forensic Investigator (CHFI), and ISC2 Certified in Cybersecurity. Currently, he is an ISC2 Candidate, working toward the Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) credential.
As a Certified GitHub Campus Advisor and an EC-Council Certified Instructor for CEH and CHFI courses, Mr. Deel is dedicated to cybersecurity education. He mentors MECC students in Capture the Flag (CTF) and other cybersecurity competitions, preparing them for industry challenges and fostering a culture of excellence in cybersecurity.
Associate Professor Terri Lane specializes in software development and programming courses. She has held a faculty position at MECC since 1992. Mrs. Lane holds both a Master of Science and a Bachelor of Science in computer information systems, as well as an Associate of Applied Science in management. She currently holds EC-Council Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH) and Certified Internet Webmaster (CIW) certifications. Mrs. Lane is an EC-Council Certified Instructor for CEH courses and serves as a mentor for MECC students competing in Capture the Flag (CTF) events and other Cybersecurity competitions.