Mattie Gullixson ─ Innovative problem-solver with a track record for effectively tackling new and complex arenas…

September 8, 2022 • 3 Minute Read

Mattie Gullixson

Senior Cyber Analyst Supervisor
Colorado Information Analysis Center, Division of Homeland Security & Emergency Management

Are you looking for an innovative problem-solver with a track record of effectively tackling new and complex arenas? We know the person—Mattie Gullixson!

Mattie Gullixson is the Senior Cyber Analyst Supervisor at the Colorado Information Analysis Center. She is responsible for strengthening Colorado’s resilience against cyber threats through actionable information sharing with federal, SLTT, critical infrastructure and community partners; offering technical assistance and support; and coordinating with federal and state partners to further streamline cyber resources throughout the State. She is an innovative problem-solver with a track record of effectively tackling new and complex arenas, and works hard to identify opportunities and develop unique strategies that are solution-and-opportunity multipliers. Mattie brings a varied background in state and local government dealing with challenging policy issues to the position, and is passionate about turning big ideas into action!

Please meet this IT Wondrous Woman™, Mattie Gullixson!

Our 10 Questions for this IT Wondrous Woman.

Fun Facts

1. What’s the one thing about you that your business colleagues don’t know about you?
I LOVE golf. So much so that I took a career detour to lead a non-profit dedicated to teaching kids life skills and core values through golf. I even self-published a kids book about a little lost golf ball who becomes a hole-in-one.

2. Before the pandemic, how many air miles/KMs did you flying annually?
My husband and I have traveled to six different countries in just under five years of marriage, as of this year. Needless to say – A LOT!

3. What is the most adventurous food you have eaten and what city/location did you eat it?
One of my all-time favorite adventures was eating freshly cooked chicken, rice, and naan in the middle of Egypt’s Sahara Desert with Bedouins under the stars. I can still taste it!

Your Career

4. What are the top two experiences, achievements or failures that shaped your journey as a successful leader?

• Achievement – My first real big girl job was in the Colorado Governor’s Office of State Planning & Budgeting. There I had the chance to kickstart an academy for state leaders on building out strategic plans and process improvements. That opportunity taught me how to listen and build collaborative relationships.

• Failure – I once made a serious hiring mistake that negatively impacted the work my team and I were trying to accomplish, and affected the morale. That failure taught me the critical importance of culture in a team, and how much it influences the kind of work you produce.

5. Did you have a mentor in the early part of your career and, if so, what is the biggest lesson you learned from your mentor or influencer?
Erick Scheminske, the former Deputy Director of the Office of State Planning and Budgeting, was the best first boss and mentor anyone could want. He created an environment in which it felt safe to admit mistakes, and to learn and grow from them. It’s a tone and approach I’ve worked to replicate in every job since.

Walking In Your Shoes

6. What is one piece of business or career advice you would give to your younger self?
Everyone you are ‘in the room’ with is still learning too. I assumed early on that I needed to have the answers before I spoke or asked questions, or that everyone else in the room had ‘it’ figured out. The truth is – we are all still learning.

7. As a leader, how do you remain a resource for people early in their careers?
I am always an open door and an open book to people early in their careers. I have had so many people do that for me that I can’t help but pass it on. Whenever someone wants to meet to chat, I make it a goal to connect them to at least 2-3 other people to help expand their networks.

Today’s Business Environment

8. What is the most interesting project you have worked on in the last few years?
Building out the Colorado Cyber Resource Center as part of Colorado’s Whole of State effort. I got to work on building out a cyber range for Colorado, bringing Project PISCES to Colorado (a free monitoring resource for local governments that gets cyber students experience), and developing a focus point of resources for local governments. I love Colorado, and I’m passionate about cybersecurity – so it literally has been one of the coolest things I could have worked on!

9. What skills are you currently developing or refining (in yourself) that will make you a more successful leader in the digital economy?
I’m a big Ted Lasso fan (and before that, a Walt Whitman fan), so I keep trying to dig deep to apply the “Be curious, not judgmental” approach to my work and life. If I stay curious, there really is no challenge that is too big to tackle.

10. What is your greatest business challenge today?
I often liken working in cybersecurity to being told, “Boil the ocean you were just dropped into, without a life preserver, and oh yeah…boil it now!” So, I think the biggest challenge is working to find that rhythm in addressing what is in my control right now, and giving myself the permission to prioritize those things – not the whole ocean.

Engage with Mattie Gullisxon and the Colorado Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management!

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