Ann Arbor, Michigan, May 2023 — Roger Blake, currently at Palo Alto Networks, has been selected as the President and CEO of Merit Network, Inc. Prior to joining Palo Alto Networks, Mr. Blake was Area Vice President of Government and Education at AT&T. His selection was announced by Dr. Melissa Woo, Executive Vice President for Administration and Chief Information Officer at Michigan State University, and Josh Olson, Chief Information Officer at Michigan Technological University, co-chairs of the search committee, and chair and vice-chair of Merit’s Board of Directors.
The search committee co-chairs said, “We are excited that Roger Blake has agreed to accept the position of President and CEO of Merit Network, Inc. Roger’s experience leading large organizations in the telecom industry along with his strong strategic planning skills will suit Merit well. Many qualified candidates were involved in the search process; however, it was Roger who really stood out.”
Mr. Blake’s appointment, recommended by a search committee consisting of members of Merit’s Board of Directors, external peers, and Merit leadership, was unanimously approved by Merit’s Board of Directors. Mr. Blake will join Merit on July 3, 2023.
As per Mr. Blake, “The importance of reliable and secure network connectivity as a difference maker in people’s lives has never been so clear. Bandwidth drives opportunity. Enabling connections for Merit community members that create possibilities to impact economic, health, and educational outcomes across Michigan is not just a job but a calling and I am excited to get started.”
As an accomplished industry executive, Mr. Blake brings to Merit an extensive background of building relationships and achievements within the information technology and internet service provider space. During his time with Palo Alto networks, he collaborated and partnered with various higher education, K12, and public institutions to address and modernize cybersecurity needs. Additionally, he brings years of experience from his tenure with AT&T where he served in a variety of leadership roles and in support of strategic infrastructure initiatives with public and private sector entities across the State of Michigan and other states. Mr. Blake combines industry experience with service in the education community as a publicly elected school board trustee and current President of the Berkley Schools Board of Education.
About Merit
Merit Network, Inc. is a nonprofit corporation owned and governed by Michigan’s public universities. Merit owns and operates America’s longest-running regional research and education network. In 1966, Michigan’s public universities created Merit as a shared resource to help meet their common need for networking assistance. Since its formation, Merit Network has remained on the forefront of research and education networking expertise and services. Merit provides high-performance networking and IT solutions to Michigan’s public universities, colleges, K-12 organizations, libraries, state government, healthcare, and other non-profit organizations. For more information:www.merit.edu.