Doug Polston

Former Member

Chief Information Security Officer

City of Topeka, Kansas

Doug Polston is Chief Information Security Officer for the City of Topeka, Kansas. Previously, he served as Associate Vice President of Information Technology and Chief Information Officer at Emporia State University. His career has grown from hands-on systems administration and technical work into senior technology leadership, giving him a strong grounding in both infrastructure and institutional strategy.

Doug has represented Emporia State in statewide technology governance and has helped connect the university to broader infrastructure and cybersecurity initiatives. In 2026, he represented ESU at the launch of the Freestate Middle Mile Network, a major broadband project designed to improve connectivity and opportunity across rural Kansas.

Career Highlights

Chief Information Security Officer for the City of Topeka, Kansas.
Former Associate Vice President of Information Technology and Chief Information Officer at Emporia State University.
Progressed from hands-on systems administration into senior technology leadership.
Appointed as a Kansas Board of Regents representative to the state Information Technology Executive Council.
Helped represent Emporia State in statewide technology, cybersecurity, and infrastructure initiatives.
Participated in the 2026 launch of the Freestate Middle Mile Network, a 600-mile broadband initiative serving rural Kansas.

KANE Contribution

Doug has been part of KANE through Emporia State University, bringing a practical infrastructure and operations perspective to the consortium. His experience in statewide technology governance and higher-education IT has supported the kind of peer exchange and cross-institution collaboration KANE was created to foster.

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