Living the Mission
DIMITRI SAVELIEFF ’07
D
uring one’s life, small things occur that shape who you are now and, more importantly, who you want to eventually become in the future.
S E V E N T Y- F I V E Y E A R S O F G I L M O U R
Such was the case for Dimitri Savelieff ’07 who, in 2020, found himself furloughed from his job as a software architect due to the COVID-19 outbreak. With one door closed, another opportunity quickly opened as Dimitri was scooped up by MTX Group Inc., a global technology consulting firm that enables organizations to modernize through digital transformation and strategy.
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Within days, the Kent State computer science grad found himself leading a digital team collaborating with the city of Chicago to launch the United States’ first-of-its-kind, cloud-based vaccination management app to prepare the city for the upcoming 2020 flu season and COVID-19 vaccination. The initiative provides the ability to quickly and accurately manage vaccine programs at scale, provide analytics and data visualization, manage vaccine inventory and deploy communication with patients. “The team put a lot of work into this app and it was an incredible opportunity for me to work with some of the most brilliant people in the industry,” Dimitri said. “There was no time to be nervous about what we were doing, we just had to keep moving and get these apps out quickly so we could get folks vaccinated and bring some normalcy to this country.” With success in Chicago, the app expanded into different areas around the country including Houston, Utah, Nevada, Arizona and New York City. Thanks to the app, more than 5 million people and counting have been vaccinated. His work earned him the recognition of his peers, and he was named Technical Architect of the Year by the company. Gilmour Academy’s mission is to develop the competence to see and the courage to act in creating a more humane and just society. Dimitri looks back on that furlough in 2020 as a turning point in his tech career that changed his personal vision. He now wants to continue to help people through his work in the future.
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“Because of this work, tens of thousands of people will not lose their lives to COVID-19, which is something I will always be proud of,” he said. “Being able to support our communities and really make a difference is something that I want to stick with.”
