Fred Sharpsteen, assistant superintendent of technology services at Mecosta-Osceola Intermediate School District, recalls turning to the listserv to update his security cameras. That kind of honesty is possible because the Michigan group is limited to district tech staff — a safeguard that builds trust. “We have people who are fantastic at networking, wireless, Microsoft Active Directory — you name it," says Michael Richardson, a former tech director who runs REMC’s statewide co-op purchasing program. “Being a tech director can be lonely,” says Scott McLeod, founding director of the Center for the Advanced Study of Technology Leadership in Education. “Recently, we roasted a retiring tech director with old pictures and funny stories in the water cooler channel.”For new tech directors, finding and joining a listserv can be a game changer.