Jim McClain has 20 years of wide-ranging technical expertise and business leader with a vision for proactively evaluating and aligning the overall direction of Information Technology for Montezuma County and other businesses and government agencies in Southwestern Colorado. He is responsible for collaborating with management and government officials to recommend solutions and execute successful delivery of IT projects. He provides hands-on support while directing all aspects of customer support. Jim McClain is highly skilled at assessing, designing and implementing cost-effective processes, systems and applications that reduce time and increase efficiency while conforming to tight budgets and adhering to stringent government guidelines and standards.

Responsibilities

As a IT Consultant for TechnologyWest, Jim McClain provides onsite installation of access control systems and video surveillance plus IT Security Assessments and recommendations to our clients in minimizing cybersecurity risks and compliancy requirements.

Professional Background

Jim McClain, an accomplished IT Director, brings a wealth of experience and expertise to his role as the head of IT for Montezuma County, serving 28,000 residents. In his current position, Jim skillfully absorbed his previous responsibilities at the Montezuma County Sheriff’s Office while seamlessly taking on the management of the entire county’s IT operations.

Prior to his current role, Jim served as an IT Manager at the Montezuma County Sheriff’s Office, where he managed all aspects of technology and maintained various critical systems. Earlier in his career, Jim owned and operated At Last! PC Service, where he provided technical consulting to local businesses, and he also served as a Production Manager for Osprey Packs, Inc.

Key Responsibilities include:

• Leadership and Team Management: Jim expertly oversees a technical team and provides hands-on support as necessary to ensure the smooth operation of county IT systems.
• Comprehensive Infrastructure Management: He manages the IT infrastructure, including VMWare, Exchange, network and security systems, catering to the unique requirements of over 10 county entities, including the Health Department, Sheriffís Office, Clerk & Recorder, Elections, Road Shop, Social Services, Landfill, Treasurer/GIS/Assessor, Human Resources and Planning.
• Infrastructure Upgrades and Maintenance: Jim plays a pivotal role in supervising upgrades and maintenance for VOIP systems, security (camera & biometrics), WAN, LAN, wireless, air fiber, Dell SANs, XIO Fiber Channel Storage, and EMC VNXI iSCSI Storage.
• Specialized Software Management: He oversees and maintains specialized software for various county entities, demonstrating expertise in managing systems that run on Linux, Windows, IIS, Apache, and Cisco.
• Project Leadership: Jim leads multiple technology projects aimed at updating existing systems and implementing new solutions to drive efficiency and productivity.
• Virtualization Expertise: He successfully launched and maintains a VMWare environment with three hosts and six sockets, optimizing server virtualization for improved ROI.
• Hardware and Equipment Upgrades: Jim expedites the replacement of outdated hardware and equipment to ensure the county’s IT infrastructure remains robust and up-to-date.

Key Initiatives include:

• Fiber-To-The-Home Implementation: Jim is currently spearheading a $39 million Fiber-To-The-Home Implementation Project in Southwest Colorado. He led efforts to evaluate a 22,000 square mile area, gather data, and secure citizen buy-in. His role also includes project proposal preparation, design planning and overseeing the entire project implementation.
• Spiceworks Help Desk Implementation: He successfully launched a new Spiceworks Help Desk/Ticketing System for over 227 users, resulting in increased efficiency and issue resolution throughout the county. This effort also included the installation of SolarWinds N-Central to streamline network functions.
• System Integration: Jim merged three disparate systems from separate entities (Assessor, Treasurer, Clerk & Recorder), streamlining operations and enabling automatic data sharing. This project was completed under budget, thanks to his meticulous planning and execution.
• VOIP System Implementation: He executed a county-wide VOIP system with a capital budget of $180k, leading to cost savings and improved communication.

Education

Kaplan University – Information Technology Management, Business Intelligence Master’s Degree
Graduated Summa Cum Laude with GPA: 4.0, Member of Golden Key Honor Society and GITA.

Kaplan University – Information Technology Management, Network Administration Bachelor’s Degree
Graduated Summa Cum Laude with GPA: 4.0

Colorado Technical University – Information Technology Management, Security Associate’s Degree

Certifications

• CompTIA Network+ Fundamentals Certification
• UNIX Network Administration Certificate
• MCSA Certification

Skills