Open To Work
Christopher Purkett
Rosebud County
Forsyth,MT
Work Preference
Job Search Status:
Open to work
Desired start date:
2 weeks notice
Desired Job Title
Information Technology DirectorCity Councilman911 Emergency DispatcherInformation Systems Technician First Class (IT1)
Work Type
Full TimePart TimeContract WorkGig WorkConsultingVolunteerSeasonal Work
Location Preference
Remote
Important To Me
Work-life balanceFlexible work hours401k matchPaid time offWork from home optionCareer advancement
29
Years of experience
IT Director and sole technology lead for a multi-site Montana county government. 16+ years running network, security, endpoints, email, and vendor operations for 3 communities, 18 buildings, and 120+ users without a staffed IT department. U.S. Navy Information Systems Technician First Class (IT1/E-6) with prior TS/SCI. Strengths in rural WAN/Wi-Fi/microwave infrastructure, WatchGuard firewalls, endpoint lifecycle (N-able, Patch My PC), policy and compliance, and contract negotiation.
Work History
Information Technology Director
16 Years 7 Months- Ran all county information technology as a one-person department for 16 years, supporting 3 towns, 18 buildings, and 120+ employees across network, security, endpoints, email, cameras, and service tickets.
- Designed, configured, and maintained multi-site connectivity — WAN, Wi-Fi, microwave links, switching, and routing — and administered Watch Guard firewalls to keep remote offices and public-safety users online.
- Administered M Daemon email for 120+ users and 250+ accounts, including DKIM/SPF/DMARC, DNS, and AWS/Gov domain management.
- Operated N-able RMM and Patch My PC for patching and lifecycle management on workstations, laptops, and servers.
- Owned Zendesk end-to-end as the only resolver; closed 5,000+ staff-originated tickets with no dedicated help desk.
- Wrote and enforced IT policy, managed vendors and contracts, and kept operations aligned with county needs and CJIS/HIPAA constraints.
- Delivered annual and remedial cybersecurity training (PII Protect) for all employees.
- Installed, configured, and supported the full hardware stack — firewalls, access points, microwave links, cameras, PCs, and servers — to limit downtime in a rural, multi-site environment.
- Current functions: Network Specialist, Computer Systems Specialist, and Computer Support Specialist (one-person IT department).
City Councilman
16 Years 11 Months- Participated in long-range municipal planning and multi-million-dollar infrastructure projects.
- Negotiated contracts with unions, contractors, vendors, and other third parties.
- Developed policy on public safety and city services and engaged regularly with constituents and civic organizations.
- Continued
911 Emergency Dispatcher
1 Year- Monitored phone and radio channels and coordinated first-responder resources in a high-stress dispatch environment.
Information Systems Technician First Class (IT1)
8 Years- Honorable discharge. Previously held Top Secret / SCI clearance.
- Supported ship and shore networks for 100+ users per site, including multi-site WAN, Wi-Fi, and microwave connectivity plus HF/UHF/VHF radio networks.
- Served as sole equipment operator in forward-deployed locations.
- Led 10+ sailors per duty station, including personnel evaluations and equipment training.
- Ship and shore assignments
Education
Bachelor of Science - Business Administration and Management
Magna cum laude
Skills
Infrastructure: WatchGuard firewalls; multi-site WAN
Wi-Fi
and microwave backhaul; switching and routing; Windows Server and workstations; security camera systems
Email & identity: MDaemon (120+ users / 250+ mailboxes); DKIM
SPF
DMARC; DNS; AWS and .gov domain registration and management; Microsoft Office
Operations: N-able RMM; Patch My PC; Zendesk ITSM (5
000+ tickets); endpoint lifecycle; remote support; vendor and contract management
Security & compliance: Network monitoring
patching
and access control; PII Protect cybersecurity training; CJIS/HIPAA-aware operations; prior TS/SCI
Leadership: One-person county IT department; staff training; city governance; union
vendor
and third-party contract negotiation
Timeline
Information Technology Director
Rosebud County
01.2010 - 08.2026Read More
City Councilman
City of Forsyth
02.2009 - 01.2026Read More
911 Emergency Dispatcher
Rosebud County
01.2009 - 01.2010Read More
Information Systems Technician First Class (IT1)
United States Navy
06.1997 - 06.2005Read More
The University of Montana
Bachelor of Science from Business Administration and Management
Read More
CIVIC & VOLUNTEER
Forsyth Chamber of Commerce; Forever Forsyth; American Legion; City of Forsyth Tree Board and Arbor Day; Forsyth Senior Center IT outreach; complimentary and discounted IT support for veterans.