Colter Bell
Rockville,MD
Summary
Seasoned technology professional with over 20 years of experience in IT infrastructure, automation, and leadership roles. Proven expertise in designing and implementing scalable solutions, optimizing global operations, and driving cost efficiencies for complex enterprise environments. Adept at mentoring diverse teams, managing multimillion-dollar budgets, and leveraging emerging technologies to deliver business value and operational excellence. Accomplished in fostering collaboration across global teams and aligning technology strategies with organizational goals.
Overview
24
24
years of professional experience
1
1
Certificate
Work History
Associate Director Infrastructure and Automation
DAI Global, LLC
03.2020 - Current
- Define and implement multi-year technology roadmaps for on-premises and cloud-based infrastructure.
- Evaluate emerging technologies, tools, and frameworks to enhance availability, performance, and cost-efficiency.
- Implement configuration management via Azure DevOps, CI/CD pipelines, and scripting solutions to reduce manual tasks and improve system consistency.
- Establish monitoring, alerting, and logging frameworks (e.g., PRTG, Azure Log Analytics Workspace, Rapid 7 SIEM) to ensure proactive identification and resolution of issues.
- Oversee day-to-day operations of servers, networks, storage, and cloud resources.
- Optimize backup, disaster recovery, and business continuity plans to ensure 24/7 reliability of critical systems.
- Develop policies, procedures, and SLAs to maintain service quality and compliance with industry standards.
- Lead, mentor, and develop a team of infrastructure engineers, system administrators, and automation specialists.
- Set performance goals, conduct regular performance reviews, and champion professional growth through training and certifications.
- Collaborate with the Security and Compliance teams to enforce robust security controls, encryption, access management, and vulnerability remediation.
- Ensure adherence to relevant regulatory requirements (e.g., HIPAA, PCI-DSS, GDPR) and industry best practices.
- Manage vendor relationships, including negotiating contracts, evaluating SLA performance, and ensuring timely resolution of support issues.
- Develop and track the annual infrastructure and automation budget, identifying opportunities for cost optimization.
- Work closely with business stakeholders to understand operational needs, communicate technical solutions, and support strategic initiatives.
Principal Infrastructure Engineer
DAI Global, LLC
03.2015 - 03.2020
- Lead the architectural design and engineering efforts for servers, network, storage, virtualization platforms, and cloud infrastructure.
- Evaluate emerging technologies, tools, and methodologies to continually improve infrastructure performance and cost-effectiveness.
- Oversee installation, configuration, and patching of operating systems (Windows, Linux) and related software.
- Manage virtualization platforms (e.g., VMware, Hyper-V) and optimize resource allocation to ensure maximum system uptime and performance.
- Implement backup, recovery, and disaster recovery procedures for critical systems.
- Identify and implement process improvements, automation, and monitoring solutions to reduce manual workloads and increase operational efficiency.
- Serve as a top-tier technical expert, providing guidance and mentorship to junior and mid-level administrators.
- Participate in architectural review boards, providing insights and recommendations that influence overall IT strategy.
- Work closely with Application Development, Network, SRE/DevOps, and Project Management teams to ensure smooth integration, deployment, and support of applications and services.
Senior Infrastructure Engineer
DAI Global, LLC
01.2010 - 03.2015
- Managed on-premises and cloud-based global IT infrastructure supporting over 90 sites in 53 countries, including servers, storage (SAN), VMware, VoIP, and advanced networking systems.
- Designed and implemented new datacenters and network architectures (LAN/WAN), including power, fiber optics, Cisco mesh topologies, wireless access points, SonicWall firewalls, and BGP redundancy, significantly improving uptime and reducing costs.
- Led initiatives to migrate critical systems and VPN connections to cloud environments (AWS) and hosting facilities, cutting annual costs by millions and increasing reliability.
- Deployed comprehensive monitoring solutions (Splunk, Netwrix) and upgraded VMware infrastructure (3.5 to 4.1 to 5.1) to enhance system visibility, stability, and performance.
- Planned and executed storage optimization strategies, including tiered storage and data archiving solutions, reducing operational expenses by over $100,000 annually.
- Oversaw the implementation of Cisco TelePresence and corporate Wi-Fi (Cisco/SonicWall) solutions, improving global collaboration and connectivity for 500+ users.
- Trained junior team members in VMware, SAN, VoIP, and networking best practices, and collaborated with government agencies to meet technical requirements for new datacenters and large-scale infrastructure projects.
Systems Administrator
Townsend and Townsend, LLP
07.2007 - 01.2010
- Built out a new Washington DC satellite office, delivering comprehensive IT services for 25 attorneys and support staff from initial setup to ongoing administration.
- Provided Tier 3 support across eight offices, leading major IT initiatives and serving as a key administrator for the DC location.
- Led projects involving enterprise patching and security (HP firmware/software updates, Microsoft WSUS patching, McAfee AV, Symantec Endpoint Protection) and AD management tools (ManageEngine).
- Performed advanced network administration tasks including Cisco device backups, syslog monitoring, and network configuration changes.
- Planned, deployed, and maintained Microsoft Exchange 2003 servers and implemented HP iLO for remote server management across 160+ servers.
- Developed and enforced Active Directory security policies, following Microsoft best practices.
- Monitored server lifecycles, tracked warranties, and managed server migrations and decommissions.
- Administered Cisco VoIP solutions and managed enterprise-level backups with Commvault.
Junior Systems Administrator
Kenyon and Kenyon, LLP
01.2006 - 07.2007
- Oversaw all aspects of network and application operations for an enterprise environment.
- Maintained and enforced Active Directory policies and operations.
- Administered clustered Microsoft Exchange 2003 servers for improved email reliability and performance.
- Conducted quarterly security assessments at network and physical layers using various security tools.
- Managed BlackBerry Enterprise Server and provided device-level troubleshooting and support.
- Served as Tier 3 escalation point for network, hardware, and software issues, logging progress in Track-It.
- Trained help desk staff to enhance technical proficiency and service quality.
- Designed and implemented the enterprise backup strategy, including offsite data storage rotations.
Help Desk Engineer
Stafford County Government IT Department
06.2001 - 01.2006
- Diagnose and resolve hardware, software, and network problems (e.g., PC setup, password resets, printer connectivity) within established Service Level Agreements (SLAs).
- Provide clear, empathetic communication when assisting end-users, guiding them through technical steps and best practices to prevent recurring issues.
- Install, configure, and maintain desktops, laptops, mobile devices, printers, and other peripherals according to company standards.
- Manage user accounts, permissions, and access controls in Active Directory, email systems, and other enterprise applications, ensuring compliance with security policies.
- Maintain accurate documentation of common solutions, known issues, and IT procedures. Update knowledge base articles and FAQ resources to improve self-service support options.
- Work closely with Tier 2/3 support engineers, system administrators, and network engineers, escalating complex issues as needed and following through to resolution.
Education
MBA - Information Technology
University of Mary Washington
Fredericksburg, VA05.2007
Bachelor of Science - Information Technology
George Mason University
Fairfax, VA05.2005
Skills
- Cloud Hyperscalers Azure and AWS
- SCIM
- Disaster Recovery
- Load Balancing
- PRTG
- Azure DevOps CI/CD
- O365 Security
- VTC Room Design and Implementation
- Call Manager
- VMware / HyperV
- Entra ID and Active Directory
- API Management
- Powershell Scripting
- SAP CPI Integrations
- Cisco and Meraki Networking
- 3PAR SAN Administration
- InTune
- Cloud Security
- MFA / SSO
- Agile Project Management in Azure DevOps
- Azure AI General Intelligence chatbox building
- RADIUS
- Commvault on-prem and cloud backup
- Network Engineering and Security
Certification
CCNA
CCNP
Timeline
Associate Director Infrastructure and Automation
DAI Global, LLC
03.2020 - Current
Principal Infrastructure Engineer
DAI Global, LLC
03.2015 - 03.2020
Senior Infrastructure Engineer
DAI Global, LLC
01.2010 - 03.2015
Systems Administrator
Townsend and Townsend, LLP
07.2007 - 01.2010
Junior Systems Administrator
Kenyon and Kenyon, LLP
01.2006 - 07.2007
Help Desk Engineer
Stafford County Government IT Department
06.2001 - 01.2006
CCNA
CCNP
MBA - Information Technology
University of Mary Washington
Bachelor of Science - Information Technology
George Mason University
Similar Profiles
Emily OrdwayEmily Ordway
Principal Proposal Recruiter at DAI Global Inc.Principal Proposal Recruiter at DAI Global Inc.
Dillon Dexter ClarkeDillon Dexter Clarke
Private Sector Engagement Advisor at DAI Global IncPrivate Sector Engagement Advisor at DAI Global Inc
Abdul Nasir RaufAbdul Nasir Rauf
Senior Finance Officer at DAI Global, Bethesda, MDSenior Finance Officer at DAI Global, Bethesda, MD