JASON BARTHEL
Davis,IL
Summary
Highly experienced Chief Information Officer (CIO) with over 25 years in IT leadership across education, local government, and the private sector. Proven track record in developing and executing strategic technology plans that prioritize IT Security, regulatory compliance, and organizational alignment. Expert in driving digital transformation, leading crisis response, and modernizing critical infrastructure, including overseeing a $23.7 million division budget across six departments. Demonstrated ability to manage complex projects, mentor large teams, and implement continuous improvement methodologies aligned to core organizational values.
Overview
18
18
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification
Work History
Chief Information Officer (CIO)
Rockford Public School District
05.2020 - Current
- Directed strategic technology planning and execution for the third-largest school district in Illinois, ensuring alignment with Board policies and the organization's mission and goals.
- Led the recovery effort following a 2019 ransomware attack and subsequently restructured the department, creating a dedicated IT Security focus team and establishing a comprehensive NIST-aligned cybersecurity framework.
- Managed the modernization of core data center infrastructure to meet Tier 3/4 enterprise standards, which significantly improved reliability, security, and capacity for future technologies, including Artificial Intelligence (AI).
- Co-submitted the DMG PRISM Proposal ($150,000) to the Board of Education for a district-wide initiatives inventory and Academic Return on Investment (AROI) analysis, strategically preparing the organization for budget realignment.
- Implemented advanced physical security measures, including the Evolv AI weapons detection system across five high school locations (18 systems), resulting in a reported reduction of weapon violations from 31 to 7.
- Introduced student-focused technology like SmartPass (digital ID and hall pass) to streamline extracurricular access and maximize instructional time by enhancing transparency in student movement.
- Oversees Cabinet-level departments that include the Directors of IT/IS Security, Educational Technology, Information Services, Technology Services, Security Services, and Continuous Improvement & Accountability with a combined employee count of 69 employees and 85 contracted staff.
- Established a cross-functional AI Policy Steering Committee to develop governance standards and ethical guidelines for the use of generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) in both instructional and administrative operations, ensuring adherence to data privacy and alignment with district values and strategic technology planning.
- Directed the planning and policy development necessary to strategically implement new AI-based tools across the public education environment, leveraging the ongoing infrastructure modernization effort to ensure that the district is prepared for emerging educational technologies including Artificial Intelligence.
Executive Director of Technology
Rockford Public School District
08.2018 - 05.2020
- Managed a total technology staff of 46 employees, providing technology support to approximately 30,000 students and 4,500 staff.
- Oversaw all district technology operations impacted by academics, finance, human resources, and operational needs.
- Established a data-driven system of continuous improvement for customer service, specifically targeting enhancements in help desk ticket resolution, device maintenance, and data integration.
- Maintained collaborative relationships with central office departments, ensuring high standards for data integrity, data privacy, and accurate data reporting.
- Conducted performance evaluations and managed project execution for complex, long-term initiatives aligned with the district's strategic plan.
Technology Solutions Manager
Montel Technologies
04.2017 - 08.2018
- Oversaw and designed technology projects, managed customer relationships, and successfully responded to competitive bids.
- Managed the implementation team across multiple concurrent projects, adhering to project management disciplines to ensure timely and on-budget delivery.
- Integrated ITIL and project management principles to improve the structure and organization of a growing company.
- Notable Projects: Planned, designed, and secured bids for access control and enterprise CCTV at two large utility company sites; successfully managed a CCTV project of over 500 cameras for General Mitchell International Airport and Rockford International Airport.
Manager of IT Integration
Public Safety Winnebago County Department of Information Technology
03.2013 - 04.2017
- Managed multiple large, complex, and global IT programs, developing scopes, defining budgets, and scheduling.
- Acted as the primary client contact, performing ongoing review of program status, identifying risks, and implementing risk mitigation solutions.
- Managed the selection, training, and performance evaluation of assigned personnel, motivating and rewarding employees within allocated budgets.
- Balanced resources (people, budget, material, and time) to optimize program objectives.
Lead IT Integrator
Winnebago County Department of Information Technology
10.2008 - 02.2013
- Responsible for the overall design, implementation, and maintenance of the County's personal computers, servers, and software infrastructure.
- Key areas of responsibility included Active Directory (DNS, Forest, Domain Trusts, Security), MS Exchange redundancy, Linux, antivirus, data backup/recovery, and utilizing NAS and SAN technology.
- Gained enterprise perspective, making design recommendations for key infrastructure components.
PC/Server Specialist
Winnebago County Department of Information Technology
10.2007 - 10.2008
- Maintained and modified a Mitel 3300 VoIP infrastructure supporting over 1,200 phones.
- Conducted daily troubleshooting on 2,500 network articles and related peripherals.
- Administered image creation, application, maintenance, and deployment for Winnebago County computers.
Education
Master of Business Administration (MBA) -
Liberty University
Lynchburg, VA08.2016
Master of Information Technology - Project Management
American InterContinental University
Hoffman Estates, IL02.2011
Bachelor of Information Technology - Computer Forensics
American InterContinental University
Hoffman Estates, IL03.2010
Associate of Arts - Business Administration-Information Systems
American InterContinental University
Hoffman Estates, IL08.2008
Skills
- Strategic Leadership & Governance
- Cybersecurity & Risk Management
- IT Operations & Infrastructure
- Project & Process Improvement
- Executive Management
- NIST Framework implementation
- System Architecture & Design
- Certified Project Manager (CPM)
- Organizational Strategy
- Information Security/IT Security
- Network Administration (Cisco, LAN, WAN)
- ITIL v3 Service Management
- Strategic Planning & Alignment
- Disaster Recovery/Business Continuity
- Virtualization (VMWare, Hyper-V)
- Continuous Improvement/PDSA
- Budget Planning & Forecasting
- Data Security & Regulatory Compliance
- Microsoft Server & Exchange
- Change Management
- Financial Acumen & Vendor Management
- Multi-factor Authentication (MFA)
- Active Directory & Identity Management
- Requirements Analysis
- Team & Executive-level Management
- Firewall Management
- Cloud Systems (AWS, Azure, GCP)
- Stakeholder Management
Certification
- Certified Project Manager (CPM) | March 2015 – Present
- ITIL v3 | March 2017 – Present
- Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) | In Progress (Anticipated June 30, 2026)
- Microsoft Certified Professional (MCP)
- Microsoft Certified IT Professional (MCITP)
- Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist (MCTS)
- Amateur Radio Technician License
PUBLICATIONS & AFFILIATIONS
- Panduit Case Study Contributor: Featured in the case study "Rockford Public Schools: Modernizing Their Data Center Infrastructure to Enhance Education," detailing the move to Tier 3/4 standards, NIST alignment following a 2019 ransomware attack, and preparation for future technologies like AI
- Ed Tech Magazine Contributor: Article featured in May 2020: "Hard Lessons from Ransomware Attacks Inform Tech Strategies," documenting the district's ransomware recovery and adoption of the NIST cybersecurity framework.
- CoSN (Consortium for School Networking) | January 2020 – Present
- IETL (Illinois Education Technology Leaders) | January 2020 – Present
- OpSecEdu (Grassroots security community supporting EdTech) | January 2020 – Present
- American Legion & VFW (Veterans of Foreign Wars)
MILITARY SERVICE
- U.S. Army – Signal Corps | August 2000 – November 2007 (Rank: Staff Sergeant E-6)
- Forward Signal Support NCO: Planned, supervised, and integrated the installation, operation, and maintenance of Signal support systems, including radio, wire, and battlefield automated systems.
- Responsible for training personnel in the installation, operation, and maintenance of SINGARS, ASIP, and BFT Command and Control systems.
Timeline
Chief Information Officer (CIO)
Rockford Public School District
05.2020 - Current
Executive Director of Technology
Rockford Public School District
08.2018 - 05.2020
Technology Solutions Manager
Montel Technologies
04.2017 - 08.2018
Manager of IT Integration
Public Safety Winnebago County Department of Information Technology
03.2013 - 04.2017
Lead IT Integrator
Winnebago County Department of Information Technology
10.2008 - 02.2013
PC/Server Specialist
Winnebago County Department of Information Technology
10.2007 - 10.2008
Master of Information Technology - Project Management
American InterContinental University
Bachelor of Information Technology - Computer Forensics
American InterContinental University
Associate of Arts - Business Administration-Information Systems
American InterContinental University
Master of Business Administration (MBA) -
Liberty University