MICHAEL T. LEE
College Park,MD
Summary
As leader in Information Technology in the public and private sectors supporting enterprise information technology (IT) solutions, I have experience in the design, planning, and implementation of large-scale networks. This experience has provided me with a strong understanding of the interdependencies of varying technologies such as cloud computing including Storage as a Service (StaaS), Software as a Service (SaaS) and Platform as a Service (PaaS), data and voice communications, layered IT security to protect digital assets, the administration of on-premises servers and user endpoint management, delivering robust user support to enhance overall user experiences and satisfaction, and most recently incorporating the use of artificial intelligence and data analytics in research and business processes to provide robust and strong wholistic IT service delivery.
Professional IT leader prepared to drive strategic technological initiatives and innovation. Proven track record of enhancing system efficiencies, cybersecurity, and infrastructure management. Strong focus on fostering team collaboration and aligning IT strategies with organizational goals. Adept at adapting to evolving business needs and leveraging technical expertise in areas such as network architecture, software development, and project management.
Diligent [Desired Position] with comprehensive background in overseeing IT operations and strategic planning. Successfully led cross-functional teams in implementing robust technology solutions, optimizing system performance, and enhancing cybersecurity measures. Demonstrated expertise in project management and infrastructure development, ensuring seamless integration of new technologies.
Overview
26
26
years of professional experience
Work History
Director of Information Technology
University of Maryland College of Agriculture and Natural Resources
College Park, Maryland
02.2020 - Current
- Directs Information Technology for the University of Maryland College of Agriculture and Natural Resources (AGNR), managing all aspects of the College’s Information Technology (IT) program in support of our academic, research and extension missions.
- Coordinates IT support for users located on the College Park, MD campus, eight Research and Education Centers and twenty-four county Extension offices throughout the state of Maryland.
- Cultivate campus and stakeholder partnerships to accelerate IT modernization and deliver cohesive, enterprise-level technology solutions to deliver measurable, modernized technology outcomes.
- Facilitated the development of AGNR’s IT Strategic Plan to evaluate the current state of technology for the college and develop strategic initiatives that serve as a roadmap to communicate our priorities and the alignment of resources.
- Executes enterprise-level technology adoption strategies by aligning IT initiatives with institutional priorities, building college readiness through clear communication, targeted training, and proactive customer engagement.
- Represents the college at university-wide technology meetings, nationwide higher education technology conferences, and IT leadership forums to collaborate and stay well-informed on trending technologies.
- Conduct seminars and monthly meetings with AGNR IT service providers to disseminate information on University IT initiatives and policies and provide a forum for collaborating on IT issues and solutions.
- Leverages artificial intelligence (AI) and data analytics to optimize business processes and evaluate research data to aid in decision making.
- Administration & Project Management
- Defines user requirements for modern technology, documenting, and validating the requirements, to translate business and research needs into technical specifications.
- Ensures seamless IT projects and service delivery by coordinating the collaboration and work of university and college level IT staff and contractors on the installation, acquisition, and support of IT solutions.
- Manages IT projects by defining the deliverables and tasks, planning, developing milestones, allocating and scheduling resources, monitoring project status and communicating with stakeholders and advising leadership on the project. Takes any necessary steps to mitigate project risks and correct performance shortfalls and budget overruns.
- Financial Management
- Manage a $1.2M operating budget, forecasting needs and ensuring compliance with university policies ensuring no shortfalls occur.
- Supervisory & Management Responsibilities
- Motivate, mentor, set performance goals and communicates expectations to eight staff members including system administrators, web administrators and user support/desktop specialists.
- Assigns and reviews work, monitors performance, and conducts performance reviews to award performance or take corrective personnel action, as appropriate.
- Coordinates the recruitment, screening, and selection of candidates for vacancies.
- Assesses the skill and knowledge requirements for IT personnel and recommends appropriate professional development.
Branch Chief, Network and Unified Communications
U.S. Department of Agriculture (U.S.D.A.) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS)
Riverdale, Maryland
02.2017 - 02.2020
- Served as the branch chief of the Network and Unified Communications division, directing the staff responsible for the agency’s data and voice telecommunications infrastructures, video conferencing solutions, and conference room audiovisual services.
- Served on departmental level cross-functional teams to provide technical expertise and represent the interests of the agency’s user community on USDA-wide IT initiatives.
- Leadership & Strategic Oversight
- Represented the agency and presented plans detailing recommendations to both technical and non-technical leadership and stakeholders on complex IT issues, deployments, and solutions.
- Worked closely with department and agency level IT leadership, service providers, technical staff at all levels and contractors to ensure that the agency practices a single, integrated approach to developing solutions to complex IT problems, successful IT provisioning, and customer care.
- Supervisory & Management Responsibilities
- Responsible for the direct supervision of fifteen staff members and thirteen contractors geographically dispersed throughout the United States setting performance standards and communicating expectations to subordinates. Assigned and reviewed work, monitored performance, and recommended personnel actions, as appropriate.
- Coordinated and consulted with Human Resources on Merit System principles and special hiring authorities available to successfully recruit and fill vacancies.
Branch Chief, IT Services for the Eastern Business Service Center
U.S.D.A. - Agricultural Research Service (ARS)
College Station, Texas
10.2012 - 02.2017
- Provided oversight and direction on the agency’s IT program to forty-nine research facilities. This includes guidance on the development, deployment, and maintenance of large-scale technology projects.
- Served as a key advisor to the agency’s Chief Information Officer in the planning, development, and oversight of solutions supporting ARS’s long and short-term IT strategies.
- Assisted the ARS CIO with developing internal policies for IT programs to ensure they are aligned with federal guidelines.
- Developed annual and quarterly quantitative key performance metrics and qualitative customer service surveys on the agency’s IT service delivery to monitor operational activities, identify successes and problem areas to initiate corrective action and process improvements, if necessary.
- Set performance standards, communicated expectations, and conducted performance reviews for a staff of IT Specialists.
- Financial Management
- Manages $11.2 million in IT assets, supporting more than eight hundred scientific users and two-thousand administrative and support staff.
- Reviewed, recommended modifications, and approved the agency’s research locations’ annual IT budget and spending plans, which ranged between $10,000 and $1,000,000, depending on the size, research scope, and technology requirements of a location.
Southern Plains Area (SPA) Information Technology Specialist
U.S.D.A. - Agricultural Research Service (ARS)
College Station, Texas
07.2007 - 10.2012
- Provided guidance and oversight and technical expertise on all facets of the USDA’s IT program to nineteen research locations and 8 worksites in Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, and New Mexico.
- Managed SPA IT projects from the planning and implementation stages; monitored and measured the success of these efforts. Advised SPA Management and/or the ARS CIO, as appropriate, on project status and issues; recommended or took actions to mitigate project risks and correct performance shortfalls.
- Oversaw and approved conceptual design of new IT architecture or infrastructure upgrades for remote locations and approved functional and technical specifications for the acquisition of IT hardware and software, including servers, workstations, data communications equipment, operating systems, proprietary government software, and commercial off-the-shelf software.
- Maintained inventory of $2.5 million in SPA IT assets, including the planning and budgeting for technology refreshes of hardware, software, and telecommunications systems according to ARS life-cycle management policies.
- Supervisory & Management Responsibilities
- Set performance standards and communicated expectations to subordinates. Assigned and reviewed work, monitored performance and recommended personnel actions based on performance.
- Served as the Acting Deputy Area Director for Business for the USDA ARS SPA, supervising technical and administrative staff engaged in budget and fiscal, human resources, property management, contracting and procurement, safety, health and environment management, and IT.
- Financial Management
- Established the annual SPA IT budget that included investments in technology and general needs for ongoing operations. Communicated budgetary requirements to the Director and tracked expenditures to ensure there were no financial shortfalls.
- Reviewed, provided recommendations, and approved the IT portion of the annual budget planning documents for the nineteen research locations.
Information Technology Specialist
U.S. Department of Agriculture - Agricultural Research Service (ARS)
Beltsville, Maryland
07.2002 - 07.2007
- Responsible for installing and maintaining Cisco Integrated Services routers and Catalyst switches to provide Wide Area Network and Internet connectivity for the agency’s remote locations.
- Implemented and maintained secure IPSEC LAN-to-LAN Virtual Private Network (VPN) tunnels between routers and/or firewalls across the Internet to provide remote locations access to agency resources.
- Implemented and managed network performance monitoring and analysis tools such as CiscoWorks, MRTG and SolarWinds Network Management applications.
- Networking and Telecommunications
- Responsible for installing and configuration of Cisco 2900 Integrated routers for remote research locations in the Southern Plains and Midsouth Areas of the U.S.
- Controlled network and Internet accessibility through the installation and configuration of Cisco’s Adaptive Security Appliances and PIX firewalls to protect sensitive resources against attacks or unauthorized access.
- Managed SPA’s area-wide video conferencing solution which consists of Polycom HDX9000 and HDX7000 series codecs that utilize the IP H.323 protocol or ISDN-PRI’s to establish video calls. This also included coordinating the video bridging services for SPA and administering Polycom’s RSS2000 video recorder and video streaming server.
- Installed and configured Windows 20082003 Active Directory Servers with SCSI Hard Drive arrays that utilize RAID 7 fault tolerance. Configured networking services such as Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP), Windows Internet Name Service (WINS), Domain Name Service (DNS) and Symantec Endpoint Protection Manager to manage Endpoint Protection antivirus client policies, scans, and updates.
- Created Active Directory local user and group accounts while ensuring the integrity of network security, using file and share level permissions. Configured email accounts on the agency-wide Electronic Messaging System utilizing Exchange 2010 server using the ADManager plus Portal.
- Maintained file level backups using Symantec’s BackupExec 2010 and system state backups for quick recovery of workstations and servers using Symantec’s System Recovery2010.
- Information Security
- Served as SPA’s IT Security Officer on information security issues such as security risk assessments, security solutions to include hard drive encryption, patch management, vulnerability mitigation, incident responses, user training on the protection of electronic resources, and the assisted in the development of security policies.
Network Engineer
Intel Corporation
Chantilly, Virginia
12.1999 - 07.2002
- As a Level III Network Engineer supporting the Network Operations Center, served as the point of escalation for all layer 2 (switching) and layer 3 (routing) issues. Responsible for the installation and troubleshooting of the data center’s Cisco’s Catalyst 6500 and 4000 series switches and Cisco’s 7200 series routers.
- Proactively monitored network traffic/packets to forecast network capacity and ensure delivery of business-critical data across the network using the Multiple Router Traffic Grapher (MRTG) and Tivoli-Netview.
- Coordinated and managed the data center’s cabling plant, which involved the installation and validation of twisted pair and fiber optic cabling.
- Project Management
- Responsible for designing the telecommunication network infrastructure, preparing network diagrams, and writing reports detailing the architecture, cabling scheme, hardware, and rollout schedule for the consolidated agency-wide network services implementation.
- Examined the costs and feasibility of various IT solution options and conducted oral and written presentations of my findings and proposals to agency leadership.
- Coordinated the acquisition of telecommunication equipment for the data network and implementation of new and upgraded networking services.
- Information Security
- Controlled network and Internet accessibility using Cisco’s Pix firewalls to protect sensitive resources against attacks or unauthorized access.
- Examined Intrusion Detection System (IDS) reports and firewall logs to investigate incidents where internal IT resources had been compromised to determine if the agency IT usage policies and Federal Laws had been violated while providing detailed incident response reports to document the events.
- Performed audits of the agency’s IT resources to determine if network safeguards were being properly implemented to protect the agency’s information resources.
- Change Management
- Conducted reviews of proposed network changes and documented the level of risk for planned and emergency changes to support the agency’s change control process to ensure network availability.
Education
Master of Business Administration -
University of Maryland Global Campus (UMGC)
College ParkBachelor of Science - Business/Management
University of Maryland Global Campus (UMGC)
College ParkCertificate - Artificial Intelligence and Career Empowerment
University of Maryland Smith School of Business
College ParkIntroduction - Data Science Landscape
University of Maryland Smith School of Business
College ParkProject Management Simplified - undefined
University of Maryland LinkedIn Learning
Skills
- Technical support management
- IT infrastructure management
- IT asset management
- IT compliance
- Network administration
- IT risk management
Section name
- Information Technology Leadership
- Partnership Stakeholder Engagement & Development
- Information Technology Governance
- Customer Experience & Service Delivery Optimization
- Strategic Planning and Organizational Readiness
- Budgeting, Forecasting & Financial Stewardship
- Workforce Planning & Performance Management
- Project Management
- Enterprise-wide Unified Communications Services
- Artificial Intelligence and Data Analytics
Timeline
Director of Information Technology
University of Maryland College of Agriculture and Natural Resources
02.2020 - Current
Branch Chief, Network and Unified Communications
U.S. Department of Agriculture (U.S.D.A.) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS)
02.2017 - 02.2020
Branch Chief, IT Services for the Eastern Business Service Center
U.S.D.A. - Agricultural Research Service (ARS)
10.2012 - 02.2017
Southern Plains Area (SPA) Information Technology Specialist
U.S.D.A. - Agricultural Research Service (ARS)
07.2007 - 10.2012
Information Technology Specialist
U.S. Department of Agriculture - Agricultural Research Service (ARS)
07.2002 - 07.2007
Network Engineer
Intel Corporation
12.1999 - 07.2002
Project Management Simplified - undefined
University of Maryland LinkedIn Learning
Master of Business Administration -
University of Maryland Global Campus (UMGC)
Bachelor of Science - Business/Management
University of Maryland Global Campus (UMGC)
Certificate - Artificial Intelligence and Career Empowerment
University of Maryland Smith School of Business
Introduction - Data Science Landscape
University of Maryland Smith School of Business