RUSSELL GADSDEN, DBA CISM PMP
Tarboro,NC
Summary
Director of technology operations and cybersecurity leader with 15+ years of experience managing enterprise IT, infrastructure, security, risk, and compliance in highly regulated, mission-critical environments. Proven ability to improve operational resilience, resolve complex technology issues, strengthen access and security controls, and develop technical teams supporting 500+ users. Brings a business-focused approach to technology operations, combining infrastructure expertise with cybersecurity, cloud, governance, and risk management.
Overview
1
1
Certification
20
20
years of professional experience
Work History
Director of Information Technology | Information Security Officer
United States Army
07.2014 - Current
- Directed RMF compliance, security assessments, cybersecurity reporting, Zero Trust Architecture, HIPAA, HITECH, PHI Protection, and technology risk activities supporting Department of Defense information systems.
- Advised command leadership on cybersecurity governance, compliance strategy, technology risk, operational resilience, and remediation priorities.
- Conducted enterprise risk assessments and vulnerability analyses and developed risk-based remediation strategies aligned with NIST SP 800-53 and RMF requirements.
- Coordinated continuous monitoring, incident response, security awareness, compliance initiatives, IAM, SSO, MFA, and risk mitigation activities to strengthen cybersecurity resilience.
- Investigated and coordinated resolution of technology and cybersecurity incidents, escalating issues appropriately and supporting timely restoration of secure operations.
- Improved security and technology processes through standardized controls, continuous monitoring, remediation tracking, endpoint management, mobile device management and operational risk management.
- Collaborated with technical teams and organizational stakeholders to translate security, infrastructure, and compliance requirements into practical operational solutions.
- Mentored technical personnel and supported team development through knowledge transfer, cybersecurity awareness, and professional development initiatives.
Information Technology Specialist / IT Manager / Information Security Officer
United States Army
05.2011 - 07.2014
- Strengthened enterprise technology operations through continuous monitoring, HIPAA, HITECH, DISA STIG, ACAS, HBSS compliance, patch management, security-control validation, and infrastructure hardening.
- Managed vulnerability assessment and remediation using MS Defender, Microsoft Intune, DoD enterprise mobility solutions, RBAC, ACAS, Nessus, and Greenbone, applying risk-based prioritization to reduce security exposure.
- Supported secure cloud and hybrid environments by applying AWS security principles and enterprise security engineering practices to technology operations.
- Coordinated technical remediation activities across infrastructure and security functions, ensuring issues were prioritized, tracked, and resolved according to operational and security requirements.
- Led cybersecurity awareness training, technical mentoring, and compliance education initiatives that improved workforce readiness and strengthened security culture.
- Developed and communicated technical, security, and compliance information for leadership, supporting decisions regarding operational risk, CAC/PKI, technology priorities, and resource requirements.
- Contributed to process-improvement initiatives designed to standardize technology operations, asset management, improve control effectiveness, and increase organizational readiness.
Information Security Officer / IT Manager / IT Specialist / System Administrator
United States Army
05.2006 - 05.2011
- Administered secure Windows and Linux enterprise environments supporting 500+ users across critical operations.
- Managed Active Directory, Group Policy, CAC/PKI, privileged access, user accounts, and least-privilege controls to strengthen identity and access management.
- Coordinated user provisioning, account administration, access management, and access-control processes in accordance with organizational security requirements.
- Resolved Tier II/III infrastructure incidents involving operating systems, applications, networks, authentication, endpoint security, and enterprise systems.
- Implemented Microsoft Defender, Trellix/McAfee, SIEM monitoring, IDS/IPS, vulnerability-management capabilities, and endpoint security controls to improve enterprise security visibility and resilience.
- Performed system hardening, configuration validation, patch management, and security remediation to improve system availability, reliability, and security posture.
- Collaborated across technical teams to troubleshoot infrastructure issues, identify root causes, implement corrective actions, and minimize operational disruption.
- Supported technology system configuration, deployment, maintenance, troubleshooting, and retirement.
- Provided technical guidance and support to users and IT personnel while maintaining a strong focus on customer service, operational continuity, and secure technology delivery.
Education
Doctor of Business Administration - Information Technology
South College
Master of Science - Information Technology
University of Arkansas Grantham
Bachelor of Science - Cybersecurity
EC-Council University
Skills
- Director of Technology Operations
- IT Strategy & Governance
- Enterprise Infrastructure
- Cybersecurity Governance
- Incident & Problem Management
- Process Optimization
- Service Reliability
- Technology Risk Management
- Mentorship
- NIST RMF
- SP 800-53
- CSF
- Vulnerability Management
- Continuous Monitoring
- Identity & Access Management
- Active Directory
- Group Policy
- Cloud Security
- AWS
- Infrastructure Security
- Technical Team Leadership
- Regulatory Compliance
- DISA STIG Compliance
- Security Engineering
- Stakeholder Management
- Team Development
Featured Skills And Areas Of Expertise
- Director of Technology Operations
- IT Strategy & Governance
- Enterprise Infrastructure
- Cybersecurity Governance
- Incident & Problem Management
- Process Optimization
- Service Reliability
- Technology Risk Management
- Mentorship
- NIST RMF, SP 800-53 & CSF
- Vulnerability Management
- Continuous Monitoring
- Identity & Access Management
- Active Directory & Group Policy
- Cloud Security & AWS
- Infrastructure Security
- Technical Team Leadership
- Regulatory Compliance
- DISA STIG Compliance
- Security Engineering
- Stakeholder Management
- Team Development
Certification
- Certified Information Security Manager – CISM
- Microsoft Cybersecurity Architect Expert
- CompTIA Security+
- CompTIA Network+
- CompTIA Linux+
- Jamf Certified Associate – Jamf Pro
- AWS Certified Security – Specialty
- Project Management Professional – PMP
- MS Identity & Access Administrator Associate
- Certified Ethical Hacker - CEH
Professional Highlights
- Technology Operations Leadership: Directed enterprise IT, infrastructure, cybersecurity, and compliance initiatives, aligning technical operations with organizational priorities, risk objectives, and service reliability.
- Infrastructure & Incident Management: Administered secure Windows and Linux environments supporting 500+ users; resolved Tier II/III incidents, coordinated technical troubleshooting, and restored reliable operations across systems, endpoints, authentication, and networks.
- Process Optimization & Resilience: Improved technology processes through standardization, continuous monitoring, risk-based remediation, and control validation, strengthening operational consistency, accountability, and resilience.
- Identity & Access Management: Managed Active Directory, Group Policy, privileged access, user provisioning, and least-privilege controls, maintaining secure and efficient access across enterprise environments.
- Cybersecurity & Compliance: Led RMF activities, security assessments, vulnerability management, continuous monitoring, and compliance reporting aligned with NIST SP 800-53, NIST RMF, NIST CSF, and DISA STIG.
- Security & Cloud Operations: Leveraged MS Defender, SIEM, IDS/IPS, ACAS, Nessus, Greenbone, Splunk, SolarWinds and AWS security practices to strengthen threat visibility, vulnerability remediation, system hardening, and enterprise resilience.
- Leadership & Stakeholder Engagement: Advised senior leaders on technology risk, Zero Trust Architecture, and operational priorities while mentoring technical personnel, coordinating cross-functional initiatives, and translating complex technical issues into actionable business decisions.
Timeline
Director of Information Technology | Information Security Officer
United States Army
07.2014 - Current
Information Technology Specialist / IT Manager / Information Security Officer
United States Army
05.2011 - 07.2014
Information Security Officer / IT Manager / IT Specialist / System Administrator
United States Army
05.2006 - 05.2011
Bachelor of Science - Cybersecurity
EC-Council University
Master of Science - Information Technology
University of Arkansas Grantham
Doctor of Business Administration - Information Technology
South College