Thomas Comerford
Project Manager
Poughkeepsie
Summary
Dynamic IT leader with over 25+ years of progressive experience managing high-impact network & infrastructure projects in mission-critical environments, including public safety & Fortune 500 enterprises. Expertise in strategic forecasting, budgeting & resource allocation for IT initiatives, consistently delivering projects under budget while forecasting demands to scale operations efficiently & mitigate risks. Proven track record in leading cross-functional teams to reduce downtime, optimize costs through proactive architectural improvements & align technical deployments with organizational goals. Seeking leadership roles to drive innovative IT strategies, foster team excellence & ensure fiscal responsibility in fast-paced, dynamic settings.
Overview
26
26
years of professional experience
Work History
IT Operations Manager
Town Of Poughkeepsie
03.2016 - Current
- Direct the installation, maintenance & optimization of IT infrastructure for a 24/7/365 public safety organization serving more than 45,000 residents, ensuring uninterrupted support for mission-critical operations.
- Spearheaded the end-to-end project management of migrating Computer Aided Dispatch (CAD), Records Management System (RMS) & Mobile environments to New World Systems as part of County-wide shared-services, resulting in streamlined operations and cost efficiencies.
- Lead multiple high-impact infrastructure upgrade projects, including the planning, budgeting & execution of Windows 10/11 enterprise-wide migrations, server upgrades, Endpoint Detection & Response (EDR) implementation & next-generation firewall upgrades, minimizing downtime & enhancing security posture. Managed transition from legacy on-premise evidence management system to Axon cloud-based solution.
- Oversees daily IT operations, including vendor management, endpoint protection, firewall administration, hardware procurement & upgrades & legacy application maintenance, while implementing proactive monitoring to achieve maximum uptime.
- Performed configuration and troubleshooting of Cisco & Sonicwall routing/switching platforms.
- Managed vendor relationships, resulting in cost-effective solutions for hardware and software purchases.
Service Availability Manager
IBM
12.2008 - 08.2015
- Orchestrated recovery efforts for critical outages affecting Fortune 500 clients across Windows, Unix, Linux, Mainframe, web, and network platforms, mitigating business impacts through rapid root-cause analysis and remediation.
- Managed diverse, geographically distributed teams in executing IBM's Standard Recovery Management Process, delivering executive-level communications on recovery status, timelines, and preventive action plans during high-stakes incidents.
- Enhanced organizational resilience by identifying process and architectural improvements, reducing recurrence rates of outages by 25% through targeted recommendations and implementations.
- Fostered clear communication and direction in high-pressure environments, ensuring alignment across technical and business stakeholders.
- Led cross-functional teams to enhance service availability processes, resulting in improved system uptime and user satisfaction.
- Implemented incident management protocols, streamlining response times and reducing service interruptions for critical services.
- Coordinated with IT teams to drive root cause analysis, effectively preventing recurring service availability issues and improving system reliability.
- Developed and maintained service level agreements (SLAs), ensuring alignment with business objectives and accountability across service delivery teams.
Information System Specialist
IBM Global Services
01.2000 - 01.2008
- Delivered Level 1 and 2 technical support to end-users across the US and Canada for clients in financial services and automotive sectors, resolving issues with minimal disruption and achieving high customer satisfaction scores.
- Developed comprehensive technical documentation, including user guides and technician training materials, to standardize support processes and accelerate knowledge transfer.
Education
BS - Communications
SUNY College @ Fredonia
Computer Science
Pace University
Certificate of Technical Studies - Certificate Cyber Seucurity
Marist College
Poughkeepsie, NY 05.2001 -
Skills
IT infrastructure management
Project management
Vendor management
Endpoint protection
Firewall administration
Incident management
Technical documentation
Cost optimization
Timeline
IT Operations Manager
Town Of Poughkeepsie
03.2016 - Current
Service Availability Manager
IBM
12.2008 - 08.2015
Certificate of Technical Studies - Certificate Cyber Seucurity
Marist College
05.2001 -
Information System Specialist
IBM Global Services
01.2000 - 01.2008
Computer Science
Pace University
BS - Communications
SUNY College @ Fredonia