Biography

Mark is a highly accomplished, senior technology executive in both public and private sector with international and healthcare experience leading technology and information security teams and transformation. He has significant experience building and leading IT organizations; including hiring/growing talent, establishing appropriate processes and governance, creating multi-year technology investment road maps aligned to enable business strategies, leaning, and optimizing IT operations, IT outsourcing and improving customer satisfaction around IT services. He has a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from California State University Chico and a Master’s in Information Systems from the University of Phoenix.

About

As the senior technology executive for Kern County, Mark leads a diverse group of professionals across multiple disciplines to support 40 Kern County Departments including Public Health, Human Services, Probation, District Attorney, Board of Supervisors, and many others. In this role, he is responsible for setting the vision and strategy for technology while ensuring confidentiality, integrity, and availability of Kern County data.

Biography

• 25 years of IT Experience with Kern County
• Bachelor's in Business Administration with concentration in Management Information Systems
• CSAC (various), Microsoft (various), Lean Six Sigma, CCSA Certifications
• County experience consists of all 25 years with ITS in various IT roles from desktop, compute/storage, telephony, server, network support and various IT managerial roles

About

The Assistant Chief Information Technology Officer oversees the Administrative and Fiscal Service as well as the Project Management Office. Assists the Chief Information Technology Officer in managing, coordinating, and directing the activities of the department.

Team Functions

Administrative and Fiscal Service

The Business Office is primarily responsible for various activities related to processing, compliance and reporting on procuring goods and services, accounts payable and invoicing, various vendor services and labor billing, payroll, cost allocations budget development and monitoring (to include position control management), problem resolutions related to all payables and billing, coordinating Board approved requests relating to purchases.

Project Management Office

The Project Management Office oversees and maintains the implementation of Project Management Standards across the department.

Biography

• 25+ Years of IT Experience with Kern County
• Microsoft Certified Professional
• County experience consists of 25 years with Kern County Department of Human Services in various roles from desktop technician and network administrator to Technology Services Manager and the remainder of his County experience with ITS

About the Group

The Infrastructure Group comprises four distinct pillars: network management, storage administration, server operations, and telecommunications. These pillars are tasked with various responsibilities critical to maintaining the seamless functioning of the County's IT ecosystem.

Team Functions

Network Management

• Network Planning and Design: To meet current and future needs, design, implement, and maintain the organization's network infrastructure
• Network Monitoring: Continuously monitor network performance, security, and availability to identify and resolve issues promptly
• Security Management: Implement and manage network security measures such as firewalls, intrusion detection/prevention systems, and VPNs
• Bandwidth Management: Ensure optimal network bandwidth utilization and plan for capacity upgrades as necessary
• Network Documentation: Maintain detailed network documentation, including configurations, diagrams, and inventory

Storage Management

• Storage Planning: Assess storage requirements, plan for capacity, and select appropriate storage solutions (e.g., SAN, NAS)
• Data Backup and Recovery: Implement and manage data backup strategies and disaster recovery plans to safeguard critical data
• Storage Provisioning: Allocate storage resources to servers and applications as needed
• Storage Performance Optimization: Monitor storage performance and optimize storage systems for efficiency
• Data Lifecycle Management: Define data retention policies, archiving strategies, and data disposal procedures

Server Administration

• Server Deployment Provision and deploy physical and virtual servers according to organizational needs
• Server Monitoring: Monitor server health, performance, and resource utilization to detect and address issues
• Operating System Maintenance: Ensure servers have up-to-date operating systems and patches and manage server configurations
• Security Management: Implement server security measures, including access controls, antivirus software, and intrusion detection systems
• User Account Management: Create, modify, and deactivate user accounts and manage permissions and access control

Telecommunication

• Telephony Systems: Manage phone systems (PBX, VoIP) and associated hardware and software
• Video Conferencing: Support video conferencing systems and ensure they are reliable and secure
• Security Management: Implement and manage network security measures such as firewalls, intrusion detection/prevention systems, and VPNs
• Network Connectivity: Ensure reliable and high-quality voice and video communication network connectivity
• Telecommunication Security: Implement security measures to protect telecommunication systems from threats and unauthorized access

Biography

• Extensive leadership experience in public sector and higher education technology at California State University, Bakersfield, and the Kern County Superintendent of Schools.
• Experienced in IT strategy, service management, infrastructure modernization, and organizational transformation.
• U.S. Marine Corps veteran with a strong commitment to teamwork, accountability, and public service.
• Holds a Master of Public Administration from California State University, Bakersfield, and a Bachelor of Science in Business Management from the University of Phoenix.

About the Group

The Operations Group is structured into three operational teams to efficiently address the County's technical needs. The helpdesk handles initial queries and common issues like password resets and basic software troubleshooting. The End Point/Projects team takes on more complex tasks such as system optimizations, and hardware configurations. The End Point Management team handles all end point device deployments. Each team is strategically structured to expedite resolution for service requests and service incidents. To request assistance from the help desk, please enter a ticket at https://support.kerncounty.com or call (661) 868-2200.

Team Functions

Help Desk

• Function: Help Desk serves as the initial point of contact and frontline for our desktop support. This team aims to quickly resolve fundamental and commonly occurring desktop issues to minimize disruptions.
• Areas of Responsibility (not exhaustive):
  • Password resets
  • Basic software installations and troubleshooting
  • Initial hardware diagnostics

End Point Deployment Management (EDM)

• Function: EDM focusses on the complete life cycle of end point devices for Kern County.  This includes all phases of the lifecycle, from quoting, to proper disposal.
• Areas of Responsibility (not exhaustive):
  • Onsite desktop support
  • Asset Quoting, Procurement, Deployment
  • Asset Disposal
  • Asset Tracking and Inventory Management

End Point Projects (EPP)

• Function: Operating as the top of our desktop support hierarchy, EPP is responsible for the most complicated, complex, and specialized desktop issues, cross-team projects, and systems administration. Their involvement often requires collaborative efforts with internal teams and external vendors.
• Areas of Responsibility (not exhaustive):
  • Advanced problem diagnosis and resolution
  • Complex project management
  • Specialized software deployments
  • Managing desktop administration systems
  • Advanced systems and application administration

Biography

• 27 years of IT Experience and 24 of those years with Kern County
• Tulane University, School of Engineering – Electrical Engineering
• ITIL, CSAC, Microsoft, Lean Six Sigma, Dell Storage Area Network Administration certifications
• County experience consists of 17 years with the Auditor-Controller's Office in positions ranging from Information Systems Specialist to Technology Services Manager, with the remaining years at ITS serving in leadership roles. This background provides a strong foundation in enterprise systems, financial platforms, and large‑scale technology operations.

About the Group

The Application Development Group is responsible for the design, development, and maintenance of countywide mission‑critical enterprise applications and data services. In addition, the group supports mission‑essential line‑of‑business applications used by departments across Kern County. Teams collaborate closely with business partners to understand operational needs, translate requirements into technical specifications, architect solutions, develop application code, and deploy systems into production. The group also provides ongoing maintenance and support to ensure applications remain secure, reliable, and aligned with evolving county needs. The overarching goal is to deliver robust, scalable, and secure software solutions that streamline business processes, improve productivity, and enhance countywide operational efficiency.

Team Functions

Enterprise Server Application Development Team

• Criminal Justice Information Systems
• Kern County Integrated Property Tax System
• Human Resources and Payroll Systems
• Trust Fund Accounting Systems
• IBM Enterprise Server Operations and Support

Enterprise Resource Planning Application Development Team

• Enterprise Resource Planning Solutions
• Time Entry and Time Accounting Systems
• General Ledger, Financial Accounting, and Cost Accounting Systems
• Payroll and Human Capital Management Systems
• Elections Information Management Systems
• Property Tax Financial Management Systems
• Procurement and Purchasing Information Management Systems
• Public Services mission essential line of business applications
• Systems Integrations and Reporting

Web and Windows Application Development Team

• Enterprise Web Content Management System
• Kern County Human Resources and Health Benefits Systems
• Kern County Assessor-Recorder mission-critical line of business applications
• Kern County Public Service Accela Permitting System
• Kern County General Services Department Internal Website and applications
• Kern Regional Crime Lab and Kern County District Attorney's office mission-critical line of business applications

Enterprise Geographic Information Systems Team

• Kern County Enterprise GIS Environment
• Enterprise GIS Mapping Services
• Enterprise GIS Imagery Services
• Enterprise Spatial and Non-Spatial Data Analysis and Visualization Services

Biography

• 28 years of IT Experience and 25 of those years with Kern County
• BS in Computer Science
• CISSP, PMP, CSM, ITIL, CAPM, BI Reporting, Microsoft (various), CCNA, Network+, A+ Certifications
• Strong interests in cybersecurity and data analytics, with a background in development, technical support, network administration, and project management

About the Team

We champion Information Security and Awareness through diligent review of risks, adherence to compliance, and alignment between department needs and secure practices.

Team Functions

• Audit and enforce compliance of Chapter 7 – Information Technology of the County Policies and Procedures Manual
• Privacy and security review/oversight for compliance with HIPAA and CJIS
• Triage security alerts and events for endpoints, servers, perimeter, and other network resources
• Coordinate incident response and remediation of security-related situations
• Facilitate security awareness training and anti-phishing campaigns for County staff
• Identify and pursue the implementation of improvements to the County's information security posture to strengthen confidentiality, integrity, and availability of County resources and to maintain alignment and compliance with applicable regulations