James Roth

IT Operations & Security Manager
Illinois, United States | [email protected] | jroth.net/resume | linkedin.com/in/jamesroth-usa

Professional Summary

I keep the lights on — and the technology from burning down. Over 13 years at Nexus Family Healing, I’ve worked my way up from IT Technician to IT Operations & Security Manager, touching just about every part of the stack along the way. I’m the kind of IT leader who can pull cable in the morning and sit in a budget meeting in the afternoon. I’ve onboarded new locations from the ground up, migrated the entire organization through multiple Windows generations, led a full org-wide MFA rollout in two weeks, and replaced a legacy IPSec VPN setup with SD-WAN — all while keeping 1,500+ users and a seven-figure IT budget moving in the right direction.

Core Skills & Expertise

  • IT Leadership: Team supervision & mentoring, budget ownership, vendor negotiation, technology roadmapping
  • Infrastructure: Windows Server, Active Directory, DNS, DHCP, Group Policy, RDS, DFS
  • Virtualization: VMware ESXi, Microsoft Hyper-V, mixed physical/virtual environments
  • Networking & Security: Cisco routing & switching, SD-WAN, VLANs, VPNs, Sophos firewalls, HIPAA compliance
  • Endpoint Management: Intune, Windows Autopilot, MDT imaging, Dell KACE, GPO-based configuration
  • Backup & Storage: Veeam, EMC Avamar, Dell enterprise storage, disaster recovery planning
  • Project Management: CAPM certified, system migrations, multi-site deployments, MFA rollouts

Professional Experience

IT Operations & Security Manager — Nexus Family Healing

Plymouth, MN (Hybrid) | Feb 2026 – Present

  • Promoted to manager after years of owning the technical side — now officially own the people and strategy side too, reporting directly to the CIO.
  • Responsible for keeping IT operations running across a 1,500+ user, multi-site healthcare organization — servers, security, networks, endpoints, and everything in between.
  • Lead a team of IT professionals, set expectations, provide coaching, and make sure the right problems get solved by the right people.
  • Own HIPAA compliance, incident response planning, and disaster recovery — the stuff that matters when things go sideways.
  • Manage vendor relationships and contribute to a seven-figure IT budget spanning capital and operational spend.
  • Collaborate with executive leadership on technology strategy and ensuring IT investments align with organizational goals.

Senior Systems Administrator — Nexus Family Healing

Plymouth, MN | Apr 2018 – Feb 2026

  • Served as senior technical and operational IT lead for an organization supporting 1,500+ users across academic, mental health, and administrative functions.
  • Created and co-managed a seven-figure IT budget encompassing capital and operational spend.
  • Led org-wide MFA implementation for the entire organization in under two weeks.
  • Migrated the entire fleet from Windows 10 to Windows 11 via in-place upgrades with minimal disruption.
  • Replaced legacy IPSec site-to-site VPN infrastructure with a modern SD-WAN setup.
  • Owned day-to-day IT operations, infrastructure planning, and system reliability across a 25-server mixed physical and virtual environment.
  • Supervised, mentored, and developed IT staff, providing technical guidance and professional growth support.
  • Maintained business continuity through reliable backup and recovery processes using EMC Avamar and Veeam.

Senior IT Coordinator — Nexus Family Healing

Manteno, IL | May 2017 – Apr 2018

  • Led day-to-day administration of core infrastructure services while transitioning the role toward senior ownership.
  • Onboarded new Nexus locations from the ground up — running wire, installing servers, and configuring hardware and software.
  • Contributed to budget planning, vendor coordination, and standards documentation.

IT Technician — Nexus Family Healing

Onarga, IL | Nov 2012 – May 2017

  • Supported campus-wide IT operations, providing technical support to staff and residents.
  • Installed and maintained network infrastructure including structured cabling, conduit, and terminations.
  • Led Windows 7 to Windows 10 fleet migration across the organization.
  • Deployed and supported video conferencing, remote access, and security camera systems.
  • Supported Dell, HP, and Cisco switching environments.

Tier 2 Technical Support / Field Operations Dispatcher — Pavlov Media Inc.

Champaign, IL | Jul 2012 – Dec 2012

  • Provided advanced Tier 2 troubleshooting for network, data, and video services.
  • Coordinated national field technicians to resolve complex customer issues.
  • Served as escalation point for high-impact service incidents.

Education

  • Master of Science, Information Technology Management — Western Governors University (2018–2020)
  • Information Systems & Network Operations — Walden University (2014–2016)
  • Network System Administrator — Parkland College

Certifications

  • Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM) — Project Management Institute, expires 2028
  • CompTIA Network+
  • CompTIA A+
  • Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist (MCTS)
Download Resume (PDF)