The Itat Quarterly

Q: How long have you been with the county?
A: I first joined the county back in October 2011 as a contractor in IT. A few months later, in April 2012, I came on board full time - and it’s been an incredibly rewarding journey ever since.

Q: What is your current role with the county? What inspired you to pursue this career?
A: I’m currently a senior applications developer in Polk County IT, and I’m one of the primary developers behind ITAT. What drew me in originally was seeing all the good work already happening within Polk County and recognizing a chance to use technology to directly benefit the community I call home. It felt like the perfect blend of my technical skills and desire to make a positive impact locally.

Q: What type of education did you need for your current role with the county?
A: I earned my degree in Management of Information Systems from Iowa State University. Formal education provided a solid foundation, but what truly makes a difference in this field is having a passion for learning new technologies, adapting quickly, and always looking for ways to improve systems for the people who rely on them.

Q: Prior to joining the county, what did you do?
A: Before my time with the county, I ran my own business helping organizations and non-profits with marketing, website development, and email campaign management. It taught me a lot about wearing multiple hats, meeting tight deadlines, and thinking creatively to solve problems.

Q: Besides your work on ITAT, what work project are you most proud of?
A: A few years back, Polk County launched an initiative to streamline how donated food gets from pantries and businesses to the people who need it most. I helped develop a web platform that brought together food pantries and non-profits to track and communicate about food donations in real time. The data we collected helped cut food waste, fix inefficiencies, and get more food where it was truly needed. It was deeply rewarding to see technology make such a tangible difference.

Q: What are your future goals for your team?
A: I’m excited to keep moving forward on ITAT’s new user accounts, especially around introducing recurring payments and making online payments simpler and more convenient for our users. The more seamless we can make the experience, the better.

Q: What are some of your hobbies?
A: Outside of work, life stays busy! I coach Little League baseball and spend plenty of time driving my sons between activities. In quieter moments, I’ve developed a real fascination with wristwatches. So much so that in 2023, I dove into designing and building my own. It’s been a wonderful learning journey, and I’ve built four distinct watch models so far. Who knows, maybe someday it’ll turn into a small brand. For now, it’s purely a labor of love.

Q: Tell us about your family.
A: I met my wife during my second week as a freshman at Iowa State, and we’ve been together ever since. This year marks 20 years together, which still amazes me every time I think about it. We have three boys, who we lovingly call, “the knuckleheads.” Henry is 11 and loves playing soccer, George is 8 and just starting in club baseball, and Joe is 6, with a personality that makes us wonder if he’ll be a lawyer, a WWE wrestler, or maybe both!

Q: What was your favorite vacation?
A: Honestly, anywhere we can explore something new together as a family tops the list. Most recently, we went to Boston and had a blast walking the Freedom Trail, touring Bunker Hill and the USS Independence, and, of course, eating our fill of lobster rolls. Those shared adventures and new experiences are what make the best memories.