Blake Mitchell

About Blake Mitchell

I didn\'t start my career in a data center. I started it as a Store Director managing people, budgets, and inventory in the retail world. That experience created a focus on service and operational accountability that remains to this day. In my view, information technology isn\'t just about managing servers and switches, and cybersecurity isn\'t about managing tools and policies. They are about serving the organization so people can do their best work.Currently, as Director of IT Infrastructure at HC3, I am leading our transition from a vendor-dependent model to a proactive, internally owned operation. My goal is to move beyond keeping the lights on to building a department that provides real business value.I created a \"Mission Image\" called the Triangle of Success to serve as a North Star for how our team works. It is made up of 3 layers- The Foundation: Security, Scalability, Stability - The principles and constraints by which we design- The Middle Tier: Solutions - We build before we block- The Pinnacle: Service - The operational outcome that ensures success. I’m a problem solver by nature, and I enjoy the challenge of taking complex, regulated environments and making them run smoothly, securely, and at scale.

Experience

1. Director of IT Infrastructure

   HC3

   Sep 2024 — Present · Irondale, AL, US

   Responsible for infrastructure, IT services, and cybersecurity operations across HC3’s environments. I lead an IT team focused on providing value to HC3 by driving improvements in how technology is planned, operated, and governed- Owning infrastructure security design and operational controls across on-prem and cloud platforms- Improving IT operations by introducing clearer processes around service management, change, and lifecycle planning- Reducing operational risk and technical debt through platform modernization and standardization- Leading major initiatives, including a migration from Google Workspace to Microsoft 365 and adoption of Jira Service Management- Balancing near-term operational needs with longer-term strategy in a regulated, high-availability environment

Education

• Jacksonville State University

  BS, Computer Science

  2009 — 2012

• Snead State Community College

  Prerequisites

  2010 — 2010

• Gadsden State Community College

  Prerequisites

  2008 — 2010

Skills

• Microsoft Sql Server
• Windows Xp
• Windows
• Coldfusion
• Android
• Iis
• Wireless Networking
• Php
• Access
• Disaster Recovery
• Network Engineering
• System Deployment
• Servers
• Javascript
• Network Administration
• Mysql
• Vmware
• Html
• Software Installation
• Data Center
• Programming
• Tcp/Ip
• Wordpress
• Windows 7
• Sharepoint
• Python
• Asp
• Css
• Computer Hardware
• Mssql
• Oracle
• System Administration
• Active Directory
• Xp
• Windows Server
• Hardware
• Writing
• Networking
• Operating Systems
• Visio