My career can be broken down into two periods. Between 1999 and 2019, I worked in Illinois state and local government. In September 2019, I amicably left public service to find a new path, which has happily taken me into the field of IT. (View my traditional resume here.)
MSP IT Service Technician, Burian Technology Solutions: October 2025 to Present
I work as a primary support technician for commercial MSP clients and residential customers, responding directly to technical issues across Microsoft 365, Active Directory, networking, and endpoint systems. A significant portion of my work involves diagnosing and resolving email flow and security issues, as well as networking and endpoint security problems—often requiring investigation across multiple systems rather than straightforward fixes. The role requires independent judgment, clear communication with non-technical users, and ownership of issues from initial report through resolution in an environment with limited formal escalation paths.
Associate Engineer – IT Solutions / Acropolis: August 2022 to October 2025
Acropolis was my first role in IT, where I developed a strong foundation in Microsoft 365 and Windows-based environments. I designed, managed, and troubleshot solutions involving Exchange, SharePoint, Intune, and endpoint deployments, and helped design and deploy client PCs using Hyper-V and SmartDeploy with PXE boot imaging. Over time, I took on larger responsibilities, including cloud migrations, server decommissioning, and new-client onboarding projects. This role provided well-rounded experience across technical troubleshooting, documentation, customer communication, and project execution.
ITS core values are CHOP. Client success is our success > Hungry for the journey > Ownership thinking > Passionate problem solving > Surrender the ego. I’ve been recognized multiple times for CHOPS, including here and here.
Production Tech 1 – World Wide Technology/Aerotek: April 2021 to February 2022
I worked in the AT&T “lab” in Edwardsville, installing Ericsson & Nokia equipment on FIF racks for AT&T WICs prior to being deployed to the field across the country. I installed and stitched power and ground cables to equipment and racks. I processed and accounted for inventory of equipment for the WICs prior to being shipped to cellular site. I additionally prepped power and ground cables for WICs and WUCs. I had a great working relationship with my co-workers, as demonstrated in a team-building program shown here.
Employment & Education for period September 2019 to August 2022
After my career in public service and to prepare for my second “act,” I began taken classes in Information Technology at Lewis & Clark College in Godfrey, IL and Kaskaskia College in Centralia, IL. Education was the focus for this period of time, and I sometimes held employment in jobs to support that focus. In 2019 and 2022, I worked for AT&T as a Retail Sales Consultant. I enjoyed being customers’ IT guy at AT&T. From February to August 2022, I worked for the Illinois Dept of Human Services, at which I processed applications and managed cases for public food and medical benefits for eligible applicants.
City Manager – City of Salem, IL: March 2012 to September 2019
I served as the chief executive official for Salem, appointed by its City Council. Salem is a community of approximately 7,500 residents and had a budget of about $17 million annually during my tenure. My time with Salem was marked with pretty great relations with my City Council, conservative budget management, solid hiring, positive public relations, and successful goal and project completion. Highlights included:
^ Key personnel hiring in the positions of Police Chief and Economic Development Director. Both persons selected for their positions held them until their retirement.
^ Successful negotiation and completion of private, job-creating projects on City-owned real estate for a hotel, restaurant, and manufacturer.
^ Increased the City’s General Fund balance from $1.5 to $5.5 million during my tenure.
^ Salem is a natural gas utility. I redesigned its rate system by reducing gas rates for all customers, but creating the largest rates for Salem’s largest customers. Prior to this time, all customers paid the same rate, despite how much gas they used.
^ The Enterprise Zone is a major economic development tool used by Salem. I successfully engaged all impacted taxing districts, specifically their elected boards, to gain their approval for an extension. Salem applied to a competitive State process and was approved for an extension.
^ I engaged the YMCA to contract with them to supervise Salem recreation programming after Salem’s Recreation Director retired, saving the City money. I also worked with Salem’s elementary and high school districts to begin its SRO program which stationed police offers at Salem schools for the first time.
City Administrator – City of Carlyle, IL: September 2005 to March 2012
In Illinois, city administrators do not have the same authority within their communities as do city managers. In Carlyle, I served more as a chief of staff for Carlyle’s traditionally strong mayors who had final hiring, firing, and veto authority. My focus at Carlyle was mainly economic development.
^ We leveraged local contacts, and I prepared a proposal to the IHSA leading to our selection as the first of its kind host of the IHSA State Bass Fishing Tournament. We hosted during each year of my tenure at Carlyle.
^ I worked closely with the mayor to create incentive program for new home construction called the “Rooftops” program.
^ I successfully engaged all of Carlyle’s taxing districts leading to approval of extension of its TIF districts by the State of Illinois.
^ I administered Carlyle’s revolving loan fund (RLF), which we used on many projects, from infrastructure construction to loans.
Legislative Analyst, Asst Floor Manager – Illinois House of Representatives: October 1999 to September 2005
I analyzed legislation and budgets and was assigned to staff multiple House committees, all in support of elected State representatives. Additionally, I was assigned to serve as Assistant Floor Manager to manage activity on House floor during legislative sessions. Highlights of my time in the Illinois House included:
^ Being assigned to help manage activity on the House floor. I ensured that House members were aware of the time to vote, and helped representatives understand what they were voting on and determine how they wanted to vote.
^ Being assigned to staff the House Executive Committee. The “Exec” committee was the committee where relatively controversial bills went to committee and required additional coordination and pre-meetings that were not usual for typical House committees.
^ I was assigned to analyze and monitor high profile legislation including (i) the economic development package to relocate the headquarters of Boeing to Chicago; (ii) the bond and tax package to renovate Soldier Field as it currently exists today (and which the Bears want to depart for a new stadium on the Lake Front or in Arlington); and (iii) the agreed-bill process pertaining to unemployment tax increases and benefit reductions to regain balance for the State’s Unemployment Insurance Fund.
I received a lot of great feedback from elected and appointed officials, as shown here.
Bill Gruen 