Meet Your Maricopa Featuring Members of Our IT Department

Published on September 19, 2024

As technology becomes integrated into our everyday lives and the backbone to city operations, the role of IT professionals has never been more important. For The City of Maricopa, the Information Technology Department is the team that works tirelessly to keep everything running, ensuring that servers, networks, and user systems operate without a hitch.

The Information Technology department provides technical support for all departments throughout the City and is responsible for the procurement, installation, and support of computers, software, servers, phones, CCTV cameras, secure building access, among others.

Over the past four years, some key projects that have been completed by the 12-person team include:

• Upgrading City buildings with high-speed fiber internet
• Setting up backup systems to keep the network or internet working, even if the main connection fails
• Moving many key software programs the City utilizes to the cloud for access anywhere in the community
• Installation of Wi-Fi access points throughout the entire Copper Sky facility
• Expanded utilization of geographic information systems (GIS)

Even with all those accomplishments, and many others, Chief Information Officer Michael Collins says his proudest achievement is maintaining the department’s budget in a way that uses tax dollars wisely.

“We’re able to keep our annual budget modest, by cutting waste, and strong negotiations with our vendors,” Collins said.

The team also works hard to keep cell phone carriers and Internet service providers (ISPs) up to date on the growth throughout the City, meaning those companies are aware of resident’s needs for upgraded infrastructure.

“Telling our story to these groups is important to me, as it helps drive more technology options for our citizens and businesses,” Collins added.

In recognition of National IT Professionals Day on September 17, we’re spotlighting just a few members of our IT department for a special edition of “Meet Your Maricopa”, showing how their efforts help fuel city operations and why they are the unsung heroes of municipal government.

Question 1: How long have you been with the city of Maricopa, and what led you to work here?

Chief Information Officer Michael Collins: I’ve been with the City of Maricopa for 4 and a half years. Living in Maricopa since 2006, it was my desire to join this team as I wanted to be apart of growing our technology infrastructure to support the long-term growth of the City.

Systems Analyst/Database Administrator Peder Thygesen: I have been with the City since January of 2014. Having lived in the City since 2007, I know the pain of the 347 commute. I heard about this position during a discussion with one of our Police Sergeants, he let me know that a position with the City had been recently created and suggest I submit my resume.

Business Systems Analyst Rebecca Molus: I started working for the City on 11/26/07, so I have been here almost 17 years. As soon as my husband Mark Molus and I moved to Maricopa in 2005 I knew I wanted to work for our City. I volunteered for just about everything before I was hired in 2007.

Q2: How has your journey been with the city, and what changes have you witnessed over the years?

MC: As expected, the journey has been fast and very busy. We’ve made huge progress in solidifying our I.T. infrastructure, and we have opened four new buildings in my time so far here.

PT: My journey with the City has been a continuous evolution. As our City grows, so do the requirements from our departments. I’m lucky to have been involved in a lot of City initiatives.

RM: It has been an amazing journey. Our City lets their employees grow with them and gives the employees endless amounts of opportunities for growth. I’ve worked in many departments including Accounting, Police, Fleet, Fire, Human Resources, Administrative Services, City Manager’s Office, Finance, before finding my new home with the IT department. I have witnessed incredible, positive growth within our City and I am so thankful I get to work here.

Q3: What has been your favorite part about working for the city, and how has the team contributed to your experience?

MC: My favorite part has been knowing that our team provides the tools to the rest of the City departments to allow them to be successful in their mission. It’s been fun watching various things come together, both internally and throughout the City, knowing that our I.T. team has had a part in a lot of that. For example, the new police administration building is the product of collaboration and countless hours from our team to make sure our public safety members have the best systems in place to do their jobs.

PT: My favorite part about working for the City has been the constant learning. Much of what we do is understanding what goals our customers are trying to achieve or what problems they are trying to resolve; then finding a way to make technology work for them.

RM: I love being apart of the City I so fondly live in. I am so fortunate to work with my immediate Team of people that helps each other learn new things and my Supervisor Michael Collins leadership that allows us to work independently but is always available if we need help or direction on something, while recognizing our achievements and encouraging us to accomplish more. I appreciate all of the departments within our City and feel so blessed to not only work with so many great people but also consider them friends.

Q4: What does your typical day or week look like as [IT professional]?

MC: Everyday in I.T. is like a box of chocolates, we never know what we’re going to get. We plan for our projects, and our daily support requests, but at any moment we may need to pivot to address urgent issues.

PT: IT with the City is much like IT anywhere else. We have days where we can work proactively on projects, and days where a connectivity problem or unexpected software failure dominate our day.

RM: I primarily work with our MUNIS Software and each day is different depending on the needs of the users. When a software user has something that comes up that may not be working as intended, they put in an IT Help Desk Ticket. There are also on-going Projects with MUNIS that I work on from one day to the next depending on how big the project is.

Q5: What do you find to be the most rewarding part of your job?

MC: The most rewarding part of my job is solving problems.

PT: The most rewarding part of my job has been knowing that, in some small way, I’ve contributed to a better quality of life for my neighbors.

RM: The fact that I am part of an amazing group of people that are fortunate enough to work here and operate and grow all parts of our City for all of the residents that live here and make it incredibly inviting for others to want to move here.