Ben Blanchard Email & Phone Number

St Paul, Minnesota, United States

• Build and supervise the IT team supporting the Office of Governor Tim Walz and Lt. Governor Peggy Flanagan.• Develop and improve innovative new support model to improve operations for both MNIT and the GOV office.• Provide full Enterprise Service Delivery, including mixed service desk, workstation management, and application support roles, focusing on managing enterprise based hardware, software, and related infrastructure.• Represent MNIT and GOV in discussions throughout the Enterprise, other agencies, and MNIT senior management• Develop team capacity and align its services with enterprise requirements and needs of end-users.• Act as point of contact in response to critical situations and ensure a rapid response and resolution• Provide leadership, mentorship, and technical expertise

• Supervise a team of 11+ IT staff with mixed service desk, workstation management, and application support roles, focusing on managing enterprise based hardware, software, and related infrastructure.• Oversee the enterprise service delivery infrastructure and business relations with its user groups• Provide enterprise services focusing on Minnesota Department of Commerce (COMM), Minnesota Department of Education (MDE), Minnesota Office of Higher Education (OHE), Minnesota Office of Ombudsman for Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities (OMHDD), Minnesota Public Utilities Commission (PUC), Minnesota Professional Educator Licensing and Standards Board (PELSB), Minnesota Board of School Administrators (BOSA), Minnesota Board of Accountancy (BOA), Minnesota Board of Architecture, Engineering, Land Surveying, Landscape Architecture, Geoscience and Interior Design (AELS), and Minnesota IT Services (MNIT).• Represent MNIT in discussions throughout the Enterprise, other agencies, and MNIT senior management• Develop team capacity and align its services with enterprise requirements and needs of end-users.• Act as point of contact in response to critical situations and ensure a rapid response and resolution

• Supervise a team of 14+ IT staff managing workstation hardware, software, and related infrastructure• Oversee the enterprise-wide desktop infrastructure and business relations with its user groups• Provide enterprise services focusing on Department of Human Services, MNSure, and Minnesota IT Services• Represent MNIT in discussions throughout the Enterprise, other agencies, and MNIT senior management• Develop team capacity and align its services with enterprise requirements and needs of end-users.• Act as point of contact in response to critical situations and ensure a rapid response and resolution

St Paul, Minnesota, United States

• Provide leadership, mentorship, and technical expertise to enterprise workstation management teams• Provide long-term consultancy to teams to resolve persistent technical, procedural, or cultural issues• Owner of knowledge management process for the workstation management teams• Direct technical support to Commissioner/State of Minnesota CIO, as well as other high-level executives• Backup Support and Technical Expert for Governor’s Office• Organizer for MNIT’s ELI/SLI Leadership network and tactical co-owner for MNIT’s Tactic 25• Creating and improving enterprise wide processes, collaborating with teams throughout the agency• Organizing member of the 2020 MNIT Week Advisory Committee• Lead support for Windows 10 and 7, as well as support for and multiple Office versions including Office 365• Utilize hardware, network, and telecommunication expertise to troubleshoot advanced issues• Mentored staff on multiple SCCM environments and layouts, as well as application deployment procedures• Act as subject matter expert on scripting and reporting, including PowerShell and Batch scripting• Mentor and train technical users on multiple ticketing systems and ITIL concepts and framework• Generate and present performance metrics and other reporting to guide business decisions

• Direct technical support to Commissioner/State of Minnesota CIO, as well as other high level executives• Technical Owner and Planner for the 2018 Governor’s Transition team• Backup Support and Technical Expert for Governor Dayton and his staff• Provide mentoring and act as a source of advanced knowledge to peers and other service partners • Act as a liaison with other teams (Service Desk, Networking, endpoint management, etc.) to resolve larger process or technical issues• Collaboratively develop and refine new processes• Investigate and troubleshoot advanced and persistent technical issues• Refine communications with other teams and end users regarding technical issues and changes• Provide high quality to high sensitivity users (white glove treatment)• Manage and update existing knowledgebase and process documentation library, as well as the documentation process• Research and implement new solutions when required by business needs• Manage/modify/create security groups and group membership, as well as the active directory structure as a whole• Understand and effectively use the change management process• Communicate state and resolution of problems to partners in a timely manner• Prioritize and assign tasks to peers in relation to priority and skill • Monitoring and resolving incidents from the internal tracking system• Install and configure appropriate software as well as work with packaging team for automation• Document software needs by team to provide needs proactively• Ensure appropriate security controls are in place on the workstation• Assist users in resolving issues• Identify issues and ways to resolve them from the enterprise level

Greater Minneapolis-St. Paul Area

• Provide mentoring and act as a source of advanced knowledge to peers and other service partners • Act as a liaison with other teams (Service Desk, Networking, endpoint management, etc.) to resolve larger process or technical issues• Collaboratively develop and refine new processes• Investigate and troubleshoot advanced and persistent technical issues• Refine communications with other teams and end users regarding technical issues and changes• Provide high quality to high sensitivity users (white glove treatment)• Manage and update existing knowledgebase and process documentation library, as well as the documentation process• Research and implement new solutions when required by business needs• Manage/modify/create security groups and group membership, as well as the active directory structure as a whole• Understand and effectively use the change management process• Communicate state and resolution of problems to partners in a timely manner• Prioritize and assign tasks to peers in relation to priority and skill • Monitoring and resolving incidents from the internal tracking system• Install and configure appropriate software as well as work with packaging team for automation• Document software needs by team to provide needs proactively• Ensure appropriate security controls are in place on the workstation• Assist users in resolving issues• Identify issues and ways to resolve them from the enterprise level

Greater Minneapolis-St. Paul Area

• Provide comprehensive Technical Support to users and customers of MN.IT Enterprise Services • Assist in continual process improvement initiatives and developing new procedures • Provide training to colleagues and customers as well as the creation of technical documentation • Lead role in Exchange administration, RSA administration, and multi-system report generation • Engage in Change Advisory Board meetings, and generation of related mass-communications

St Paul, Minnesota, United States

Greater Minneapolis-St. Paul Area

• Assist thousands of Pharmacy, Clinic, and Executive Staff with technology and procedural issues• Guide staff through pharmaceutical and medical insurance benefits and drug regulations• Utilize a variety of technologies in order to provide a high quality of service• Train staff on new procedures while supervising to maintain flawless compliance • Fully HIPPA trained and knowledgeable on healthcare processes and best practices

Minneapolis, Minnesota

• Organized local communities for labor based causes, including Get Out The Vote action • Spearheaded Press-Conference organization for Paid Sick Leave Initiative • Maintain strong political stances, while being highly personable to gain new supporters• Consistently met all fundraising and member-drive expectations • Utilize new technology and train volunteers to inform and activate the community • Due to consistently excellent performance, worked across the nation on long term Mission Critical projects.

• Partnered with 10 local Non-Government Organizations in 7 developing nations • Served in a variety of fields, such as STEM education, technical support, and marketing • Developed and administered the Pathfinders Project's website and social media strategy • Fundraised for both local partners and sponsor, utilizing technology and community ties• Once State-Side, helped develop the current Humanist Service Corps model, and promote the Foundation through outreachSPECIFIC PROJECTS INCLUDED: *Siem Reap and Kampong Thom, Cambodia – Installing wells and supporting Bridge of Life School‘s free English classes for rural children.*Kasese, Uganda – Reading intervention, critical thinking, and experiential science at Kasese Humanist Primary School. *Busoga, Uganda – the scientific method, critical thinking, and enrichment at Mustard Seed Secondary School.*Accra, Ghana – health education, grant writing, web design, and social media in support of Alliance for African Women Initiative‘s efforts to promote equitable access to development opportunities for Ghanaian women. *Kukuo, Ghana – assessing human rights violations against exiled alleged witches in Northern Ghana. *La Fond-Jeannette, Haiti – constructing twenty latrines with Children of the Border to stop the spread of water-borne illnesses.*Isla Puná, Ecuador – clean water education and construction of a Water Ecuador Water Center. *Minca, Colombia – working with Misión Gaia to promote sustainable development in the face of expanding ecotourism. *Guatemala City, Guatemala – education and enrichment for underprivileged children, first with Safe Passage, and then with Avivara.

• Provide support, advice, and resources to already affiliated SSA groups • Assist in organizational problems and concerns• Contact and communicate with possible future affiliates, student activists, and speakers • Uphold a professional and accessible image of the SSA, especially in in-person outreach • Speak at national and regional conferences, as well as student and community events

Saint Cloud State University

*Nationally recognized and awarded leader*Fostered strong inter-belief ties with other organizations and the community *Creating enriching events for both the club, and the campus and community at large *Active Marketing techniques pioneered led to national changes*Created and maintained a 300% increase in active membership

St. Cloud, Minnesota

•Assist patrons with a variety of technical issues, including training and troubleshooting•Design protocol to enhance the repair of issues, as well as the customers experience•Upheld high levels of customer service in all forms of communication•Trained dozens of employees in new protocols, including both technological and customer service•Designed and organized official university WebPages, as well as training and recruitment materials

•Provide a strong positive role model, as well as emotional, academic, and technical support •Directly oversee a floor community of over 20 residents, as well as the hall community of hundreds•Serve as a resource regarding the operation of the University, its policies, and resources •Mediate roommate conflicts, as well as issues between residents •Promote a inclusive, safe environment that allows for academic and personal development •Plan and implement a variety of educational, social, and cultural programming•Document developments and issues using a varity of forms and programs

St Cloud State University

•Organizing and leading weekly business meetings•Keeping a robust group on task •Creating enriching events for both the club, and the campus and community at large •Leadership focusing on empowering, training, and coordinating other student’s talents •Received several Student Organization Awards during leadership

Saint Cloud State University

•Organizing the board leading the creation of founding documents •Successfully completing the national affiliation process •Gained a stable membership of 20+ students•Designed programming to enrich students while drawing in national support•Forged partnerships with aligned businesses

•Assisted students with comprehension of major level biology, physics, and chemistry •Helped to develop students' study skills, as well as their overall student methodology •Completed tutor certification training

Princeton, Mn

•Trained, developed, coached and mentored staff to ensure smooth daily operations •Utilized best practices to ensure perfect product and customer service, as well as profitability•Training focused on deescalation of high emotion situations to find satisfaction of involved parties•Specialized on non-standard tasks, especially involving multitasking•Maintained a safe working and guest environment to reduce the risk of injury or accidents•Quickly identified problem situations and skillfully resolved potential issues to promote productivity

Master Of Public Administration - Mpa, Public Administration

Certificate, Non-Profit Leadership

*Rigorous, theory-based Non-Profit leadership course work *Internship with dedicated 501(c)(3) Skepticon *Service Learning project.

Bachelor'S Degree

Activities and Societies: Secular Student Alliance, Medical Professions Association, Honors Program, Honors Club, American Society.