Acorn Technology Services
CITY OF LA QUINTA PROPOSAL – INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY MANAGEMENT SERVICES | PAGE 1 OF 4
SECTION B
EXPERIENCE AND BACKG ROUND
1. Acorn Technology Services was founded in 2000, and has been in business for 19 years.
2. Our taxpayer ID is: 82-2049862
3. Acorn Technology is a professional IT firm with proven municipal experience, having worked with government
agencies for 13 years.
4. Please see the proposed org chart and resumes of relevant personnel in Appendix A.
5. Acorn Technology Services is a DBA for Mighty Oak Technology, a California Corporation. The company changed
it’s entity structure and recently formed as an S Corporation as of June 30, 2017. Acorn is privately held by 4
individuals. One of which is the CEO, Mickey McGuire, who owns 45% of the company. The other major
shareholder is the Chair of the Board, Amy S. Harrison, who also owns 45% of the firm. The remaining 10% is
owned by two employees of Acorn.
6. Acorn Technology is not a subsidiary of any parent company.
SECTIO N C
REFERENCES
The following organizations are currently clients of Acorn and receive services similar to those requested by the City of
La Quinta:
1. CITY OF MONROVIA
Contact: Brittany Mello, Assistant to the City Manager
Email: BMello@ci.monrovia.ca.us
Phone: (626) 932-5571
Type of Organization: Government Municipality
Assigned Staff: Ryan Wambolt, Lyle Jones, Alfred Gonzales, Joel Noriega, Mickey McGuire
Project Description: Assessment, Strategic Planning, and Support
a. Project: Conduct a Full Assessment of the City’s IT Systems and Provide Recommended Solutions
Timeline: November 2016 – January 2017
Project Scope: Acorn won a competitive bid project to provide managed IT support services to the City
of Monrovia. Since the City had very little documentation and understanding of their IT systems and
infrastructure, Acorn’s initial assignment was to perform a complete assessment to catalogue and
evaluate the City’s existing systems. Acorn created and implemented a technology roadmap to replace
outdated systems, hardware (including switches, firewalls, and cabling) with more modern and secure
infrastructure. Additionally, the City’s more than 50 physical servers were virtualized and consolidated
down to 10 physical servers with enhanced security provisions, change management, patch
management, image based backup systems, remote monitoring all done with greater redundancy,
resiliency, and security in mind. This project resulted in a comprehensive set of documentation of the
City’s IT infrastructure and a roadmap of recommended hardware upgrades, configuration and policy
CITY OF LA QUINTA PROPOSAL – INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY MANAGEMENT SERVICES | PAGE 2 OF 4
changes and a reduction of on-site IT staff from two internal staff members to one contracted IT Support
Specialist.
b. Project: IT Strategic Planning and Support
Timeline: November 2016 – Current
Project Scope: Acorn provides a full-time IT Support Specialist on-site for the City to assist with day-to-
day support needs and with project planning and implementation. Acorn regularly convenes conference
calls with City management staff to discuss departmental and organizational needs and requests, and
work on strategic planning with City leadership to better understand desired functionality,
requirements, future goals, and objectives of the City’s IT Systems. The ongoing support has resulted in
faster ticket resolution times, more reliable systems resources, and a roadmap for predictable IT
budgeting.
2. CITY OF SOUTH PASADE NA
Contact: Lucy Demirjian, Assistant to the City Manager
Email: LDemirjian@southpasadenaca.gov
Phone: (626) 403-7213
Type of Organization: Government Municipality
Assigned Staff: Blake Pietrolungo, James Walter, Mickey McGuire
Project Description: Assessment, Strategic Planning, Implementation and Support
a. Project: Computer, Server and Network Overhaul
Timeline: December 2014 – November 2015
Project Scope: Acorn outlined recommendations for the virtualization of the City’s servers, moving from
more than a dozen physical servers to three physical servers and a SAN environment, a new image-
based backup system, and upgraded computer workstations from Windows XP to Windows 7. As part of
this overhaul, new policies were implemented for change management, patch management, remote
monitoring, as well as a rolling 5-year replacement schedule of workstations. Acorn also provides
ongoing IT future planning, budgeting, and documentation. The results of this project include greater
redundancy and resilancy of network hardware systems, a regularly updated and more secure
environment, greater expandability, easier IT budgeting, a reduction of staff from two technicians to one
on-site IT Analyst and faster trouble ticket resolution.
b. Project: 911 Dispatch Remodel
Timeline: November 2016 – May 2017
Project Scope: Acorn worked with other vendors to help design the new center, implement a
temporary center, and build in additional redundancies to ensure that 911 operators would have
reliable backup solutions in place in the event of hardware failure. During this months-long process, not
a single 911 call was missed by the Department, and through Acorn’s diligent planning the transition
from the old center to the temporary, and then back to the remodeled center was seamless, resulting in
special recognition from the Chief of Police and City Council. This project yielded a more robust 911
Dispatch center with greater redundancy and resiliency of systems, including an extra dispatcher
position in the event one of the other positions suffered a catastrophic failure, thereby increasing the
reliability and upime for emergency services dispatching.
c. Project: Verizon MPN for MDC’s and 2-Factor Authentication Implementation
CITY OF LA QUINTA PROPOSAL – INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY MANAGEMENT SERVICES | PAGE 3 OF 4
Timeline: November 2015 – July 2018
Project Scope: Acorn worked with the South Pasadena Police Department and Verizon to implement a
Mobile Private Network for officers to use in the MDC’s for CAD, JDIC and ALPR access. As part of this
project, Acorn also assisted the department in the evaluation of multiple 2-Factor Authentication
methods, assisted in the implementation of the new selected DUO and YubiKey system and trained staff
on the new system. The project brought the police department into CJIS compliance with the California
DOJ and FBI requirements for systems leaving the secure compound requiring multi-factor
authentication, which resulted in officers being able to perform duties in the field without relying on
dispatchers in the department to conduct emergency services that would take away from their other
duties.
3. CITY OF COVINA
Contact: Angel Carrillo, Assistant to the City Manager
Email: ACarrillo@covinaca.gov
Phone: (626) 384-5415
Type of Organization: Government Municipality
Assigned Staff: Blake Pietrolungo, James Walter, Bryan Cochran, Ryan Akim, Mickey McGuire
Project Description: IT Support Services
a. Project: General IT Support
Timeline: October 2017 – Current
Project Scope: The City of Covina was looking for cost savings and better IT support coverage than their
previous outsourced provider. After a competitive bid process, Acorn was selected to provide general IT
administration services including but not limited to: 24/7/365 remote helpdesk support, network
administration, server administration, as well as a full-time on-site IT Specialist. This project started off
with a general IT assessment during which time documentation was gathered into a single living
document and provided to the in-house IT manager and management staff, interviews were conducted
with department liaisons to get a better understanding of each departments’ needs, as well as on-going
and future IT related projects. This project resulted in a comprehensive set of documentation of the
City’s IT infrastructure and a roadmap of recommended hardware upgrades, configuration and policy
changes and a reduction of on-site IT staff from three internal staff members to one contracted IT
Support Specialist and one City staff IT Manager.
Acorn is honored to have the full faith and backing of our clients, and as a token of our mutual respect, some have provided
us letters of recommendation to give out to prospective future clients. While the attached letters were intended for other
potential City organizations, we believe they are still applicable. The letters are included in Attachment 3 – References.
SECTION D
DISCLOSURES
Acorn has no history of any alleged significant prior or ongoing contract failures. Acorn has not been subject to any
previous or pending civil or criminal investigations in any previous or current entity. The firm currently has nothing to
disclose.
CITY OF LA QUINTA PROPOSAL – INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY MANAGEMENT SERVICES | PAGE 4 OF 4
SECTION E
GUARANTEES
Acorn guarantees any and all work it performs while under contract. Acorn promises to resolve any issues it is
responsible to attend to in a timely manner, keeping the customer updated throughout the life of the trouble ticket. If
there are any defects of Acorn’s work product, it will cure those defects within 30 days. If for some reason the cure is
not able to be performed in 30 days, Acorn will work out a plan for correction that is suitable to the City and Acorn.
SECTION F
COMPLEMENTARY SERVIC ES
Acorn offers some additional services besides managed IT support, including but not limited to:
Backup and Disaster Recovery Solutions
Vulnerability Scanning
Cyber Security Assessments
IT Strategic Planning
Cloud Services with Virtualized hosting services
Infrastructure/Hardware as a Service
Prices vary depending on customer objectives and project scope.
SECTION G
SUBCONTRACTING
Acorn does not intend to subcontract any of the responsibilities for which this proposal addresses.
SECTION H
INSURANCE REQUIREMEN TS
Should Acorn be awarded this contract, it will provide the minimum insurance coverage and indemnification as noted in
Sections 5.0 and 6.0 of the City’s Professional Services Agreement.
SECTION I
NON -COLLUSION AFFIDAVIT
Please see the executed non-collusion affidavit attached on the following page.
CITY OF LA QUINTA PROPOSAL – INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY MANAGEMENT SERVICES | PAGE 1 OF 7
ATTACHMENT 1
EXPERIENCE AND APPROACH
1. How many technical employees does your firm employ?
a. Acorn employs 36 technical staff.
2. Does your firm have technical employees that are local to the Coachella Valley?
a. No, but we do have an employee that would consider relocating.
3. Does your company have a partnership with any major IT companies?
a. Yes, Acorn maintains partnerships with Microsoft, Dell, StorageCraft, VMWare, Cisco, Druva, SonicWall,
Vipre, and Datto.
4. What industry certifications do your employees hold?
a. MCST, A+, N+, CCNA, and CJIS Security.
5. Do you currently recommend that customers use any particular software that allows users to create a
service ticket?
a. Yes
b. Acorn uses Datto’s Autotask. There would be no additional cost to the City, the software is provided as
part of Acorn’s managed services contract.
6. Do you currently recommend that customers use any software to track network and workstation
performance/status?
a. Yes
b. Acorn uses multiple applications to monitor network and systems performance/status. Acorn uses
Datto’s RMM (Centrastage) for desktop and some server monitoring, Cacti for network monitoring, and
Nagios for critical network infrastructure, such as, servers, routers, switches, UPS, firewalls, wireless
access points, etc. There would be no additional cost to the City, the software is provided as part of
Acorn’s managed services contract.
7. Do you currently recommend that customers use any software to track hardware and software inventory
(including serial and licenses numbers)?
a. Yes
b. Acorn uses IT Glue. There would be no additional cost to the City, the software is provided as part of
Acorn’s managed services contract.
8. Do you have Staff that specializes in special data base programs?
a. Yes
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9. Is your staff able to troubleshoot problems related to Microsoft SQL Server, versions 2000, 2008, 2012,
2016?
a. Yes
10. Is your staff able to do administration tasks on VMware vSphere 5.5?
a. Yes
11. Is your staff able to do administration tasks on Cisco Meraki switches?
a. Yes
12. Is your staff proficient with MX-100 firewalls? & AASA firewalls
a. Yes
13
13. If so, what administration tasks have been performed on the appliances?
a. Configuration of standard firewall rules, policies, VLANs, monitoring, backups, etc.
14. Is your staff able to troubleshoot problems with iPhones/iPads?
a. Yes
15. Is your staff able to troubleshoot problems with copiers and scanners?
a. Yes
16. Is your staff able to troubleshoot email issues with Microsoft 365?
a. Yes
17. Is your staff able to perform administration/configuration tasks with a Mitel on-premise VoIP system?
a. Yes
b. Acorn has performed, but is not limited to, the following administrative tasks:
i. Changing Extensions of lines delivered to End Users
ii. Changing Class of Service Options for Ring Down and Ring Delay
iii. Extension Forwarding (Immediate and Delayed)
iv. Voice-mailbox Creation and Voicemail to Email Notification
v. Password Resets
vi. Basic Call path Troubleshooting
vii. Advanced IP Network and Connectivity Troubleshooting
viii. Interact with Primary Mitel Support Vendor for Advanced Troubleshooting
ix. Interact with Primary Service Provider for Advanced Troubleshooting
18. Is your staff able to troubleshoot problems related to an electronic Geographic Information System (the City
uses ESRI ArcServer and Desktop)?
a. Yes
b. Acorn has performed, but is not limited to, the following administrative tasks:
i. Client-Side Application Installation
ii. Client-Side Application Reconfiguration
iii. Database Backup / Restore
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iv. Troubleshooting Interactivity on the ESRI portal
v. Assist users with Logon and Access problems to ArcGIS Desktop and related Software
vi. Interact with Primary GIS Support Vendor for Advanced Troubleshooting
vii. Interact with ESRI Directly for Advanced Troubleshooting
19. Is your staff familiar with Nimble Storage products and able to perform configuration tasks and
troubleshoot performance issues with SAN devices?
a. Yes
20. Does your firm have application developers on staff?
a. Yes
21. How many application developers/programmers does your firm employ?
a. One developer
22. Please list programming languages your staff is proficient with and years of experience developing
applications in those languages?
a. Python (4 years), Javascript (4 years), C# (1 year), HTML/CSS (4 years), C++ (5 years)
23. Please describe any custom application(s) your firm has developed that has solved a business problem by
streamlining processes. If so, please describe what the problem was and how your application solved the
issue and include the cost/time of the project.
a. Acorn developed an application for another local government agency to correct issues with hard coded
file path links in thousands of spreadsheets allowing the agency to move to a new file structure without
breaking critical spreadsheets formulas related to financial documents of many years years. The
application was developed in C#. It gathers a list of all .xls and .xlsx files in a specified folder and replaces
all instances of an old file path to the new file path. The cost associated with this project was $6,100.
14
24. The City is looking to move our IT infrastructure and services to the next level using innovative and forward-
thinking technology and solutions to accomplish this. Please describe either a custom application your firm
developed or solution your firm implemented that provided a service in a unique way.
a. Acorn has developed more than a few unique solutions for our customers. The following are a few
examples:
i. In an effort to bring more affordable off-site backup to local municipalities, especially those
with a police department requiring CJIS secure backups, Acorn developed a solution where
police and city backups could be transported over an encrypted VPN to a remote storage device
housed at another city location in a CJIS compliant zone. The cities agree to house their
respective data at the other city, eliminating the need for expensive contracts with CJIS
compliant data centers. Acorn maintains and monitors the hardware used to house the backups
and backup images at the remote locations to ensure their integrity. The solution is scalable to
include multiple cities, potentially allowing a city to maintain their backups at many remote
locations in the event of a disaster.
ii. To provide better, faster service to our city customers, Acorn makes use of a dual-support
approach – stationing on-site technicians at our municipal clients, and also providing remote
support from Acorn’s 24/7 remote helpdesk. In this way, costs associated with IT staffing were
drastically decreased: the cities of South Pasadena and Monrovia went from two to one on-site
CITY OF LA QUINTA PROPOSAL – INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY MANAGEMENT SERVICES | PAGE 4 OF 7
technicians, and the city of Covina went from three to two on-site technicians. And by utilizing
the remote helpdesk as a fallback for when the on-site technicians are otherwise engaged,
trouble tickets are more quickly addressed, keeping staff operational and reducing systems
down-time. By rotating on-site technicians, a greater level of redundancy for support is in place,
allowing for IT staff to be sick or on vacation with little to no impact on customer support levels.
Trouble tickets are handled efficiently and escalated quickly to reduce resolution times and
reduce dependency on one individual to know everything about a system and be available at all
times.
iii. Acorn implemented a Disaster Recovery solution for a publically traded firm that limits
downtime to roughly 30 minutes in the event of catastrophic failure. Acorn built a secondary
environment housed at the SWITCH Data Center in Las Vegas that replicates all data created on
the customer’s main environment. In the event of a failure, Acorn simply makes a few small
configuration changes to automatically reroute email through the secondary environment, and
staff can access the recovery site through a simple terminal connection that is effectively
identical to the down systems located at the customer premises.
iv. To increase security and reduce exposures, especially in today’s climate where ransomeware
attacks are regularly occurring, Acorn performs Risk Assessments, Vulnerability Scans and
Security Assessments to help clients keep their systems and data safe. Risk Assessments are a
basic introduction to security, where Acorn Security Engineers meet with staff to get a better
understanding of the security measures already in place. Vulnerability Scans use sophisticated
software deployed to the customer site to analyze software, firmware, patches, and
configurations on a network or multiple networks that results in a detailed report with plans for
remediation as well as an executive summary that provides a high level of understanding to
management staff that may not be as technical. Security Assessments include both Risk
Assessments and the Vulnerability Scan, but go even deeper to evaluate the network’s Active
Directory, review the practices in place and provide best practices alternatives, as well as
recommendations that may include new hardware implementation, software deployments, and
changes to internal policies and procedures. These services can result in a strong Disaster
Recovery plan that gets staff back up and running after an outage or failure occurs.
25. How many municipalities has your firm developed applications/solutions for? Please list the application
developed and, if possible, a link to the application. Also, please include references for these projects.
a. Acorn has developed for only one municipality, the aforementioned app to correct spreadsheets. It is
private and cannot be shared.
26. Does your firm develop applications for mobile devices? If so, what language do you use to develop these
Apps? Please list references of recent/current projects.
a. No
27. How many years of experience does your firm have in Mac OS App development? Please list application(s)
developed and references for project.
a. Acorn does not have experience developing Mac OS applications.
28. Is your firm familiar with resources such as GitHub? What programming communities does your firm
associate with?
a. Yes, GitHub and StackOverflow.
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29. What are your opinions on communities such as GitHub?
a. For some cases communities such as GitHub are great, for things like distribution of open source code or
projects, or distributed team collaboration on development projects.
30. What are the pros and cons of using open source code as opposed to creating the code completely in-
house?
a. Pros of using open-source software include open standards, free support from the community,
potentially fewer bugs and faster fixes, and better security since the code is not opaque. Some cons of
open-source software are open source projects are not as friendly to unskilled end users, increased
business risk associated with smaller developers, and minimal support leverage. Pros of investing in
creating code in-house include greater control and customization of the application, the ability to
leverage knowledge within the organization related to the end business goal of the code, and no
associated licensing fees. Cons of in-house code are cumbersome application upgrades and staffing
limitations – be it the resources required to see a project through to completion (a Project Manager,
architect, designer, etc) as well as the quantity of developers an organization can hire. A limited number
of developers reduces the breadth of knowledge of newer technologies and alternative technologies.
Additionally, there are upfront and ongoing costs that make creating and maintaining code burdensome.
31. Do you test your code for security vulnerabilities? If so, do you use a third-party vendor to test the code?
Please list references.
a. Where applicable we would. We would either use tools like Nexpose for internal use or third parties we
have worked with in the past like Qualys or CyberGuard.
32. Use this opportunity to showcase any project your firm is particularly proud of that used technology to
solve an issue and/or was able to save the company money. We are most interested in municipal projects,
but would like to hear if your firm helped a private company solve an issue in a unique and innovative way.
Please describe project and provide references.
When Acorn was selected by the City of Monrovia to provide general IT services, Acorn recommended and conducted an
IT Assessment that included the following:
i) Inventory of Workstations with the following data: Make/Model, Operating System, Processor, RAM, HDD
total/used, recommended replacement schedule, location, and assigned user
ii) Inventory of the Servers: Make/Model, Operating System, Processor, RAM, physical or virtual, primary
function, recommended replacement schedule, and other recommendations
iii) Inventory of Network Printers/Scanners/Copiers
iv) Inventory of Network Equipment: Switches, WAPs, Router(s), Modem(s), UPSs, Storage Device(s), etc
v) Inventory of Phone System
vi) ISP and Connectivity Information
vii) Listing of Critical Applications and whether there is vendor support available
viii) Remote Access Documentation: VPN, etc
ix) Evaluation of Backup System
CITY OF LA QUINTA PROPOSAL – INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY MANAGEMENT SERVICES | PAGE 6 OF 7
x) Evaluation of basic physical and network security
xi) Evaluation of Anti-Virus, SPAM and Malware
xii) Network Diagram
xiii) Basic Floorplan with device and system locations
This assessment also contained recommendations from Acorn for configuration changes, hardware upgrades and
replacement schedules that allowed City staff to budget for their capital improvement plan being brought before City
Council, reducing internal staffing from two staff technicians to one contracted IT Support Specialist, and created an IT
roadmap for multiple years out. This approach has been so successful, it is now Acorn’s standard approach for onboarding
new City clients, and it is Acorn’s intent to do the same with the City of La Quinta should we be awarded the contract.
Additionally Acorn implemented other innovations at the City of Monrovia that would translate well with the City of La
Quinta, including but not limited to:
System Monitoring – Having monitoring tools in place to provide warnings when systems fall outside of certain thresholds,
alerts for predictive failures, and alarms for outages. These systems allow Acorn to be proactive (where possible) to
address issues before they become problems and address problems before they become crises. This helps reduce
downtime, which means less non-productive work for staff, less interruption to City services, and improved public safety.
These efforts result in costs savings to the City. These systems are monitored by both people and automated systems
with redundancy built in to reduce the likelihood that a critical alert is missed due to human or computer error. Some of
the systems Acorn can monitor include, but are not limited to: Internet connectivity, server hardware, SAN hardware,
switch hardware, network traffic, bandwidth use, battery life on UPS systems, security certificates, VPN connections, along
with desktop/laptop hardware. Acorn bears the costs for the monitoring tools, passing the benefits onto its customers.
Ticketing system: Acorn will provide the ticketing system that will be used to capture all of the trouble tickets created,
either from phone calls, e-mails, or monitoring alerts. The ticketing system integrates with some of the monitoring
systems allowing automated ticket creation and assignment. Reports can be generated as needed and ticket updates can
be provided on a real-time basis to allow transparency. Ticket information can be made available to City staff as desired.
Procurement Services: Acorn provides or augments the vendor management and procurement services typically handled
by City staff. Acorn leverages its buying power and passes the savings on to its clients. Acorn also works with government
cooperative agreements and specific government vendors to ensure the City gets the best price for its hardware and
software needs. This frees up City staff time, reduces costs, and reduces the likelihood that a non-technical City staff
member ends up procuring the incorrect equipment.
Depth and Breadth of Talent: By utilizing Acorn’s remote support and not solely depending on the on-site individuals,
customers take advantage of the diverse range of talents possessed by Acorn’s technical team. Everything from low
voltage cabling and desktop support to more skilled expertise like strategic planning and disaster recovery solution design
and implementation are available. This reduces the need for additional third party vendors, thereby reducing City costs.
Data Center Services: Acorn owns and operates its own data center along with having co-location space within the world
renowned Switch facility within Las Vegas NV, which allows customers to take advantage of reduced costs for hosting, off-
CITY OF LA QUINTA PROPOSAL – INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY MANAGEMENT SERVICES | PAGE 7 OF 7
site disaster recovery solutions, and the utilization of Acorn hosted services such as SPAM filtering and content filtering in
the event the City would like these services.
Here is the reference information for the City of Monrovia:
THE CITY OF MONROVIA
BRITTANY MELLO | ASSISTANT TO THE CITY MANAGER
BMello@ci.monrovia.ca.us
(626) 932-5571
Another project/customer note worthy:
Other projects of interest were conducted for the Annenberg Foundation Trust at Sunnylands. Acorn implemented a
new Wi-Fi system to cover over 200 acres of property that allows for the monitoring of irrigation systems for the golf
course and grounds for conservation and maintenance purposes. Acorn has also provided IT Security staff and systems
for high profile political retreats that met or exceeded the needs of the Secret Service. A new phone solution that
interconnects four locations on the same system was deployed, reducing costs and improving phone service.
Additionally, a disaster recovery solution was put in place with a recovery point objective (RPO) of 24 hours, and an
recovery time objective (RTO) of 8 hours in Acorn’s data center. To help reduce downtime and prevent outages,
redundant fiber paths into each facility located at the Estate requiring two failures before an outage is created.
Here is the reference information for the Annenberg Foundation Trust at Sunnylands:
Annenberg Foundation Trust at Sunnylands
JOHN FINKLER | OPERATIONS MANAGER
JFinkler@sunnylands.org
(760) 202-2275
Municipal References
THE CITY OF SOUTH PASADENA (2015 - Current)
LUCY DEMIRJIAN | ASSISTANT TO THE CITY MANAGER
LDemirjian@southpasadenaca.gov
(626) 403-7213
THE CITY OF MONROVIA (2016 - Current)
BRITTANY MELLO | ASSISTANT TO THE CITY MANAGER
BMello@ci.monrovia.ca.us
(626) 932-5571
THE CITY OF COVINA (2017 - Current)
ANGEL CARRILLO | ASSISTANT TO THE CITY MANAGER
ACarrillo@covinaca.gov
(626) 384-5415
On the following pages are two letters of recommendation that our municipal clients graciously wrote
on behalf of Acorn Technology Services to provide to other potential clients. We’ve included them here
with their permission, and encourage you to reach out to all of our references to gain a better
understanding of Acorn and our services from the agencies that know about our support first hand.
Private Reference
Annenberg Foundation Trust at Sunnylands (2009 - Current)
JOHN FINKLER | OPERATIONS MANAGER
JFinkler@sunnylands.org
(760) 202-2275
While the City of La Quinta did not specifically ask for a private firm’s reference, Acorn felt it was
significant to include the Annenberg Foundation Trust at Sunnylands due to its proximity to the City, it’s
prominence in the community, and Acorn’s long history with the client. While Acorn provides Managed
IT Services to the Annenberg Foundation Trust, Acorn has also provided staff who have served as CTO
and consultants to work with federal agencies and vendors to provide cyber security, telecom and
general IT support services during very high-profile political retreats.
415 South Ivy Avenue ▪ Monrovia, CA 91016-2888
Office: (626) 932-5501 ▪ Facsimile: (626) 932-5520 ▪ http://www.cityofmonrovia.org
February 19, 2019
Laurie Murray
City Manager
City of La Palma
7822 Walker Street
La Palma, CA 90623
LETTER OF RECOMMENDATION FOR ACORN TECHNOLOGY SERVICES
Dear Ms. Murray,
As the City Manager for the City of Monrovia, I am often asked to write letters of recommendation for a variety
of reasons. Every once in a while, however, I will come across a firm for whom writing a recommendation letter
is a true privilege, and that is certainly the case with Acorn Technology Services.
Nearly three years ago, the City of Monrovia engaged a comprehensive process aimed at finding an IT partner
to help us transition our overall information systems service delivery model. After considerable deliberation, we
selected Acorn Technology Services as our vendor, and in a very short period of time, their firm has
demonstrated themselves to be so much more than just one of our contractors. In fact, Acorn Technology
Services has proven themselves to be one of our most vital business partners, and words fail to adequately
describe how pleased we are to have the chance to work with their team on the delivery of all of our IT needs.
I understand that the City of La Palma is currently working through a Request for Proposal process to identify
an IT service provider for your organization, and I just wanted to share with you that here in Monrovia, we have
found Acorn Technology Services to be simply premier in all that they do. From their management team, to
their service delivery approach, to their operational culture, to their negotiation style – we simply could not be
happier with our selection of Acorn Technology Services. They are an experienced firm who has demonstrated
to us that they are not only experts in building and maintaining information services technology, but that they
also place tremendous value on creating lasting partnerships with the communities in which they work.
Having personally worked closely with Acorn Technology Services, I can say with complete confidence that
their team is one of the most talented that I have had the privilege of interfacing with. Given the chance, I know
that Acorn Technology Services will impress La Palma as they have Monrovia, and I would urge you to give
their application your strongest consideration.
Of course, please feel free to contact me if I can provide any additional information. I can be reached at (310)
663-9837, or via email at ochi@ci.monrovia.ca.us.
Best regards,
Oliver Chi
City Manager
CITY OF LA PALMA PROPOSAL – INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY MANAGEMENT SERVICES
Appendix A
Organization Chart and Project Staff Resumes
Mickey Mcguire
CEO
Mickey Mcguire
CEO
La Quinta Project Team
La Quinta Project Team
Blake Pietrolungo
Account/Project Manager
Blake Pietrolungo
Account/Project Manager
Joel Noriega
On -Site Network Engineer
Joel Noriega
On -Site Network Engineer
Remote Team
Remote Team
James Walter
Director of Service Operations
James Walter
Director of Service Operations
Daniel Gutierrez
Helpdesk Manager
Daniel Gutierrez
Helpdesk Manager
Alejandro Lazo
TSR1
Alejandro Lazo
TSR1
Andrew Banks
TSR1
Andrew Banks
TSR1
Brian Siemens
TSR1
Brian Siemens
TSR1
TSR2
TSR2
Alfred Gonzales
TSR2
Alfred Gonzales
TSR2
David McKissic
TSR2
David McKissic
TSR2
Edgar Ramos
TSR2
Edgar Ramos
TSR2
Mike Robbins
TSR2
Mike Robbins
TSR2
Nate Wilson
TSR2 In Training
Nate Wilson
TSR2 In Training
TSR3
TSR3
Daniel Balkoski
TSR3
Daniel Balkoski
TSR3
Lyle Jones
TSR3
Lyle Jones
TSR3
Patrick Knox
Lab/Site Manager
Patrick Knox
Lab/Site Manager
Lab/Site Staff
Lab/Site Staff
Rachel Hemond
Purchasing Manager
Rachel Hemond
Purchasing Manager
Jesse Castillo
TSR1
Jesse Castillo
TSR1
Kyle Black
TSR1
Kyle Black
TSR1
Michael Castillo
TSR1
Michael Castillo
TSR1
Proposed City of La Quinta Operational Team
Bryan Cochran
On -Site IT Technician
Bryan Cochran
On -Site IT Technician
Lisa Natasia
Account Manager
Lisa Natasia
Account Manager
Ryan Wambolt
Project Manager
Ryan Wambolt
Project Manager
Mickey McGuire
Chief Executive Officer
mmcguire@acorntechservices.com
1960 Chicago Avenue, Suite E9
Riverside, CA 92507
951-784-3500
Education
MBA, Gary Anderson Graduate School of Management (AGSM); June 1999
Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, University of California, Riverside December 1997
Experience
Chief Executive Officer, October 2015 – Current
VP of Sales & Customer Service, March 2005 – September 2015
Acorn Technology Services | 1960 Chicago Avenue, Suite E9, Riverside, CA 92507
VP Operations, GamePlex Entertainment, 2001-2005
Responsibilities
As CEO & CFO for Acorn Technology Services, Mickey is responsible for day to day operations,
personnel management, and providing strategic leadership for the company. Mickey directs and
evaluates the organization's operational function and fiscal performance. Mickey also maintains
close ties and relationships with the leaders and decision makers for key customer accounts.
As the VP of Sales and Customer Service for Acorn Technology Services, Mickey has identified and
developed the market opportunity for Acorn to provide Managed Information Technology Services to
small and mid-sized organizations in So. California expanding business in 19 states, Canada and Germany;
Accountable for providing customer service management for systems and IT services for over 65 public
and private client institutions; Management of strategic and tactical technical activities to ensure client
satisfaction, delivery, contract compliance, and resource management; Managing organizational growth:
sales, profitability, employees, vendors, and new products and services; Development of technology
visions to align IT strategy with customers' business goals.
Skills
Mickey has expertise in the following:
Management
Business Planning
Customer Service
Leadership
Problem Solving
Market Strategy
Alignment of IT Strategy with Organization Objectives
Lisa Natasia
Customer Service Representative
lnatasia@acorntechservices.com
1960 Chicago Avenue, Suite E9
Riverside, CA 92507
951-784-3500
Education
Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Administration, University of California, Riverside, CA
Experience
Customer Service Representative, May 2014 – Current
Acorn Technology Corporation | 1960 Chicago Avenue, Suite E9, Riverside, CA 92507
Administrative Support, 2011 –2014
Faya Corporation | 2330 S Archibald Ave, Ontario, CA 91761
Website Administrator, 2007 – 2011
Deltamedia International Inc | 9060 Rancho Park Court, Rancho Cucamonga, CA 91730
Responsibilities
As a Customer Service Representative for Acorn Technology Corporation, Lisa is responsible for
serving clients by providing product and service information, and customer issues. Lisa is responsible
for acting as a liaison between customers and Acorn. The CSR is an advocate for the customer and
assists with orders, errors, account questions, billing, cancelations, and other queries. As CSR, Lisa is
also accountable for completing sales objectives and assuring general quality of service. She is
responsible for generating new business for the company by meeting with new potential clients and
companies.
Skills
Lisa has expertise in the following:
Customer Service
Product Knowledge
Quality Focus
Problem Solving
Market Knowledge
Documentation Skills
Conflict Resolution
Analyzing Information
Multi-tasking
Blake Pietrolungo
Account and Project Manager
bpietrolungo@acorntechservices.com
1960 Chicago Avenue, Suite E9
Riverside, CA 92507
951-784-3500
Education/Certifications
University of California, Riverside; Media and Cultural Studies 2007-2013
Experience
Account & Project Manager, January 2015 – Current
Lab & Site Manager, December 2012 – January 2015
Acorn Technology Services | 1960 Chicago Avenue, Suite E9, Riverside, CA 92507
Freelance Computer Consultant, 2005-Current
Responsibilities
As the Account and Project Manager for Acorn Technology Services specializing in local government
and emergency services support, Blake has over 10 years of Information Technology related
experience and is responsible for the continuous coordination of multiple high-complexity projects
for various cities in the San Gabriel Valley; facilitating strategic discussions about current and
future/proposed projects with both Acorn Technology staff, 3rd party vendors, and City staff; while
focusing efforts on meeting timelines, maintaining budget requirements, ensuring high levels of
customer service, and providing consistent and timely communication to all constituents, including
City management, City Council, Acorn’s customer service team, inventory/purchasing managers, 3rd
party vendors, and Acorn’s CEO keeping them all apprised as to the status and mile stones of critical
projects .
Skills
Blake has expertise in the following:
Strategic Planning
Project Management
Customer service and relationship management
Operational direction and follow through
Maintaining positive rapport with C-Level/Executives, senior staff, frontline staff, and vendors
Documentation and analysis of critical systems, applications, and processes.
Ryan Wambolt
Project Manager
rwambolt@acorntechservices.com
1960 Chicago Avenue, Suite E9
Riverside, CA 92507
951-784-3500
Education/Certifications
Project Management Certificate – University of California, Riverside Extension Center
Comp TIA A+ Certification, 2009
Experience
Project Manager, October 2015 – Current
Install Coordinator, June 2013 – October 2015
Acorn Technology Services | 1960 Chicago Avenue, Suite E9, Riverside, CA 92507
Responsibilities
As a Project Manager for Acorn Technology Services, Ryan has over 5 years of Information
Technology related experience and is responsible for the management and implementation of
multiple high-complexity projects for various Acorn customers, ranging from private organizations to
public entities, including cities in the San Gabriel Valley; oversees discovery and IT assessments for
new and existing customers; while focusing efforts on meeting timelines, contributing to network
design, maintaining budget requirements, ensuring high levels of customer service, and interfacing
with technical and customer service staff, vendors and Acorn’s CEO keeping them all apprised on the
status of projects.
Skills
Ryan has expertise in the following:
Team Leader & Mentor
Provides strategic and operational direction
Extensive hardware and software knowledge
Project Management
Strong understanding of networks and servers
James Walter
Director of Service Operations
jwalter@acorntechservices.com
1960 Chicago Avenue, Suite E9
Riverside, CA 92507
951-784-3500
Education/Certifications
DeVry University, Network Management 2015
Experience
Director of Service Operations, June 2018 – Current
I.T. Manager, December 2015 – June 2018
Technical Service Representative, June 2011 – December 2015
Acorn Technology Services | 1960 Chicago Avenue, Suite E9, Riverside, CA 92507
I.T. Consultant, Independent, 2008-Current
Responsibilities
As the Director of Service Operations for Acorn Technology Services, James has over 10 years of
Information Technology related experience and is responsible for the design and implementation of
multiple high-complexity projects for various cities in the San Gabriel Valley; manages the Acorn
Helpdesk as well as establishing internal policy; interfaces with vendors to ensure delivery of
promised services; focusing efforts on standardization of customer documentation, systems and
network analysis, all while implementing best practices while delivering high levels of customer
service.
Skills
James has expertise in the following:
Exceptional Customer Service Skills
Server Management
Virtualization Technologies
Operating Systems (Windows, Unix, Linux)
Microsoft Exchange
IT Best Practices.
Daniel Gutierrez
Helpdesk Manager
dgutierrez@acorntechservices.com
1960 Chicago Avenue, Suite E9
Riverside, CA 92507
951-784-3500
Education
A.S. Network System Administration, ITT Technical Institute, 2014
Experience
Helpdesk Manager May 2018 – Current
Technical Service Representative in Training June 2014 – July 2018
Acorn Technology Corporation | 1960 Chicago Avenue, Suite E9, Riverside, CA 92507
Responsibilities
As Helpdesk Manager for Acorn Technology Corporation, Daniel has more than 5 years of IT related
experience. He manages all of Acorn’s Tier 1 and Tier 2 technicians, coordinates with the Lab & Site
Manager for customer runs, trains and assists technicians, and contributes to technical problem
solving. He interfaces with Acorn’s Customer Service Representatives to meet customer goals and
address customer issues, as well as coordinating afterhours On-Call staff and scheduling maintenance
activities.
Skills
Daniel has expertise in the following:
Maintains a positive rapport with customers
Team leader & mentor
Skilled in installation, setup, migration, testing and repair of most IT related systems
Provides strategic and operational direction
Expert in computer hardware/software repair
Patrick Knox
Lab & Site Manager
pknox@acorntechservices.com
1960 Chicago Avenue, Suite E9
Riverside, CA 92507
951-784-3500
Education
A+ Certification, 2011
MCP Microsoft Certified Professional, 2012
Network + Certification, 2013
MCSA Certification, 2013
Experience
Lab and Site Manager, January 2015 – Current
Technical Service Representative in Training, September 2013 – January 2015
Acorn Technology Corporation | 1960 Chicago Avenue, Suite E9, Riverside, CA 92507
Graphic Artist, Media Industry, 2002-2013
Electronic Technician, Gaming Industry, 1989-2002
Responsibilities
As the Lab & Site Manager for Acorn Technology Corporation, Patrick has over 25 years of computer
related experience and is responsible for coordinating site visits to client locations, troubleshooting
and repair of machines, configuring systems, directing and managing lab technicians, monitoring lab
and site work, coordination with all areas of the organization (Customer Service, Technical Support
and Administration) to meet customer and internal deadlines for lab and site specific responsibilities.
Skills
Patrick has expertise in the following:
Maintains positive rapport with customers and internal staff
Documents service and installation actions by completing forms, reports, logs, and records
Accomplishes operations and organization mission by delivering desired results
Rachel Hemond
VP - Administration
rhemond@acorntechservices.com
1960 Chicago Avenue, Suite E9
Riverside, CA 92507
951-784-3500
Education
Albertson College of Idaho, B.A. Arts & Psychology 2001
RCC, Certificate in Human Services, S.B.A
Employment Support Specialization Certificate
Research Experience for Undergraduates: Cognitive Psychology Certificate
Access Introduction and Practical Application Certificate
Experience
VP – Administration, October 2015 – present
Purchasing & Inventory Manage,r March 2007 – October 2015
Acorn Technology Corporation | 1960 Chicago Avenue, Suite E9, Riverside, CA 92507
Customer Service Representative/EQUINE Specialist, Retail, 2002-2007
Responsibilities
As VP of Administration for Acorn Technology Corporation, Rachel utilizes over 13 years of experience
in inventory management and is responsible for supporting company operations by maintaining office
systems and supervising staff. Rachel’s duties include planning, organizing and supervising the
comprehensive purchasing functions for Acorn in compliance with mandated requirements;
overseeing daily activities including major purchases associated with opening and expanding
customer sites; responding to a range of inquiries regarding processes or purchase status; negotiating
terms and conditions with vendors and/or service providers; and achieving department objectives
and goals within budget. As VP of Administration, Rachel is responsible for ensuring that the
organization has the right amount of stock to meet our customer’s needs; directing the flow of goods
into, through and out of the organization’s storage facilities; and prepares and ensures the accuracy
of documentation relating to inventory.
Skills
Rachel has expertise in the following:
Supply Management
Inventory Control
Maintenance of purchase information, files and records
Tracking Budget Expenses
Manage Process
Joel Noriega
On-Site Support Specialist
jnoriega@acorntechservices.com
1960 Chicago Avenue, Suite E9
Riverside, CA 92507
951-784-3500
Education
A+ Certification, 2008
Experience
Technical Service Representative November 2011– Current
Acorn Technology Corporation | 1960 Chicago Avenue, Suite E9, Riverside, CA 92507
Technical Support, Insurance, 2010-2011
Freelance Computer Consultant 1999-2011
Responsibilities
Joel has over 20 years of I.T. experience and is responsible for ensuring the proper functioning of user
workstations, software and peripherals. Joel was the primary On-Site Support Specialist for the City
of Monrovia for three years, aided in on-boarding the customer and building a strong rapport with
staff and department heads alike. Duties include handling elevated level support of service requests,
along with project implementation. This relates to technology including workstations, servers,
networks, and vendor specific hardware and software. Assists with the Installing, maintaining, and
monitoring operation of client network system and makes recommendations for system
improvements. Provides network technical support utilizing our current systems; ensures
maintenance, administration and security of hardware; diagnoses and treat incidents; writes
procedures and various technical documents; provides user support for the training on customer
equipment and software.
Skills
Joel has expertise in the following:
Local Municipality Experience
Operating Systems (Windows, Linux)
Office and Messaging Software
Exceptional Customer Service Skills
Bryan Cochran
On-Site Technical Services Representative
bcochran@acorntechservices.com
1960 Chicago Avenue, Suite E9
Riverside, CA 92507
951-784-3500
Education/Certifications
Riverside City College; Math, Physics and Computer Programming; 2004-2007
Experience
Helpdesk Technician; 2017-Present
Acorn Technology Services | 1960 Chicago Avenue, Suite E9, Riverside, CA 92507
Independent IT Consultant; 2003-Present
IT Support for local Appraiser’s office; 2004-2007
Responsibilities
As an On-Site Technical Services Representative, Bryan has over 15 years of Information Technology
experience, and is responsible for ensuring the proper functioning of user workstations, software
and peripherals. Duties include interfacing with client staff on-site to assist with installing, testing
and updating computer equipment (computers, peripherals, programs and software); ensure
maintenance, administration and security of hardware; diagnose and treat incidents; write
procedures and various technical documents; provide user support for the training on customer
equipment and software.
Skills
Bryan has expertise in the following:
Linux/UNIX
MS Windows Operating Systems
Microsoft Office Suites
Troubleshooting + Problem solving
Cabling/Equipment installation