Celebrating Our IT Team on Educational Technology Day

Our IT department is more than just a group of problem-solvers; it's a vibrant team passionate about making a difference. We are proud to celebrate the dedicated people who make up our IT department here at Richfield Public Schools. Their commitment to keeping our technology running smoothly and supporting the entire district is integral to our success. 

We asked a few of our IT team members to tell us more about the work they do and what they love about it. Here is what they had to say:

Justin Steele, Director of Technology

Justin is new to Minnesota, but already a valued member of the team! He is passionate about IT and excited to be surrounded by dedicated coworkers. “The team here in Richfield is incredible! It's been a ton of fun getting to know everyone and seeing how hard they work each day to fulfill the mission of Richfield Public Schools.” When asked about his favorite part of the job, he said, “What's great about IT is that every day there's a new puzzle to solve, and what's great about the Richfield IT team is there are passionate, knowledgeable folks with whom I get to solve those puzzles.” His role as our Director of Technology involves tackling a variety of tasks, from cybersecurity updates to troubleshooting tech issues, with a goal of minimizing instructional disruptions in the classroom.

Arend Geurink, Technology Support Specialist 

Arend has over a decade of experience in IT. “I am fortunate enough to live and work in Richfield and have my two children attend RPS schools. I approach my job not only with my technological expertise but also having two kids being directly impacted on some decisions we make as a department. I enjoy helping answer questions for friends and neighbors, too.”

Jose Salgado Gaxiola, Tech Support Para

Jose, who has been with RPS for nine years in various roles, values the community and friendships he’s built. “Helping staff, students and parents, and connecting with people across different buildings every day brings me joy,” he shared. 

Lisa Baird, IT Administrative Assistant

Lisa, who has dedicated 27 years to various roles at RPS, finds fulfillment in ensuring everything runs smoothly in the tech department. “I’m here to support the team in any way I can—whether it's answering help desk calls, managing tech orders, or assisting with ParentVue and StudentVue accounts. My goal is to make everyone’s job easier,” she explained.

Ken Friel, Digital Learning Coach

Ken, who has been with Richfield since 2006, appreciates the dedication of his colleagues. “Richfield is lucky to have dedicated and caring employees and a technology department focused on serving them,” he says. His role involves working closely with teachers across multiple sites, enhancing their use of technology to improve student learning. “It is rewarding to help teachers gain confidence with various software and hardware to improve the student learning experience,” he said.

A Typical Day

A typical day for our IT team is anything but routine. Arend describes the bustling start of the school year, with numerous phone calls and tech troubleshooting. “During the beginning part of the school year, I handle a lot of phone calls and tech support, supporting trainings and meetings with technology needs, and investigating why certain apps aren’t working,” he explains.

Lisa’s day is a mix of managing help desk calls and tickets, coordinating tech orders, assisting parents and students and ensuring inventory accuracy. “From managing help desk calls and equipment orders to project management and graphic design, I’m here to support the team and keep things running smoothly,” she says.

Justin begins his day with coffee before diving into tasks that minimize disruptions to instruction. “In a typical day, I'll spend some time in the morning reviewing the latest documentation around cybersecurity and online safety, as well as reviewing messages in the statewide tech directors chat to see if there are any issues popping up around the state,” shared Justin. “We also regularly monitor our educational platforms for service issues so that we can provide timely communication to our teachers and staff. Those are the regular, day-to-day tasks, and then there is usually work or updates being done around various requests from across the district. Between the team and I, at any given time we could be working on digitizing and streamlining workflows, updating staff computers, repairing student devices, investigating GoGuardian cases, or providing training on an as requested basis.”

The IT department is a vital part of our District, and their work extends beyond technical support. As Arend highlights, “I’ve been fortunate to work with, for the most part, the same group of people for the last seven years. It really helps when we need to navigate difficult circumstances.” Similarly, Jose, who has held various roles, values the sense of community and the impact of his work on both staff and students.

On Educational Technology Day, we celebrate the entire IT team for their contributions to our district. Their dedication, teamwork and passion make a significant difference in our community.