By The Protech Team
Some people naturally gravitate towards a professional field. For Brian Nicholson, senior systems engineer at Protech, that field is IT. Brian credits this to a lifelong interest in tinkering with things and problem solving. Growing up in Westminster, Maryland, Brian was constantly around computers, as his grandfather owned many early generation models. Oftentimes, Brian would watch his grandfather program games for him and his brother to play. It wasn’t long before he began taking computers apart and putting them back together for fun.
Naturally, when it came time to find a job, Brian looked towards computers – something he knows and enjoys. Following a few small IT jobs, Brian found his way to Protech where he set his career path. Throughout the past nine years with the company, Brian has applied his talent for technology and grown professionally, developing and honing his IT skills. March 2017 will mark his 10-year anniversary with Protech.
In his current role as senior systems engineer, Brian is responsible for the infrastructure setup, upgrades, deployments, Tier III support, and maintenance of technical documents and checklists for Protech’s clients. Brian loves working with his team each day to tackle new challenges for the greater good of the clients. For Brian, that’s what it’s all about – providing good customer service.
Despite having numerous certifications under his belt—A+, NET+, MSCRM Install and Configuration v4, v2011, v2015, Dynamics GP Install and Configuration v10—Brian is always hungry for more knowledge. He keeps his finger on the pulse of the latest technologies through independent research and reading resources online.
When he’s not keeping abreast of the tech world, Brian likes to disconnect and spend time outdoors with his family, swimming, fishing and kayaking on the Potomac River. He currently lives in Mt. Airy, Maryland, with his wife Amy and daughter Katzie, and their dog Dempsey and cat Gatsby. Brian and his family live less than a mile from his parents-in-law’s farm, where they take care of five horses, including his wife’s horse named Rain. Brian’s hobbies include kayak fishing and – most recently – homebrewing. Since Brian started brewing six years ago, it has quickly become one of his favorite pastimes and he always has some of his own craft beer on tap.
Brian also trains for marathons. He’s ran three full marathons and 15 half marathons. When asked his favorite one, he named Freedom’s Run in Harpers Ferry, West Virginia, which was a challenging, but rewarding accomplishment for him. It is the same drive and strong work ethic that Brian applies to his physical training and hobbies that he dedicates every day to delivering the best service to Protech’s clients.