The Public Sector Strategic Advisory Council at Apex

Apex Technology Management formed the Public Sector Strategic Advisory Council to keep our government and municipal services grounded in real public sector experience. Built for city, county, and special district leaders across California, the council shapes how we approach cybersecurity, compliance, and IT strategy for the organizations that serve your community.

Meet the Advisory CouncilExplore IT Services for Government
34
Years in public sector
2024
Council founded
4
x
Strategy reviews yearly
4
Council members

Trust Indicators

  • 34 Years Supporting Municipal Clients
  • Council of Former Public Sector Executives
  • Strategic Partnerships with the FBI and Statewide Associations
  • Quarterly Strategic Review Process
  • NIST 800-53 Cybersecurity Compliance
  • California-Based Public Sector Team

Highlights

  • Guided by former police chiefs, county officials, and finance executives, not just IT vendors
  • Strategic insight built from decades inside municipal government, not observed from outside it
  • Services reviewed quarterly against real, emerging public sector challenges
  • A direct line between council recommendations and the programs we deliver
  • A long-term public sector partner, not a one-time technology vendor

What Is the Public Sector Strategic Advisory Council

In 2024, Apex formed the Public Sector Strategic Advisory Council, a team of former public sector professionals who meet quarterly to identify, enhance, and oversee the services we deliver to government clients. The council gives our team direct access to industry-specific insight, helps us scale responsibly, and keeps our strategic direction grounded in the day-to-day realities of running a public agency.

Every member has spent their career inside government, in law enforcement, county administration, or municipal finance, not on the outside of it advising from a distance. That perspective shapes decisions most MSPs never get right, from how a cybersecurity rollout affects a small IT department to how a technology purchase moves through a public procurement cycle.

A Track Record Built Inside Public Sector, Not Around It

Apex has supported municipal clients for 34 years. In that time, we have built strategic partnerships with the FBI and presented to organizations including CIRA, MISAC, SCORE, CSMFO, JPA associations, the Alliant Board, and numerous municipalities throughout California.

We also brought Marc Coopwood on to chair the council, adding more than 27 years of law enforcement leadership directly into how we serve municipal government clients. Combined with the council’s quarterly review process, this gives public sector leaders a level of built-in accountability that is uncommon among managed service providers.

Meet the Council

Marc-Coopwood-profile-picture

Marc Coopwood

Strategic Advisory Council Chairman

Marc joined Apex Technology Management in 2021 after serving 27+ years in the Public Sector. His most recent position being the Assistant Chief of Police in Beverly Hills, CA. Through his years of Public Sector experience, Marc brings a unique viewpoint and skillsets which allow us to serve our Municipal Government clients in many ways never seen before in the MSP IT and Cybersecurity space.

Professional Highlights

  • Assistant Chief of Police, Beverly Hills (retired)
  • Police Captain, City of Sacramento (1994 to 2017)
  • President, California Peace Officers' Association (2017 to 2019)
  • Master's degree, Emergency Services Administration, California State University, Long Beach
  • FBI National Academy graduate, Class 253
  • P.O.S.T. Command College, Class 57
  • Senior Management Institute for Police, Class 63
george-passidakis-profile-picture

George Passidakis

Director of Sales & Marketing

George holds an Information Technology degree from California State University, Long Beach, and brings nearly 40 years of IT industry experience. Over sixteen years at Apex, he has focused on translating complex technology into practical decisions for clients, drawing on prior experience founding a database applications company and holding Sales IT Management roles at Cisco Systems, VMX, and Octel Communications.

Dana Hollmer

Strategic Advisory Council

Dana spent over 29 years with Tehama County, retiring as Treasurer and Tax Collector. In that role, she managed the county's investment portfolio and served as the IT liaison between the county and its managed service provider, working directly with the elected board of supervisors to plan infrastructure upgrades and allocate resources across general fund departments.
Before Tehama County, Dana served as Vice President and Controller of a regional savings and loan, overseeing accounting and acting as technology coordinator across all branches. She has also served the community as Treasurer for Kiwanis and the local United Way chapter, on the Department of Education site council, and as a FEMA board member.

Professional Highlights

  • Bachelor of Science in Economics, University of Illinois
  • Treasury Management Certificate, University of Southern California and the California Association of Treasurer/Tax Collectors

Jay Varney

Strategic Advisory Council

Jay brings more than 42 years of leadership in law enforcement and public administration. He began his career with the Dallas and Lansing, Michigan police departments, later serving as Police Chief and City Administrator for the City of Chowchilla, California. He was elected Sheriff of Madera County in 2014 and appointed County Administrative Officer in 2020, where he oversaw 25 county departments and a budget exceeding 500 million dollars.
During his tenure, Jay guided Madera County through the COVID-19 pandemic, supported the reopening of Madera Community Hospital, advanced major infrastructure projects, and helped drive measurable growth in revenue, housing, and business development. He retired in 2025 after a career dedicated to public service.

Public Sector Challenges This Council Was Built to Address

Government and municipal leaders face a specific set of pressures that generic IT support was never built to handle.

  • Tight budgets and public procurement cycles that limit flexibility
  • Cybersecurity threats increasingly aimed at local government and Special Districts
  • Compliance obligations spanning CJIS and public records requirements
  • Aging infrastructure that was never designed for today’s threat landscape
  • IT staffing shortages and turnover in public sector departments
  • Pressure to report clearly and confidently to elected boards and the public

These are not abstract concerns to our council members. They managed these exact pressures from inside a public agency, which is why their input carries weight in how we build our services.

How the Council Shapes Our Public Sector Solutions

Council input flows directly into the programs our team delivers. That means fewer disruptions during rollouts, cybersecurity programs designed around real municipal risk, support response times that respect the pace of public agency operations, predictable monthly costs that fit public budgeting cycles, and compliance documentation built for audit, not assembled after the fact.

Council-Informed Service Areas

Cybersecurity and Compliance Guidance

Security programs shaped by former law enforcement leadership and reviewed quarterly against emerging threats.

Expected outcome: Stronger protection and audit-ready documentation.

Budget and Procurement Strategy

Technology planning built around how public agencies actually approve and fund projects.

Expected outcome: Fewer budget surprises and smoother approvals.

Infrastructure Modernization Planning

Practical roadmaps for replacing aging systems without disrupting daily operations.

Expected outcome: Modern infrastructure with minimal service interruption.

Emergency Preparedness and Continuity Planning

Continuity plans informed by leaders who managed real emergencies, including a countywide pandemic response.

Expected outcome: Confidence that critical services stay online and staff continue to have access to critical systems to provide vital services to the public.

Council and Board Reporting

Clear reporting frameworks built for elected councils, boards and public accountability.

Expected outcome: Easier communication with leadership and the community.

Why Public Sector Leaders Choose Apex

Most MSPs serve government clients using the same processes they use for any other business. Apex built a dedicated structure around public sector work instead, a Strategic Advisory Council made up entirely of former public sector employees, chaired by a leader with a law enforcement background. We are not aware of another MSP in California with an advisory structure built this way.

That structure shows up in how we work: procurement timelines we understand firsthand, compliance frameworks built for public agencies, and a reporting style suited to elected boards and constituents, not just IT departments.

Public Sector Scenarios We Help Address

Problem: A city preparing for a cybersecurity audit with no formal documentation in place.

Solution: Apex builds a compliance framework and monitoring program aligned to the audit standard, guided by council input on what auditors actually expect.

Outcome: A defensible security posture and a smoother audit process.

Problem: A city or county managing infrastructure that has not been updated in over a decade.

Solution: Apex develops a phased modernization roadmap that fits the budget cycle and minimizes disruption to daily operations.

Outcome: Modern, secure infrastructure without a disruptive all-at-once overhaul.

Problem: A joint powers authority coordinating IT policy across multiple member agencies.

Solution: Apex standardizes security and support across every member agency under one accountable plan.

Outcome: Consistent protection and support regardless of which agency is affected.

The Cost of Waiting

Public agencies are not exempt from cyber risk, and in many cases they are more exposed than private businesses. Every month without a clear compliance framework increases audit risk. Every unpatched system is a potential entry point for ransomware aimed at municipal data. Downtime does not just cost money in government, it disrupts services residents depend on. Addressing this does not require alarm. It requires a plan, built with people who understand the environment you operate in.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Public Sector Strategic Advisory Council?

It is a team of former public sector professionals who meet quarterly with Apex leadership to guide the strategy, services, and priorities of our Public Sector Clients.

Who serves on the council?

Council members include former law enforcement executives, county administrators, and public finance leaders.

How does the council actually influence the services Apex provides?

The council meets quarterly to review emerging public sector challenges and provide direct input on our cybersecurity, compliance, and IT strategy programs before they reach clients.

Does working with Apex's public sector team cost more than a standard MSP?

No. Public sector clients receive the same predictable, flat monthly pricing model as our other managed IT clients, structured around your budget cycle. Apex offers fully managed and co-managed services to support organizations with no IT staff or those with some IT staff that need a strong partner to help fill in the gaps.

Does Apex only work with large counties, or also smaller municipalities and special districts?

Apex supports public agencies of varying sizes, from small special districts, city governments, county governments and tailors service scope to each agency’s needs.

How is this different from your general government services page?

Our government services page covers the managed IT services we deliver. This page explains the council that shapes and oversees those services, and introduces the people behind it.

Our Locations in California, US

Redding (HQ)

310 Hemsted Dr.Suite 300
Redding, CA 96002

Chico

1692 Mangrove Ave #170
Chico, CA 95926

Sacramento

5325 Elkhorn Blvd #257
Sacramento, CA 95842

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Talk With Apex Technology Management's Public Sector Team

If you’d like to learn how the Apex Technology Management Public Sector Strategic Advisory Council, comprised entirely of former public sector leaders, helps shape technology strategy for agencies across California, we’d welcome the opportunity to connect. Schedule a consultation with Apex Technology Management, and we’ll walk you through how our council-driven approach supports cybersecurity, compliance, and long-term IT planning for public sector organizations.

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