DadOfTheClan
Nearly 30 Years of Combined Experience
A tight-knit team of IT professionals rooted in Branch County, bringing active, current experience across infrastructure, security, and systems management. Led by Caleb Lopez - the consistent point of contact on every engagement. The experience here isn't theoretical, it's earned. And all of it is done in honor of Alicia Mae.
50+
Organizations Served
30 Yrs
Combined Experience
~0%
Downtime on Migrations
$500K+
In Client Cost Savings
Who We've Worked With
Across Branch County and beyond - organizations of every size, industries that matter to our community
Healthcare
Pediatrics, audiology, surgery, senior living
Government
County road commissions, fire, police, municipal
Manufacturing
Tool & steel, turning, trucking, agriculture
Professional Services
Insurance firms, legal, financial, non-profits
Retail & Local Business
Hardware stores, rental facilities, local shops
Construction & Trades
Contractors, property management, rental
Education & Non-Profit
Schools, foundations, community organizations
Security & Compliance
HIPAA, CJIS, government-regulated environments
The Team
A small team with deep mutual respect and a shared commitment to doing right by local businesses. Caleb leads client engagements and is the face you'll work with. The broader team brings experience and support when the work calls for it - no revolving door, no guesswork about who's accountable.
A tight-knit team - experienced, collaborative, and mutually accountable
Caleb leads every engagement - one consistent face, one accountable contact
Branch County businesses are neighbors - not accounts, not tickets
All of it done in honor of Alicia Mae
We're Never Alone
Beyond our core team, we maintain an extended network of experienced IT professionals - active consultants and colleagues from firms we've worked alongside over the years - available to support in complex or emergency scenarios. This isn't a marketing claim. It's the reality of a decade of building relationships in the field. The depth of experience we can call on when it matters is far broader than what you see listed here.
With over a decade of experience in full-stack development and systems leadership, the focus now is on putting that expertise to work for the families and small businesses that make up Branch County and the surrounding communities. As a husband and father raised in this area, I understand that technology should create time for what matters - not become a source of stress. DadOfTheClan exists to bridge that gap for organizations that need enterprise-grade reliability but value a personal, neighborly partnership. Every business we work with is treated with the same care we put into everything we build - all in lasting honor of Alicia Mae.
Family-First Tech
- Custom educational apps
- Secure home & small office labs
- Privacy-focused solutions
- Workflow automation for families
Local Support
- SMB network modernization
- Non-profit IT consulting
- Community infrastructure
- Reliable disaster recovery
Human-Centric Dev
- User-friendly C# / .NET apps
- Accessible web platforms
- Clear, jargon-free consulting
- Integrity-based delivery
An active IT consultant currently serving local businesses across the region. Background spans physical security systems, federal-level technical support, and hands-on consulting work. Brings a strong security and networking foundation with real-world experience across both customer-facing and technical environments - exactly the kind of depth that small businesses in our area rarely get access to.
Core Skills
- Network operations
- Physical & IP security systems
- Endpoint management
- Tier 1-2 support
Background
- Federal agency IT support
- CCTV & access control installation
- Active MSP consulting
- Cybersecurity foundations (U of M)
Credentials
- Google IT Fundamentals
- Singularity Cloud (SentinelOne)
- Computer network operations
A decade of technical and consulting experience spanning both small business and enterprise environments. Currently active in the field serving local clients, bringing cross-sector perspective that bridges the gap between corporate-grade solutions and what actually makes sense for a small business in Branch County. A people-first approach to technical problem solving - because around here, you're working with neighbors, not accounts.
Core Skills
- SMB & enterprise IT support
- Systems administration
- Client-facing consulting
- Process documentation
Background
- Active MSP consulting
- Enterprise-scale deployments
- Local business engagements
- Multi-industry exposure
Value Added
- Enterprise insight, SMB delivery
- Strong customer communication
- Practical, budget-aware solutions
Caleb's Career Timeline
From help desk to enterprise leadership - every step in the field
Facility IT Administrator
Healthcare Facility — Grand Rapids, MI
Brought in to address critical infrastructure gaps following a period of technical neglect. Delivered rapid modernization across security, systems management, and operational infrastructure - including Huntress EDR/MDR deployment, vendor lifecycle management, Windows 11 migration roadmap, and custom Linux solutions.
Senior Technical Consultant
Managed Service Provider — East Lansing, MI
Primary technical lead across 35+ organizations - healthcare, manufacturing, municipal government, professional services, and non-profits. Multi-site network rebuilds, domain migrations, server modernization, cloud migrations, and full security stack deployments. Near-zero downtime across every engagement.
Infrastructure
- Multi-site VPN & network rebuilds
- Domain migrations & AD overhauls
- Server upgrades (2008/2012 → 2019/2022)
- VMware to Hyper-V migrations
Security & Compliance
- Huntress, IronScales, Zorus deployment
- HIPAA compliance - healthcare clients
- Disaster recovery (Nilobit, Cove, Veeam)
- VoIP overhauls across multiple sites
Lead Cloud & Infrastructure Administrator
Mortgage Services — Lansing, MI
Progressed from Support Technician through Network/Systems Administrator to Senior Systems Engineer and Team Lead. Managed teams of up to 10 engineers, maintained 99.9%+ uptime on VMware vSphere, led enterprise Windows migrations, built full-stack internal tools, and administered Azure and Active Directory at scale.
IT Technician
Payroll & HR Software — Coldwater, MI
Where it started - right here in Coldwater. Led an on-premise to cloud migration, managed Windows 7 through 10 transitions as primary lead, administered SCCM, and contributed to internal asset management system development.
Education & Certifications
Education
Branch Area Careers Center
2013-2014 — CompTIA A+, Network+, IT Fundamentals
Kellogg Community College
2014 — Cisco Introduction to Networking
Quincy High School
2014 — Branch County
Certifications
CJIS Security & Awareness
July 2025 - Present
CompTIA IT Fundamentals (ITF+)
March 2013 - Present
CompTIA Network+
May 2013 - May 2016 (Expired)
CompTIA A+
March 2013 - March 2016 (Expired)
The Philosophy
"IT is only draining if you aren't a curious lifelong learner. For some, the rate of change and new things are exhilarating, not exhausting. I've gone from fixing printers to deploying desktop apps to managing VoIP systems to leading teams of engineers - and every step was driven by curiosity and the joy of solving problems that actually matter."
A small team with deep roots in Branch County and real results to show for it. We don't just understand technology - we understand the businesses and families that depend on it. That's the difference between a vendor and a neighbor.
Want to Work With This Team?
No pitch. No pressure. Just an honest conversation about what you need and whether we're the right fit to help. We're local - we can meet in person.
