About Stephen Herrera, President and Co-founder
Stephen, who sets the direction for SASe, is the lead IT administrator and consultant for the company, and most likely to be the person who will come to your office for onsite computer repairs. He’s the reason our #1 compliment from clients (after “you made our computers work better”) is:“You actually have a personality!”
If you’ve said this to Stephen, you probably got a big laugh out of him. But don’t let the smile fool you. He’s serious about technology and making it work for his business clients.
Unlike most “computer gurus” who enter the field because they were a personal computer hobbyist, Stephen began working with networked systems technology as a function of the business.
History of Handling Tough Situations
Stephen became an EMT at 17 and worked in the field while finishing his senior year in high school. This explains why he stays calm no matter what’s going on with your network.
He joined the Army right after graduation and became a Pharmacy Technician because of his medical background and high-test scores. After serving for eight years, he was honorably discharged and started working for a correctional facility in their pharmacy. He was frustrated by their old, legacy software system, so Stephen started teaching himself computer networking and programming so that he could get the reports the staff needed. Soon after that, his networked system got statewide attention, and he was asked to travel to California to set up systems across the correctional facilities. “You do realize people go to school for years to learn this,” he was told.
So Stephen went to school to get a handful of certifications, including the MCSE (Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer), which includes exams on Microsoft Windows NT operating system, desktop systems, networking, and Microsoft server products.
20 Years of Technology Experience
After he graduated, Stephen was hired as an I.T. assistant for a Fresno company and was promptly promoted to their lead I.T. technician after four months. The company was acquired, and Stephen became their national I.T. Director. When that company was bought out, Stephen decided it was time to fulfill his desire to go out on his own. He launched Synergy Admin Solutions in 2011 with a business partner who has since moved on to another venture. Stephen enjoys solving problems and figuring out the unknown.
“When the laws of networking say there’s no way to do it, Stephen figures out a way.”
That was the inscription on his Employee of the Year plaque, and it remains true to this day.
Stephen says, “I never get discouraged. There’s always a solution for a business problem. Technology is my favorite tool to use to make life and business easier for other owners.”
The SASe team includes partnerships with, and access to, specialists and resources including engineering, telecommunications and wiring, and the Microsoft Alliance Partnership.
On a personal note, Stephen enjoys competitive swing dancing in his (rare) spare time, but his favorite job of all is being a dad to his little girl.