Robert Merva
A+, N+, MSBS, SMBA, ASP, CSCP, CENS, Owner and CEO
Robert has been in the IT industry for over 15 years. Like many others in the field he started young; tinkering, building, troubleshooting and repairing computers for family and friends and grew the hobby into a small side business that would eventually lay the groundwork for Avrem Technologies years later.
He worked as the Assistant Director of Technology for Campbell City Schools where he was responsible for the administration of thousands of devices, hundreds of users, and upwards of 20 individual servers. Robert was also responsible for the deployment of Campbell’s Microsoft Exchange email server, the very first on-prem, private email server in use in any of Mahoning County’s public school districts at the time.
In 2007, seeing a need for honest, common sense computer repair, Robert incorporated Avrem Technologies and began working on residential computers and small office networks. In 2009 Avrem Technologies began to focus exclusively on small office networks and slowly transitioned to becoming a business IT consulting firm.
By combining his experience in enterprise networking with the customer-focused approach that set Avrem apart in its infancy, Robert has grown Avrem Technologies into a white-glove Managed Services Provider (MSP) specializing in business IT and cybersecurity consulting focused on providing a phenomenal experience to the users Avrem supports.
Robert’s a stickler for efficiency and process improvement, and his areas of expertise include long-term strategic planning; security-focused decision and policy making, server and network architecture and administration; email service design and management; and low voltage wiring. He has a natural ability to quickly identify business challenges and uses his experience with a vast array of both proven and cutting-edge technologies to overcome those challenges to help organizations of all sizes to achieve their goals.
He is proud of his team and the dedication and integrity they’ve shown in the work they do every day and is looking forward to many, many more years in a field to which he’s dedicated his entire life.
Robert is a proud member of the business mentoring group Round Table 12.
Nathan Chiurco
CENS, IT Engineer (L3)
Nathan grew up in Malvern, Ohio where he also started his first job working in the IT department at his high school in the summer of 2010. It was a great experience and led him to pursue IT as a degree. He is a graduate of Stark State College with an Associate’s of Applied Science in Computer Network Administration and Security and The University of Akron with a Bachelor’s of Science in Computer Information Systems.
While going to school he worked as an IT co-op at a manufacturing company and between school and work found that there was no shortage of kind, genuine people providing wisdom and advice. Through every experience he’s seen the importance of hard work and a positive attitude.
Starting with Avrem in December of 2016, Nathan immediately knew he was a great fit for the team and is excited and driven to maintain the excellent reputation Avrem has built.
Don Restle
CCENT, AWS Cloud Practitioner, IT Engineer (L3)
For as long as he can remember, Don has always held a fascination with finding creative solutions to problems using technology. Originally pursuing a degree in Chemistry, it was during his time at Youngstown State University where he had the realization that most individuals and businesses are not utilizing available technology to its fullest potential. It was observations like these that led Don to pursue and complete a Bachelor of Science in Information Technology.
Don’s first position in IT was as an intern at a manufacturing facility. His role was to coordinate the implementation of a system used to track their inventory and production. In December of 2018, he accepted a position at PPG Industries as a Support Analyst on their global IT service desk, where he had the opportunity to gain experience contributing to a very large and complex enterprise IT environment. He joined Avrem in March of 2020 and is excited to bring his skills and knowledge to the team.
Anthony Billet
CENS, IT Administrator (L2)
Anthony’s interest in computers started at a young age when he started building and repairing computers and troubleshooting issues for friends and family. As time went on he became extremely interested in IT support, troubleshooting, and administration.
Anthony graduated from Youngstown State University where he obtained a Bachelor’s of Science in Information Technology. He joined the Avrem team in late 2016 originally as an IT Intern. He proved himself quickly and he later accepted a full-time position in early 2017.
In his free time he enjoys working on cars, playing video games, hanging out with his dog, and working out at the gym.
Joe Paulenich
S+, CySA+, IT Administrator (L2)
Joe grew up in Struthers, Ohio and started tinkering with computers in high school. He quickly realized an affinity for troubleshooting technology and improving it. While attending Walsh University, he started gaining exposure to the IT field while working at the student help desk assisting professors and students with technical problems. After graduating from Walsh, Joe moved on to work as a certified repair technician at Staples providing tier 1 support to customers and eventually took over the Technology Supervisor role. He decided to enroll at Youngstown State University to pursue another Bachelor’s degree in Information Technology with a focus on cybersecurity.
While Joe was at Staples, he realized the value of having a service oriented mentality as well as how going above and beyond expectations can enhance the client’s experience. He brought over 6 years of customer service and IT experience to Avrem in November of 2017 and looks forward to growing with the company.
Jacob Brown
IT Administrator (L2)
Jacob grew up in Arizona where he loved to take things apart and put them back together.
He graduated high school and was in Marine Corps Boot Camp when 9/11 happened. He spent the next 5 years as a globe-trotting IT administrator for Uncle Sam. He got out of the Marine Corps and moved to Ohio where he married his High School Sweetheart and had 3 kids.
Jacob has knowledge in Windows, Linux and Mac and has worked with everything from desktops to servers, networking and enterprise storage in settings as diverse as Navy ships or Middle Eastern deserts (where he had to build the network so he could use it). His more mundane experiences include working for managed service providers servicing local businesses.
He enjoys hanging out with his family and friends. He is a beer geek and whiskey nerd and loves going out to new restaurants and trying new things in general.
JT Nenadich
IT Professional (L1)
JT started learning about computers as young as 13 years old by fixing his home computer and removing viruses for friends, family, and neighbors. In seventh grade he joined his school’s robotics team where he learned the basics of programming. In high school, he took every computer class Boardman had to offer, in the process learning a ton about the basics of computers, hardware, and software. During his senior year of high school, he was part of a select team of students that worked within the school helping teachers with issues in order to take the load off the district’s technical staff.
In 2011, JT enrolled at YSU majoring in Information Technology and in 2013 he joined the US Air Force and is currently still serving. Soon after, he interned at Simon Roofing for 8 months, first as Junior Developer and then as a systems administrator for the second half of the internship. After his internship, he was hired full time by the Regional Income Tax Agency (RITA) as a Support Specialist before coming to Avrem in the beginning of 2020.
In his free time, he enjoys spending time with his son, gardening, and working on cars
Matt Mills
IT Professional (L1)
Matt was born and raised in Youngstown, he graduated from Youngstown State University in 2018 with a Bachelor’s in Information Technology.
Matt has been fascinated with computers and technology since he first was introduced to them in elementary school. At that point, he knew he wanted to work with and learn all that he could about them. Previously he had worked at a computer shop where he had a wide range of responsibilities. He was exposed to a wide range of technologies that he worked with and had the ability to pull knowledge from my coworkers at all levels. That experience greatly helped improve my knowledge of how systems and people integrate, which helped me improve upon my troubleshooting abilities.
He also learned that mental and physical organization is one of the keys to success.
His other interests include tinkering – he’s frequently taking something apart in the hopes of fixing it (even if that is not always the case), reading, and working in his garden during the spring and summer.
Seth Lucansky
IT Professional (L1)
Seth grew up in Boardman, Ohio. He’s always had an interest in computers since he was little. He would take apart the family computer just to try and understand how it worked. He would also help family and friends whenever they were having computer troubles.
Eventually he decided that he wanted to make a career out of it and enrolled at the Mahoning County Career and Technical Center for Software Engineering. There, he learned about both the hardware aspects and programming side of technology. Senior year, he was hired as the IT assistant and was tasked with setting up computer labs, smart boards and projectors, as well as smaller issues the staff would have. After graduation, he went to Best Buy to work on the Geek Squad as a Repair Agent. The Geek Squad is where Seth was able to really put his knowledge to the test and learn new valuable skills working with technology and the public.
He is always looking to learn more about the field he loves and to better himself in any way he can.
Theodore Schwallie
Security Intern
Theo grew up in Columbus where he took an interest in computers in middle school, working on the home computer and learning from his father who works in the IT field. In high school, he took computer and engineering classes, graduating in 2019. After high school, Theo enrolled at the University of Akron where he is a currently a Computer Information Systems- Cyber Security student. Theo joined the Avrem Team in May of 2022, bringing with him what he has learned at the new and state of the art Cyber Security program at The University of Akron and an excitement to be apart of the team and learn all he can from the hard working and highly skilled team members at Avrem.
Outside of work and school, Theo enjoys working on cars, working out at the gym, and spending time with friends and family.
Mark Thorn
3CX Intermediate Certified, Data, Voice and Fiber Wiring Specialist
Before starting in the telecom industry, Mark worked a variety of jobs from being a warehouse worker, a steelworker at Copperweld Steel, and a maintenance supervisor for a local video rental chain. It was at this last job that lead directly to his career in the telecom industry which so far has lasted over two decades. In that time Mark has installed, troubleshooted, maintained and upgraded data networks, phone systems, paging systems, camera and surveillance systems, and fiber optic networks. He’s currently certified on Panasonic phone systems and has received extensive training on Panduit, Leviton and Systimax products.
He brought his experience to Avrem Technologies beginning in 2018 and has been a great addition to our team. He loves meeting new clients and providing solutions that fit their needs.
Adam Severson
A+, 3CX Advanced Certified, Data, Voice and Fiber Wiring Specialist
Adam’s interest in computers and communications equipment began in high school when he took on the task of troubleshooting and maintaining equipment for his school’s Distance Learning lab. He carried that interest with him into his first job by maintaining radio equipment for a delivery service. This soon evolved into a career path in 2011 after enlisting in the U.S. Army as a Network Switching Systems Operator and later as a Nodal Network System Operator. In these roles he implemented and supported long range radio and network systems. He also discovered a knack for installing cabling and the physical equipment necessary for those roles.
After finishing his Army contract, Adam moved into the commercial telecommunications industry as Premises Technician installing consumer internet and satellite television services in the Greater Nashville area for five years. In addition to utilizing his existing skill set he gained a solid foundation for customer service.
Adam joined the Avrem team in 2020 and is currently pursuing a bachelor’s degree in Network Operations and Security. In his spare time, he loves gardening and is an avid outdoorsman, enjoying hunting, fishing, and kayaking.
Linda Taylor
Client Coordinator
Linda has been in the IT industry for a little over 6 years but has been in the expertise of customer service her whole career. Her previous IT experience was with an MSP as a Dispatcher/Service Coordinator where she scheduled technical resources for onsite as well as remote issues. She also worked on the Project Management team and was the main point of contact for service and scheduling and was responsible for inventory management.
She has previously worked in the security industry as an Assistant Manager and Programmer for Alarm Systems as well as a previous small business construction owner/partner. Her broad knowledge and experience led her toward the path of Project Management, where she enjoys working with small details and is very goal oriented and organized.
Linda was born and raised in Trumbull County and recently moved to the Youngstown area 4 years ago. She enjoys spending time with friends and family, traveling, experiencing the great outdoors and yoga.
She’s excited about Avrem’s culture and team and is looking forward to getting to know clients.
Angie Applegarth
Controller
Angie was born and raised in Western Pennsylvania. She attended Thiel College where she got her Bachelor’s in Business Administration and has since held accounting-related positions for companies in a wide variety of industries, including nine years working for a publicly-traded company as an Accounting Manager and Senior Financial Analyst. In the five years before joining the Avrem team, her most recent position was that of Controller for a large construction and excavating company where she worked closely with the owners managing the accounting and developing and implementing new systems as the company grew.
Angie loves her husband and kids and enjoys watching their sporting activities (including lots of traveling for baseball) and seeing their continued academic growth in both high school and college. She spends her free time hanging out with family and friends, vacationing at the beach, and enjoying fall nights around the campfire.
Angie takes a practical and analytical approach to her work and focuses on providing accurate and timely information that supports making sound business decisions. She’s looking forward to learning the IT industry and actively participating in Avrem’s continued growth.
Bert Merva
Building Manager
Bert, like many others on the Avrem team, was also born and raised in the Youngstown area.
A forty-two year, cardy-carrying member of the GCIU, Bert’s held multiple positions in steel, aluminum, and nameplate manufacturing; shipping; and has experience with electrical and low-voltage wiring, plumbing, carpentry. Bert’s a versatile member of the team and the perfect fit as our Building Manager. He also manages Avrem’s growing fleet of company vehicles and assists other team members as needed.
He lives in Poland with his wife, Lydia, and youngest son, Thomas, their black labs (and grand-dog), and spends his free time working outdoors or tinkering on woodworking projects in his garage.
