Growing Good Kids: How Jeff Reiter Of RWK IT Services Supports Brad Finkel And His Team At Jewish Community Center Of Chicago To Help Cultivate Strong Communities And Spread Hope

When you run an organization with multiple locations, programs, early childhood centers and camps, it’s a reality that you’ll also have significant technology demands. But it’s not enough to have someone set up some infrastructure and walk away; no, you need customized solutions that seamlessly work together so your company can be as organized and integrated as possible. Sound like a big ask? Well, this is precisely what Brad Finkel and his team at JCC Chicago expect from Jeff Reiter and his team at RWK IT Services, and, spoiler alert, they’ve delivered on all that and more.

Community Means Coming Together

Brad first became acquainted with JCC when he was just a child himself. “I grew up in JCC programming, but it wasn’t until I became a teen professional in 1998 at Camp Chi that I actually began working for the JCC full time. Eventually, I was promoted to Camp Director in 2017, and today I’m the COO for the organization,” he explains, “Our goal is really about servicing the community, allowing for opportunities to connect and intersect with us, and creating lifelong experiences, memories, and friendships and growing good kids. Though JCC Chicago has been in operation for over 120 years, in more recent years, we’ve started to see that we needed some specific technology infrastructure in order to continue finding new, innovative ways to engage the community.” And between their inward and outward-facing technology requirements, their IT needs were plentiful.

“I think as technology grew over time the network became very complex. We have multiple servers across the agency and hundreds of computers being moved in and out each season at our camps. We have lots of physical hardware at our in-person locations, and tons of data that needs to be stored properly,” says Brad. Adding, “We needed a way to continue to grow our network while keeping our gear up to date and making it compatible for today’s users. Once we realized this, our search for the right IT company began.” Although JCC explored several different options, upon meeting with RWK, they knew it would be a great fit. “Besides being local, which is something that’s always important for us, their initial assessment of our organization was very impressive. It highlighted areas of vulnerability, with specific actions we could take to resolve those issues, and it laid out forward-looking plans for our company. But it wasn’t just, ‘Here’s the solution – take it or leave it.’ RWK has always been great with receiving our feedback or hearing our concerns and then helping us understand the how and why behind the technology.”

Upon the commencement of their partnership nearly four years ago, RWK jumped right in and got to work learning about JCC and what makes it tick. “There was definitely a learning curve for their team at first, which is to be expected, but now I feel confident that they understand our mission and are always looking for the best ways to meet our needs. They’ve helped us move our sensitive information to the cloud for easier access, and we’ve looked at implementing systems that work together cohesively across the different internal teams we have,” notes Brad, “At JCC, we have teachers, front desk staff, an accounting team, and a marketing team, to name a few, and all those departments need varying levels of support, which is something that RWK has provided us with.”

Partnership in Positivity

And at this point, the relationship between RWK and JCC is very much that of a partnership rather than a third-party vendor and a client. “Jeff and his team are always ready and willing to go above and beyond to help us meet our technology needs. For example, our overnight camp requires certain equipment in order to function. Sometimes, technology can be a fickle thing that just doesn’t want to work. However, I know that when there are issues, they’ll be onsite at all hours to resolve the problem. With RWK, there’s a genuine sense of care, which gives me peace of mind knowing that whether I’m physically there or not, JCC Chicago is in good hands technology-wise,” says Brad. He continues, “One of the RWK technicians, Denis, spends a lot of time at Camp Chi, and he told me that one time, there was a person who came in and started asking him camp questions. He had to tell him, ‘Oh, sorry, let me get you the right person,’ but that just goes to show how integral they are to our business and that they really are a part of our organization rather than an outside entity.”

Of course, RWK’s expertise extends past this to many branches of the business. Beyond the camp setup, they’ve helped JCC implement better phone systems, provided user training and ongoing support for the various departments, and are always looking for new technology solutions for the organization. “RWK is constantly looking one step ahead, which is something I really appreciate because I know they have our best interest in mind. They’re always the first to double-check that we’re getting the best products at the best prices, and if we do integrate a new system or procedure, they’re dedicated to monitoring and updating the protocol to ensure it’s running optimally. Overall, I’d say they’ve achieved a more simplistic digital footprint while incorporating more advanced technology, and I couldn’t ask for anything more,” says Brad.

With an organization that has so many moving parts like JCC Chicago, they needed technology solutions that streamlined their business, increased their efficiencies, and, simply put, just plain worked. By bringing RWK into the fold, JCC has been able to get back to doing what they o best – servicing the community with their programming and working to build the next generation. So, if you’ve been searching for an exceptional IT firm based in the Chicago area, you need to contact Jeff Reiter and his team at RWK IT Services today!