COVINGTON, Ky. - Essam Elgusain’s work as interim IT manager at the City of Covington since Nov. 1 has earned him the job permanently.

 

Elgusain’s appointment was approved by the Covington Board of Commissioners last night in a 5-0 vote. He replaces Kendall Huff, who left the City to take a private sector job.

 

“As we went through the process of replacing Kendall, Essam stood above all other applicants,” City Manager David Johnston told the Commission. “He’s been turning heads in a positive way, particularly with his work to help the Housing Authority upgrade its IT.”

 

Elgusain came to the City in October 2018 as an IT Specialist. Before that, he worked for three years for Pomeroy as an IT service desk analyst and for Amazon, testing and repairing electronic devices.

 

In Covington, he oversees the information technology infrastructure that allows nearly 500 employees at City Hall and at the Housing Authority of Covington to provide services to residents and businesses in the city. Covington began managing HAC’s IT infrastructure Jan. 1, 2019. Last night, the Commission approved a one-year renewal of that contract.

 

The work includes day-to-day monitoring and maintaining of technology, working with staff to address problems that arise, and planning and overseeing strategic investments in software and system upgrades.

 

Elgusain is completing his computer information technology degree with a minor in business administration from Northern Kentucky University.

 

Elgusain said he believes that IT’s primary function is to help City departments improve their interactions with residents and businesses.

 

“I see myself as a small piece in the big puzzle of providing services,” Elgusain said. “In this day and age of technology, the services that the City provides rely in large part on technology itself, so much so that we often take it for granted.”

 

Elgusain said he will continue the modernization of the City’s IT infrastructure that he was helping Huff tackle. That includes upgrades to both hardware and software, some of which was 10-15 years old, he said.

 

Long-term, he said he looks forward to helping the City and its partners - including Renassiance Covington - expand the availability of public wi-fi on a citywide level.

 

“IT tends to be neglected in the government sector,” he said. “The work to keep a system modern and efficient never ends.”

 

# # #