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Pearl Technology Leadership Team

Your Technology Team

No matter your core business, technology plays an important role in daily operations. And we understand that when it fails, your business suffers. That’s why our team works with you to architect a custom strategy.

Plus, we can often do it for less than it would cost you to manage these solutions on your own.
Dave Johnson, Managing Partner

Dave Johnson Managing Partner

Dave joined Pearl Technology in 2012. Dave is responsible for setting the overall direction of the organization and for driving the company’s growth. He is also responsible for developing and executing the company’s business strategy, overseeing the company’s operations, and providing leadership and guidance to all employees. Additionally, he is accountable for financial performance, budgeting, and long-term planning.

Dave works from our headquarters in Peoria Heights, Illinois, and is a member of InfraGard, which is a partnership between the FBI and private sector for the protection of the U.S. Critical Infrastructure. He is committed to the community and the promotion of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education. Thus, Dave is the cofounder of the Pearl Technology/Richwoods Township STEM Academy and is involved in all their events. He is also a member of ARISS (Amateur Radio on the International Space Station) U.S. Education Committee and a certified BBQ Pitmaster for charity events.

Dave has 3 adult children and 9 grandchildren.

Anthony Mini, President

Anthony Mini President | CISO

Anthony joined Pearl Technology in 2021 and is responsible for overseeing all aspects of the company’s operations, including setting the company’s overall strategy, managing the executive team, leading the board of directors, and ensuring the company meets its financial and operational goals. Anthony is also responsible for developing and executing company-wide initiatives, culture, and policy, as well as leading the company’s overall mission. Additionally, he is responsible for maintaining relationships with customers, partners, and other key stakeholders.

He has more than 22 years of experience. As a major with the Air National Guard in Peoria, Anthony served as commander of cyber operations since 2009. He is an accomplished technology professional with experience in strategic planning, project management, and cybersecurity and one of the Peoria area’s 40 leader’s under 40. In addition to his proven success across public, private, and non-profit organizations, Anthony has the following certifications: CIO, CISSP, CCNA-Cyber Ops, ITIL, Sec+, and 6 Sigma (Green Belt). Anthony also holds a Master’s of Science, with a CIO concentration, from the National Defense University College of Information and Cyberspace.

Anthony and his wife, Cristen, live with their three children in Central Illinois. His hobbies include aviation, golf, coaching hockey, and all things technology.

Jeremy Caldera, Executive Vice President

Jeremy Caldera Executive Vice President, Audiovisual Technology

Jeremy joined Pearl Technology in 2021 and works out of our headquarters in Peoria Heights, Illinois. The former CEO of IAS Technology, he currently oversees audiovisual integration solutions. Jeremy specializes in the planning and design of Audiovisual systems, organizational management, employee management, and the development of corporate standards and strategies for business growth.

An expert in the professional Audiovisual industry with over 25 years of experience, Jeremy was recently named to the SCN Magazine International Audiovisual Hall of Fame and has received several other awards, including AVIXA International Educator of the Year, AVIXA International Young Audiovisual Professional, and one of the area’s 40 business leaders under 40. He was also nationally recognized as one of the top 40 most influential people under 40 in the industry by CI Magazine.

Jeremy is actively involved as a volunteer within the professional Audiovisual industry and his community. He is a Senior Instructor for AVIXA teaching at various trade shows including Infocomm, has served as the chair of AVIXA’s Certified Technology Specialist (CTS) Certification Program, a member of AVIXA’s Governance (LSC), and the chair of the committee for renewal of the AVIXA/ANSI 2M standard. Jeremy has also taught advanced Audiovisual design at Columbia College Chicago, a three credit hour class he designed for the College, and sits on the academic advisory board of his alma mater within the Audio Arts & Acoustics department.

Nick Just, Vice President of Sales

Nick Just Vice President of Sales

Nick joined Pearl Technology in 2023. Nick is responsible for the overall leadership, planning, and
execution of the organization’s sales and marketing operations. He is responsible for developing and implementing sales and marketing strategies to drive revenue growth, optimizing customer experience, and enhancing the value of the company’s products and services. He is responsible for developing strategic partnerships with key customers and channel partners, creating and managing budgets, and creating and executing sales and marketing plans. Nick is also responsible for leading and managing the sales and marketing teams, providing guidance, mentorship, coaching, and training to ensure team success.

Nick comes to Pearl Technology with a background in Sales and Marketing Leadership, strategic development and execution, and scaling companies in the cybersecurity space.

Nick lives in the Greater St Louis area with his wife and 3 young kids who are active in their school, sports, and local community. His hobbies include traveling, working on the house, and playing with the kids.

Mike Strickler, Assistant Vice President of Operations

Mike Strickler Assistant Vice President of Operations

Mike joined Pearl Technology in April 2010 and currently oversees all technical operations, including audiovisual, cybersecurity, datacenters, and IT solutions. As AVP of Operations, Mike is responsible for developing and implementing strategic plans to optimize the company’s technological infrastructure, ensuring the efficient and secure operation of the company’s IT systems, networks, and applications, and overseeing the development and implementation of new technology systems.

With over 20 years of experience in technology, Mike has worked with businesses ranging from SMB (Small-to-Medium Sized Business) to Fortune 500 companies. During that time, Mike has held multiple industry certifications from vendors such as Aruba Networks, Cisco Systems, Palo Alto Networks, and Microsoft.

Mike lives with his wife, twin boys, and a daughter in Central Illinois. In his free time, Mike and his family enjoy traveling, amusement parks, movies, campfires, and board games.

Ali Wilson, Accounting Controller

Ali Wilson Accounting Controller

Ali joined Pearl Technology in 2022. Ali is responsible for they day-to-day financial operations of the business.

Ali has 25 plus years of accounting experience. Her first 10 years were spent in the private sector and until joining Pearl Technology in 2022, she worked in the public accounting sector. She spent most of her time auditing in the local government, Employee Benefit Plan and Electric Cooperative industry, while assisting with individual and corporate tax returns. She obtained her CPA in 2011 and her CFE in 2017.

Ali and her husband, Chris, live outside of Mason City in their 100-year-old farmhouse. They have 4 adult children who reside in Wisconsin (1), Tennessee (1), and Virginia (2). They have 2 dogs, 1 cat and several chickens. In her free time, Ali enjoys gardening, deer hunting and updating the farmhouse. She also enjoys visiting family, friends and traveling with her husband.

Get to Know Us

As your partner, Pearl Technology offers products and services to help your business flourish in a technology-driven world… but we never lose sight of the people connection. Get to know who we are and what we do behind the technology.

Stephen Harayda—Helping Clients Strengthen Network Security
People of Pearl Tech

Stephen Harayda—Helping Clients Strengthen Network Security

As a security analyst in charge of Vulnerability Management and Endpoint Protection and Response (EDR) with Pearl Technology, Stephen Harayda is primarily responsible for administrating SentinelOne EDR protection and helping clients with threats through continuous monitoring and incident response.

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