Chief Operating Officer
Vice President of Business Development
Director of Customer Service and Delivery
Director of Internal Operations
Director of Finance
Deputy Director of Infrastructure Services
Director of Data Center and Cloud Operations
Director of Training and Microsoft 365 Programs
President and CEO
Tom Mercer is the President and CEO of designDATA. He’s known for inventing, engineering and being a thought leader, setting the global stage for technology.
Before joining designDATA’s team, he started as a developer and quickly transitioned into product development. While he’s been working at Arctic IT alongside designDATA, he used to work at 3M Library Systems Business Unit. He worked closely with the leadership team, merging the sector with Bibliotheca and expanding the Cloud Library to several international markets. In turn, this increased the range of content, including audiobooks, magazines, comics and movies.
Tom has a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from North Dakota State University and a Master of Science in Management of Technology from the University of Minnesota.
Chief Operating Officer
Dale Weaver is Chief Operating Officer at designDATA. Dale joined the team to implement the proper framework for driving continuous improvement within the designDATA teams and their clients. He exudes a genuine enthusiasm with his executive leadership for building a strong organizational culture, and his positive energy is truly infectious. This service-oriented culture is highly recognized by the organizations and clients it serves – resulting in growth for all.
Dale has experienced remarkable success improving NPS scores, driving operational efficiency, and creating award-winning customer service programs in previous roles. Dale brings a true entrepreneurial spirit and “Can-Do” attitude with a proclivity for instant connection with the teams and clients around him. He leans on his leadership, military and corporate background to resolve immediate and future business challenges with focus, dedication, determination, and a passion for perfection.
Dale holds a Master’s in Business Administration, Telecommunications Management from the University of Dallas, a Bachelor of Business Administration, Business Management from Radford University, and has completed an Executive Development Program through the Wharton Institute of Executive Education, University of Pennsylvania.
Vice President, Business Development
Erik Haas is Vice President of Business Development at designDATA. He is responsible for leading new business development, establishing partnerships, and managing key marketing initiatives. Erik and his team are focused on helping organizations choose the right professional IT solution that aligns with strategy, delivers promised outcomes and reliably supports their critical missions.
Prior to joining designDATA, Erik cofounded sb LiftOff, a middle market mergers and acquisitions firm dedicated to helping owners grow business value and transition ownership. Erik previously spent 7 years at AREVA, a multinational energy company. He served as manager of the business incubator, shaping the company’s new product development efforts to deliver the greatest positive impact for clients. The incubator drove $240M in new revenue during his tenure. He then led business development for the company’s cybersecurity division focused on protecting critical infrastructure. The business grew from $400K to $10.5M in under two years with his sales leadership.
Erik earned his degree in Finance and Investments from Baruch College at the City University of New York. He is a graduate of Leadership Fairfax, Past President of the Rotary Club of Herndon, and participates in a broad range of community service initiatives. He enjoys baseball, reading and spending time with his wife Lauren, son Mason and beagle Belle.
Director of Customer Service and Delivery
In 2015, Saul joined designDATA as an engineer. He excelled in this role and was quickly promoted to Supervisor, then Client Technology Manager, Program Manager, and finally to the well-suited position as our Director of Customer Service and Delivery. Saul is also designDATA’s Microsoft Teams Telephony practice lead and assists customers in planning and migrating to Microsoft’s cloud-based corporate phone system.
Currently, Saul is responsible for leading the client service delivery teams. This commands close collaboration with engineers, client team leadership, and our professional services teams to ensure technical standards are met.
Saul carries several certifications, including Microsoft Teams and 365 Security, Apple ACMT, A+, and Ne+.
Director of Internal Operations
After owning her own dance studio for 14 years, working as a legal assistant, and being designDATA’s Office Administrator for two years Denise West has joined the executive team as our Director of Internal Operations. This rich background brings great value to designDATA’s clients; Denise has perfected her leadership and organizational skills and brings an innovative, forward-thinking approach to everything she does.
Denise manages taking care of our people at designDATA. This includes onboarding, reviews, employee benefits, and other HR items. She is also responsible for our facilities and co-owns the development of our operating budgets with our Director of Finance and Administration, Chris Ceccone.
Denise holds a Bachelor of Fine Art, in dance from Wright State University, studied at The George Washington University for her Master’s in Paralegal Studies, and has a variety of fitness and personal trainer certifications.
Director of Finance
After seven years at designDATA working as Accounting Manager and now Director of Finance, Chris Ceccone embraces his position within the leadership of our organization. Before joining our accounting team, Chris gained extensive experience dealing with nonprofits. This experience has been highly valuable as designDATA specializes in delivering for the association and nonprofit sector. In addition, his proven ability to effectively strategize and implement systems and processes for long-term growth has contributed to his success in this role.
Currently, Chris focuses on developing a successful direction for the Accounting Department at designDATA. He works directly with our leaders to create a strategy that adds value for our clients. This decision-making includes finding ways to increase efficiency, opportunities to increase profitability, and improving employee productivity and resource use.
Deputy Director of Infrastructure Services
Director of Data Center and Cloud Operations
Russ has over 35 years of experience in the engineering and information technology fields and has been improving the technology experience of designDATA’s staff and clients for more than nine years. He started his career as an electrical engineer supporting US Navy defense initiatives; eventually, his interest in computerized data acquisition and processing systems led to a successful career in the information technology industry.
Russ’ areas of expertise include data center design and construction, enterprise computing systems, storage arrays, backup solutions, and networking. He is a graduate of Penn State University and holds certifications from Microsoft, VMware, Veeam, Sophos, and CompTIA.
Director of Training and Employee Engagement
