One person with a decision to try

As a lover of science, James Ockenden, ‘83, chose Biology for his major thinking his interest and hard work might lead to study in a pre-med program. Instead he learned rather quickly that he was not particularly good in Chemistry and determined that it was time to change course.  With encouragement from Sister Stella Regina Welch, he transitioned into the School of Management and found a much better fit in the Business Management Program. A self-admitted video game enthusiast and skilled typist, Ockenden concentrated in Word Processing at a time when the lab on campus consisted of 30 Xerox electronic typewriters, one PC, and one Mac that most students did not know how to effectively utilize. These computers did not come with user instruction manuals, so Ockenden wrote them to help other students learn how to use the software applications. Taking advantage of his keyboarding skills, he would type papers and resumes for his peers. These experiences and his leadership drive helped him to make a connection with Xerox which resulted in a highly valuable internship experience.

James Ockenden, '83
iV4, a ProArch Company
Trustee, Nazareth College

This internship opportunity was significant and helped pave the way for Ockenden’s career in technology. He was the first person assigned to a newly designed program there and worked directly with Xerox’s North American sales team. He was responsible for providing the team with back end support and marketing communications, as well as sharing information gathered from a database he developed to capture competitive sales data. For Ockenden, the internship experience was “tremendous,” and it was also particularly positive because he earned both credit hours and a paycheck in exchange for his work. The company also entrusted Ockenden to attend national trade shows to do research and gather industry data.  After a year and a half as an intern, he was invited to officially join Xerox and spent time working downtown and in Henrietta. In his time there, Ockenden experienced some unsettling events, including large-scale layoffs that happened around him, leading him to realize that maybe the large corporate world was not a fit for him.

After leaving Xerox, Ockenden joined a medical prosthetic company which he described as the “coolest job ever” as it blended his technology skills with the science he loved. Instructing orthopedic surgeons on how to use the tools for implanting replacement hip and knee systems, as well as having the opportunity to observe actual surgeries, was impactful.  After a few years, Ockenden and his wife relocated to Syracuse where they raised their 3 daughters. He then became Sales Director for a small medical software company, and it was from there that he went on to start his own IT company in 1989. Together with a fellow network technician, he grew the company to 30 employees, and along the way, he started two sister companies, a lease finance organization and an Internet service provider company that competed with AOL in the mid-1990s.

In 1999, Ockenden sold the company.  After spending that next year with the acquiring company, he found that the new business culture did not align well with his personal and business values. As a result, he moved on again, this time to take over a Syracuse based networking and consulting company that was in need of a turnaround and new leadership.  While there, he took on a business partner, and together they purchased the company in 2003.  They rebranded the organization and developed a new strategic plan. They went on to successfully grow and build the organization throughout the 2000s.

In 2011, in a move to be closer to his family and his Fairport roots, he decided to return to Rochester, and took advantage of the opportunity to expand the company’s business into western New York. Ockenden entered negotiations with a Rochester based company, and iV4, Inc. was born. The company now has offices in Rochester, Syracuse, and Buffalo and has clients around the country. The company employs 60 people, and while it offers some of its historical IT services, it is focused very heavily on Cyber Security, Cloud, and Microsoft technologies. iV4 is one of Microsoft’s largest Gold partners in the Northeast.
 
On May 29th it was formally announced that iV4 was acquired by a global IT company, ProArch Technologies, headquartered in Atlanta. As a ProArch company, Ockenden and his two partners have stayed with the organization and have not only expanded their service offerings but also expanded their global reach. This acquisition and merging of staff and service offerings made significant business and strategic sense, and the complementary offerings from both parties allow the company to reach more customers and address the greater needs of the organizations they serve.

Over the years Ockenden has stayed very connected to Nazareth. He has participated in focus groups, attended alumni networking events, spoken on panels for incoming students, and presented to several classes in the business school. He has also maintained relationships with some faculty and staff, and together with Jerry Zappia in the School of Management, organized and ran an annual golf event to raise money for an endowed scholarship established in memory of his late college roommate who passed away 12 years ago. Ockenden is a past President of the Alumni Association Board (2000 – 2002) and currently sits again on this same Board.  Serving today on the Board of Trustees, Ockenden is able to look at the College in a more strategic way, hearing questions, understanding challenges, and working with fellow Trustees to help guide decisions toward the continued success of the College.

A true leader in the community, Ockenden is involved with several organizations all for the benefit of others. He is the past Chair of the Rochester Advisory Board for the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Western New York and previously served as Chair for the Make-A-Wish Foundation Central New York chapter. Ockenden has been involved with Make-A-Wish for over 20 years; he and his wife, Mona, are also Wish Granters for the organization. Ockenden also serves as a Big Brother / Mentor volunteer for his 9 year old little brother who attends Rochester City School # 23. They have been paired for 4 years, and he frequently brings him to Naz to participate in events or just a run through the tunnels. Additionally, Ockenden is a Business Mentor volunteer for Business Mentor New York, a state sponsored program that matches mentors with entrepreneurs who provide guidance as they seek assistance in starting their own businesses.

Ockenden is an instructor for Onward to Opportunity, a career training program that provides professional certification and support services to transitioning service members, veterans, and military spouses. This program is part of the Institute for Veterans and Military Families through Syracuse University. He has traveled all over the country visiting military installations to train vets and their spouses and has also developed a training curriculum for their Information Technology program. He has instructed over 1,500 service men and women since the program began and most recently has conducted classes in Washington, DC, and Hampton Roads, VA.

Ockenden started out in business knowing what he liked to do: help people solve problems and find solutions within their organizations. He enjoys technology and consulting and knew he could be impactful and successful in achieving his goals better on his own. His own success was built in part on establishing relationships and seeking out “mentors, coaches, and trusted advisors.”  Some of these influencers were from Naz, and some were other business owners he met along the way. In reflecting on his career and accomplishments, Ockenden is proud of “being one person with a decision to try” and making the move to start his own company many years ago. He traces his decision back to his liberal arts education at Nazareth, when he was encouraged to take chances, be flexible and adaptable, and learn through diversity and change. Nazareth prepared Ockenden to “operate in the world,” and as a “jack of all trades,” he has successfully navigated this journey.