Q&A: Introduction to Michael Tirres, Senior Project Manager at Makpar

With more than 20 years of government IT experience, Michael Tirres is a new Senior Project Manager at Makpar. He will be playing a major role in advancing solutions for streamlining the taxpayer experience at the IRS, as well as enhancing Makpar’s Identity Access Management (IDAM) capabilities.

To officially introduce Michael to Makpar’s ecosystem of government customers, partners and employees, we recently sat down with him to get his take on why he joined the company, and gain his perspective on overall government IT trends.

The following conversation has been edited for length.

Q: Please tell us about your background.

I am originally from Houston area and studied chemistry in college, where I got into computer engineering customizing software (LabView from NI) and was awarded a scholarship. From there, I worked at Accenture in the San Francisco Bay Area, and learned Java and other software development skills.

My foray into the government IT world started with a company that supported the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) developing content management systems – during the early days of DHS. After that I took a role with the Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA), and was able to hold several security clearances throughout the years.

Fast-forward to today, where I am excited to support the IRS and provide what I feel is a critical service to our country.

Q: Tell us more about your role at Makpar.

I recently joined the company as a Senior Project Manager for the Makpar EA3 team, which modernizes the way that taxpayers and tax professionals securely interact with the IRS. Much of this is being achieved through the ongoing development of public-facing portals and interfaces that streamline the overall taxpayer experience.

I also plan on helping to expand the company’s IDAM capabilities. This is a high-growth area that I have experience working in at the Department of Defense. The evolution of provisioning users and the move from on-premise to hybrid models present an exciting future.

Q: Why did you choose to work at Makpar?

There are actually two reasons. One of them being that there’s definitely future growth for me at Makpar. The other reason is that Makpar has a reputation for having great leadership that takes care of its people.

In addition, I have had a personal and professional relationship with Tariq Islam, Director of Technology and Solutions at Makpar, for many years. He is someone that I respect tremendously and he certainly played a role in my decision to move over to Makpar.

Q: Where do you think IT modernization in government is headed?

There are a several areas that will continue to be important for government. For example, security will always be the foundation for pretty much everything in government, and its level of importance is accelerating.

The second area is all about the data, which will drive where you are, where you have to be and how to predict the future. The third priority area is all about helping government to be more agile in growing diverse spaces like the cloud and mobility. 

Q: Any personal information about yourself you would like share with our readers.

This is a heavy-loaded question. Ha!  I wear many hats, and living in Austin, Texas, there is so much to do here. I love outdoor activities, and I like to run, fish and hunt. I am also a coach for many youth-based sports.

I like doing work projects around the house, and I am very involved in my church.  My wife and I are also very big on education and learning. This is what really brought me to Makpar, where I can keep on expanding my knowledge in the government technology space.

We would like to thank Michael for taking the time to speak with us, and officially welcome him to the Makpar team!