Cohen Barnes is the Owner & CEO (also President / Regional President) at SundogIT, Inc. (Sundog), an IT and security firm serving DeKalb, Illinois, USA. Their work centers on Managed IT services, IT security, and Technology planning.
Cohen Barnes is the owner and CEO of SundogIT, which he runs as the only veteran-led technology firm in Northern Illinois. He is focused on providing technology that lets organizations in his community maximize their mission and impact.
An Army veteran, Cohen served as an infantryman and went Airborne, joining at 17 and later being called up for Operation Desert Storm, where he earned the National Defense Ribbon. He discovered his love of technology in college after the Army, landing a job at Micro Solutions providing tech support for companies such as NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory. In the mid-1990s he left to help establish the first commercial Internet service provider in DeKalb County, and grew SundogIT (formerly TBC) from a basement operation into a team of 20+ employees across three locations offering managed IT services.
An accomplished leader in managed IT services, Microsoft cloud computing, and cybersecurity with more than 20 years' experience, he has helped hundreds of small and medium-sized businesses in Northern Illinois. He is also a dedicated community servant: elected Mayor of DeKalb in 2021, he has served as president or chairman of numerous organizations, including the DeKalb Chamber of Commerce and the DeKalb County Economic Development Corporation, and spent four years on the school board.
Tech support at Micro Solutions (supporting clients such as NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory), Co-founder of the first commercial Internet service provider in DeKalb County, Mayor of DeKalb (elected 2021)
Inducted into the DeKalb Chamber of Commerce Hall of Fame, Two-time recipient of DeKalb Business of the Year, Department of Defense Employer Support Freedom Award, Company listed on the Inc. 5000 list for back-to-back years, Military awards: Airborne Wings, Expert Infantryman Badge, Good Conduct Medal, Army Achievement Medals, National Defense Ribbon