MITRE’s “Mr. Reliable” Embodies the Best of Tech Support

If you’ve ever worked in an office, you know how valuable good IT support is.

Each year, HDI, one of the country’s largest technical support and service management associations, honors the best in the profession.

MITRE’s Justin Belt knows the organization well. So well, in fact, that at just 25 he was named Best Service and Support Analyst at the local level (in the Capital Area chapter).

Belt has a dual role with the MITRE Service Desk, working as both a support staff associate and as an executive technical support lead. It’s his job to ensure that the needs of MITRE executives, technical fellows, and fellows are met, while at the same time supporting his service desk peers with their technical queries.

Belt initially joined the McLean, Virginia,, team as a contractor in early 2020 and was soon offered a full-time position because of his dedication and hard work. He quickly became known to his colleagues as “Mr. Reliable,” volunteering to take on any task presented to him. That includes providing after-hours support during the work week and on-call support on weekends.

“Justin quickly established a rapport and confidence with our executive staff after taking over responsibility for that aspect of our service,” says Bill Finley, Belt’s manager. “He stepped into some big shoes and was well-received immediately because of his gregarious personality and ability to quickly establish a high level of trust and dependability.”

When Passion Meets Purpose

Belt has always had an interest in the inner workings of technology. At age 12, he built his first computer. Six years later, he began his career at Best Buy, working in inventory.

“I wanted to work for the Geek Squad and needed to get my foot in the door,” he says. He did much more than that—and was promoted to Geek Squad after just one year.

He spent two years at the big-box retailer before pursuing work at Frontpoint Security and then Amazon Web Services. It was there that Belt was contacted by one of MITRE’s contracting agencies.

“When I learned about the many ways MITRE works to contribute to a safer world, I knew I had to be a part of that!” he says. “I even turned down a position with Microsoft because I believed so strongly in the MITRE mission.”

In April 2022, Belt traveled to Las Vegas, Nevada, to attend HDI’s regional competition. As an attendee and participant, he absorbed knowledge from other highly regarded members of the tech community, while sharing his own experiences.

Today, with support from MITRE’s Educational Assistance Program, Belt is attending Northern Virginia Community college. He plans to earn a four-year degree in information systems. His longer-term goal is to pursue a position in management within MITRE’s Enterprise Computing, Information and Security organization.

Learn more about Belt’s award-winning career on the HDI Local Chapters Live Stream show.

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