Senior Solutions Architect

• May 2023 - Present

Founder - Virtual Chief Information Officer - Infrastructure Architect

• Sep 2011 - May 2023

Cloud Clarity advises corporate clients on technology strategy and digital innovation processes to drive operational improvements and deliver business value—partners with clients to conduct functional assessments to determine the need for new technologies and system enhancements. Interact with internal technical and leadership teams to establish roadmaps and short- and long-range technology plans. The range of consulting services includes IT/Digital Strategy, IT Transformation, Business/Digital Transformation, Virtual Chief Information Officer, Vendor Management, and Technology Implementations. • Streamlined healthcare EDI migration to AWS, cutting costs by 35% and expediting provisioning • Deployed high-availability VPN for state government IT provider requiring zero unscheduled downtime • Enabled medical startup's acquisition by Fortune 500 through technology alignment • Elevated healthcare client retention to 97% by enhancing uptime and functionality • Designed scalable AWS infrastructure, improving healthcare startup's efficiency by 60% Technologies: AWS CloudFormation, AWS Service Catalog, VMware Cloud Foundation, FortiGate Virtual Appliances, NSX-T, Dell PowerEdge, Arista Networking Show less

Co-Owner - Chief Operations Officer - Land Management

• Feb 2021 - Feb 2023

Barkley Land & Timber provides land management, farm management, hunting camps, timber harvesting, replanting, carbon credits, and consultation services. • Currently managing 2100+ acres with different desired outcomes and land use objectives. • Achieved 25% above-average returns on pine saw timber stumpage compared to unmanaged stands. • Increased 18% year-over-year return by brokering carbon credits and leasing hunting rights. Barkley Land & Timber provides land management, farm management, hunting camps, timber harvesting, replanting, carbon credits, and consultation services. • Currently managing 2100+ acres with different desired outcomes and land use objectives. • Achieved 25% above-average returns on pine saw timber stumpage compared to unmanaged stands. • Increased 18% year-over-year return by brokering carbon credits and leasing hunting rights.

Senior Cloud Architect - Software Defined Data Center - Hybrid Cloud

• Sep 2019 - Mar 2020

C Spire, a privately owned wireless carrier, is the largest of its kind and ranks as the sixth-largest carrier in the country. After the acquisition, I transitioned to the role of Senior Cloud Architect - Software-Defined Data Center. • Implemented hyper-converged infrastructure, reducing footprint by 70% and achieving 24-month ROI • Led data center migration for 10K+ workloads, ensuring seamless application dependencies mapping • Conducted Cisco hardware audits, achieving $1M+ true-up in SmartNet contracts • Established on-demand disaster recovery service, cutting costs by 40% using VMware Cloud on AWS • Migrated nine data centers into five, saving $250k/month without unscheduled customer downtime Technologies: VMware Cloud Foundation, Dell vSAN Ready Nodes, Dell PowerSwitch, Arista, VMware HCX, Docker, Kubernetes, Veeam, Cisco UCS, Pure, EMC Unity, 3PAR, Terraform, VxRail, Zerto, LogicMonitor, Rubrik, MX7000, Data Domain, Infoblox Show less

Director of Public Cloud

• Nov 2016 - Sep 2019

TekLinks was a leading service provider of integrated IT solutions for businesses throughout Alabama, Mississippi, Tennessee, and the Gulf South. TekLinks was one of only 16 firms ranked among the top cloud service providers, managed service providers, and value-added resellers in the U.S. Promoted to form Public Cloud practice utilizing lean startup methodologies. • Developed GTM strategy with 300+ customer surveys & 40+ executive discussions• Formed a public cloud business unit and grew to $450K+ MRR• Represented the company at trade conferences, promoting cloud adoption & forging industry partnerships• Hired & coached top talent, established public cloud standards, and enforced ITIL as a CAB voting member• Slashed cloud costs by 20% via Amazon, Google, and Microsoft partnerships• Implemented DevSecOps processes, accelerating the deployment of 15+ new cloud servicesTechnologies: AWS, Azure, GCP, O365, ExpressRoute, Direct Connect, Terraform, CloudFormation, ARM Templates, VMware, Embotics, CSP, Cloudamize Show less

Enterprise Technology Consultant, Storage and Virtualization

• Oct 2014 - Oct 2016

• Collaborated with 12+ enterprise sales reps & OEMs in account planning, generating $20.5M in revenue• Designed & implemented data center solutions from discovery to client integration for 300+ client base• Created & presented 100+ technical proposals, contributing to business growth• Partnered with four major OEMs to build emerging technologies demo environment to boost adoption• Exceeded quota by 168% via partner-specific incentive programs• Increased margins by 7% on average $100K deals through strategic negotiations• Completed RFPs leading to $10M+ in additional hardware & managed services spendingTop Clients: Regions Bank, BLG Logistics, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Vulcan Materials, BL Harbert, UAB Medicine, McWane, NHS Management, Samford University, EBSCO Industries, AAA Cooper, Hibbett Sports, O'Neal Industries, ACIPCO, Hyundai, Honda, Kia, City of Tuscaloosa, Sanderson Farms, BancorpSouth, Camellia Healthcare, Renasant Bank, C Spire, BancPlus, Regal Cinemas, City of Birmingham, Nucor, Covenant TransportationTechnologies: Cisco UCS, Nexxus, Catalyst, HyperFlex, ASA, EMC VNX, Unity, VMAX, ExtremIO, Isilon, Data Domain, Avamar, Pure, VxRail, Dell PowerEdge, HPE, O365, Simplivity, Citrix SDWAN, Meraki, Varonis, Gigamon, Palo Alto, Fortinet, Rubrik, Zerto, Veeam, Turbonomic Show less

Director Information Technology Operations

• Oct 2012 - Oct 2014

MedSnap, LLC. is a company that provides solutions to improve medication safety and adherence via a smartphone-based system utilizing computer vision to evaluate the authenticity of solid oral medications. After witnessing my success in the MedMined acquisition, they invited me to join this prestigious startup. • Directed all IT operations and managed a software developers and external contractors team. • Collaborated with IT leadership in planning and implementation of technology roadmaps. • Assisted in the development and security of intellectual property. • Deployed a HIPAA-compliant hybrid cloud with separation of controls at the corporate data center. • Championed IaC utilizing CI/CD pipelines to release infrastructure and software in parallel. • Reduced costs by decoupling services and utilizing open-source resources. Technologies: Windows Server, OS X, iOS, Linux, SQL Server, MYSQL, Dell PowerEdge, EMC SAN, AWS, SQS, VPC, VMware, OpenCV, LAMP, S3, Cloudformation, Chef, Git, Jenkins, Drupal, HA Proxy, Mirth Connect, HashiCorp Terraform & Vagrant Show less

Senior Principal Engineer, Architecture

• Sep 2009 - Oct 2012

CareFusion was a medical company specializing in reducing medication errors and preventing healthcare-associated infections. Cardinal Health spun off its medical technology businesses to create CareFusion, which BD later acquired. • Implemented an active/active data center architecture for mission-critical services. • Built a new environment and migrated core services to the world's only Tier V data center. • Formed an IT service provider to serve other business units throughout the global organization. • Collaborated with Software Architects to decouple hardware and transition to micro-services. • Researched and tested emerging technology and new corporate initiatives. • Developed a deployable model for data mining services to meet data sovereignty requirements. • Recruiting, hiring, and serving as technical team lead and mentor for peers. Technologies: Windows Server, SQL Server, VMware, HP C7000/C3000 Blades, Dell PowerEdge, EMC VPLEX, EMC Clariion, HP XP, NetApp, Riverbed WAN Optimization, Data Domain, Radware ALB, APC, Sharepoint, Foundry BigIron, Brocade Fabric, Juniper Firewalls & Routers, NetIQ, SolarWinds Orion, SQL Sentry, Ping Identity Show less

Senior Engineer, IT Infrastructure and System Administration

• Jun 2006 - Aug 2009

Cardinal Health, Inc. is an American multinational healthcare services company and the 14th-highest revenue-generating company in the United States. They acquired MedMined in 2006. • Researched collocations in the Southeast for migration from the local server room to a Tier III facility. • Led virtualization initiative and migrated all physical production systems to a VMware ESX environment. • Designed and implemented VDI for better response, isolation, and regulatory compliance. • Implemented two-factor authentication and SSO for internal network and business applications. • Headed the IT portion of every client kickoff call to address security and technical inquiries. • Functioned as client liaison between internal IT groups and customers. Technologies: Windows Server, SQL Server, HP Proliant, Dell PowerEdge, EqualLogic SAN, EMC Clariion, Brocade Fabric, VMware, Riverbed, Data Domain, NetBackup, Juniper Firewalls, Foundry Switches, Juniper Routers, Radware ALB, Raritan KVM, APC InfraStruXure, NetBotz, NetIQ, SolarWinds, Liquidware Stratusphere UX, FlexApp, ProfileUnity, Leostream, Teradici Show less

System Engineering Team Lead

• Oct 2005 - Jun 2006

MedMined was a startup company that developed data mining and AI technology for detecting hospital-acquired infections. A colleague recruited me to clear the existing implementations backlog and to bring the current infrastructure to enterprise-grade in anticipation of the acquisition. • Analyzed environment, designed, received quotes, and implemented in 45 days. • Replaced white box servers and direct-attached storage with Dell PowerEdge and EqualLogic SAN. • Implemented Windows and SQL clustering, redundant firewalls, and switches for high availability. • Standardized data broker server and kept inventory of pre-imaged servers ready for deployment. • Cleared 90-day backlog in 30 days and reduced broker shipping from 30 days to 24 hours. Technologies: Windows Server, SQL Server, Dell PowerEdge Blades, Foundry Switches, Juniper Firewalls, EqualLogic SAN, VMware, SolarWinds Orion, Backup Exec Show less

Senior Open Systems Engineer

• Feb 2005 - Oct 2005

Compass Bank was a publicly-held banking corporation founded in Birmingham and acquired by Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria (BBVA). • Collaborated with 10+ systems architects and 20+ business teams to deploy new technology • Administered 1500+ servers, including a 9500+ user Citrix environment across multiple states • Conducted 250+ application discoveries and mapping to identify DR/BC dependencies and RTO/RPO • Recognized as Employee of the Month for working 36 hours straight to restore a critical LOB application Technologies: Windows Server, Linux, SQL Server, Oracle, Citrix, Exchange, Microsoft SMS, Tivoli TSM, RSA SecurID, Blue Coat Security, Radware ALB, IBM Mainframe, EMC Symmetrix, VMware, NetIQ Show less

Senior System Analyst, Bayer Advanced

• Mar 2003 - Mar 2005

Bayer is a German multinational pharmaceutical and biotechnology company and one of the largest pharmaceutical companies in the world. A former manager recruited me to fill his role. • Planned, budgeted, implemented, and supported all aspects of the $100M Bayer Advanced business unit • Led a team of six engineers in 26K user AD migration for Bayer CropScience North America • Created an AS2 B2B solution for Wal-Mart, which accounted for 40% of the business • Saved $7K/month on frame relay connections by implementing a VPN solution • Joint project manager for SQL upgrade & PeopleSoft to SAP conversion, finished eight months early Technologies: Windows Server, SQL Server, Dell PowerEdge, Citrix, MQ Series, Sterling GenTran EDI, PeopleSoft, SAP, Cisco Routers, Cisco Switches, Cisco PIX Firewalls, Tivoli TSM, WhatsUp Gold Show less

Senior System Analyst, Power Generation

• Sep 2001 - Mar 2003

Southern Company is one of the largest energy providers in the United States and is ranked 126th on the Fortune 500 listing of the largest U.S. corporations. • Provided technical support to 200+ engineering users and executives in a highly regulated industry • Implemented a concurrent licensing system for AutoCAD, saving over $1M in individual license fees • Led a team of eight in upgrading 1,500 workstations four months ahead of schedule • Managed $1M+ in equipment, including hardware billing and asset allocation • Streamlined document imaging processes, increasing productivity and saving $100K+ in licensing fees Technologies: Windows Server & Workstation, Dell PowerEdge, Dell Precision, Solaris, Microsoft SMS, AutoCAD, Bentley MicroStation, 3d Studio Max, Documentum, Kofax, Primavera, Visio, MS Office Show less

IT Consultant - Individual Life Division

• Oct 2000 - Sep 2001

Protective Life Corporation is a Fortune 500 holding company that provides its subsidiaries with financial services through the administration, distribution, and production of insurance and investment products. • IT Consultant providing technical assistance for over 400 local and remote users• Coordinating with cross-functional teams to resolve application and database issues• Imaging, updating, and deploying desktop and laptop PCs• Standardized corporate desktop image for fast deploymentTechnologies: Windows Server & Desktop, IBM Mainframe, Lotus Notes, Domino, High-speed Imaging Show less

IT Consultant - Network Administrator

• Apr 2000 - Sep 2000

Pursell is a fertilizer manufacturer providing active ingredients for numerous national brands, i.e., Bayer Advanced, Scotts, and Vigaro. • Day-to-day administration of PeopleSoft ERP and Windows environment• Provided IT support for eight remote locations in a 100+ user Citrix environment• Upgraded network infrastructure and connectivity at eight locations throughout the USTechnologies: Windows Server, MS SQL Server, Dell PowerEdge, Cisco Routers, Cisco Switches, Cisco PIX Firewalls, Citrix, PeopleSoft, Exchange, NetBackup Show less

Information Technology Network Administrator

• Oct 1997 - Apr 2000

• Developed and implemented comprehensive network strategies, solutions, and protocols • Implemented facilities management solutions and business continuity and disaster recovery plans • Centralized authentication of 1000+ daily members via site-to-site VPNs • Ensured the network's reliability, scalability, and security by conducting routine assessments Technologies: Windows Server & Desktop, MS SQL Server, Dell PowerEdge Servers, Dell PowerConnect, SonicWall Firewalls, Backup Exec Show less