Thank you for checking out my website 👋
I’ve been developing web and mobile applications for quite a while, and I’ll probably write about these things on my website when I have the time. You can often find me running, hiking mountains, skiing down a slope, paddling in a stream, or exploring a new area.
I currently work as Director of Engineering for XWP.
My Journey into Software Engineering
In the mid-90’s, I got my start with web development by managing my high school’s web server and building various fansites that, of course, featured lots of awesome animated gifs. One of my websites, Cosmo Kramer’s World, was even featured in Yahoo! Internet Life Magazine.
When I was 16, I was fortunate to land an internship at Bank of America (formerly MBNA), which gave me deep experience doing IT network management and provided my first taste of developing software. I eventually learned how to develop applications in Powerbuilder and C# and eventually build web-based applications.
During college, I worked for the University’s Communications department, building enhancements for umaine.edu with ASP.Net.
After college, I had a couple of stints at traditional software companies but I found the work not as interesting or exciting as I had hoped. Eventually, I found a job at Colby College as a Senior Web Developer and eventually became the manager of the college web department. Working in higher education was the creative opportunity I was looking for, as I was able to experiment with a wide range of technologies and responsibilities. I also was able to manage a small team including student workers, which gave me leadership experience and confidence leading larger projects
Entrepreneurial Endeavors
During that time, I had the opportunity to develop skills in developing mobile applications, learning iPhone/Android app development. I even created an early iPhone app called iLobster, which I expected to make a million dollars from, but sadly was mistaken (though I did eventually sell it).
I also have been a contract web developer, working on occasional side projects. These days, I mostly only support existing clients, as my free time has become a bit more difficult to come by.
If you’re interested, you can view an archive of older freelance/contract projects online.
Engineering Leadership
Over the past decade, I’ve been keenly interested in focusing on engineering leadership as a skill and new career challenge. I managed the web development team at Colby College, I’ve led talented engineers as Director of Engineering at 10up, and as Head of Engineering, Infrastructure at Automattic. I supported three teams who built and enhanced the contributor experience, tools, and infrastructure for the WordPress and Openverse open source project.
I thoroughly enjoy the challenge of supporting engineering teams to help them achieve success. I’ve worked remotely with globally distributed remote teams for the past decade and have learned about new cultures through my distributed teams.