About Me
I'm a technology professional, systems engineer, and lifelong tinkerer with a background that spans electronics, industrial robotics, systems administration, cloud infrastructure, DevOps, and embedded computing.
My career began in the U.S. Navy's Nuclear Power Program, where I worked as an Electronics Technician. That experience gave me a strong foundation in electronics, instrumentation, troubleshooting, preventive maintenance, and the disciplined approach required when working with complex, safety-critical systems.
From there, I moved into industrial automation and robotics, working with sophisticated automated material-handling systems. At IDAB, I worked with automated guided vehicles (AGVs), including specialized paper-delivery vehicles and automated forklifts used in newspaper production. These systems combined autonomous navigation, embedded controls, centralized computer control, traffic management, and automated material handling.
The technology I encountered in the early 1990s was remarkably advanced for its time and sparked a continuing interest in robotics and automation.
I eventually transitioned into information technology, developing a career in systems administration and infrastructure engineering. My experience includes Linux and Windows administration, networking, security, automation, enterprise infrastructure, and AWS cloud architecture.
I've worked with large-scale environments, designed and migrated infrastructure to AWS, automated operational processes, and built systems intended to be reliable, maintainable, and secure.
What I Like to Build
My interest in technology doesn't end when the workday does. I'm happiest when I have a technical problem to solve or something to build.
- Raspberry Pi and Linux-based computing
- ESP32 and embedded microcontroller projects
- Robotics and autonomous systems
- Electronics and instrumentation
- IoT and environmental monitoring
- Networking and home-lab infrastructure
- Home automation
- Backup power and battery systems
- Off-grid and solar power
- Energy monitoring and management
- Hardware/software integration
- Automation and control systems
- Experimenting with new technologies
I particularly enjoy projects where hardware and software meet—building a physical device, writing the software that controls it, connecting it to a network, and then finding ways to make the whole system operate automatically.
Some of my recent projects have involved Raspberry Pi and ESP32 controllers, wireless communications, sensors, access-control systems, automated gates, campground infrastructure, power monitoring, and integrating physical systems with cloud services.
How I Approach Technology
I tend to look at technology as a system rather than a collection of individual components. My background in electronics, industrial automation, systems administration, and cloud infrastructure has taught me to consider the entire chain:
I enjoy troubleshooting problems at any level of that chain and, even more, figuring out how to eliminate the problem through better design or automation.
I'm also a strong believer in practical engineering. The best solution isn't necessarily the newest or most complicated one. I like finding solutions that are reliable, maintainable, cost-effective, and appropriate for the problem.
Today
Today, my professional interests center on AWS, DevOps, cloud infrastructure, systems administration, security, automation, and infrastructure engineering. Outside of work, I continue experimenting with electronics, embedded computing, robotics, renewable energy, and automation.
In many ways, the technology has changed considerably since my days working with industrial robots and nuclear electronics—but the fundamental question hasn't:
How can I make this system work better?
That's what continues to drive my curiosity and my projects.