I am primarily a Scripting Guy with a dynamic and flexible skill set in the area of Information Technology with qualified experience in a number of areas. I have strong skills in improving efficiency and automation. I am proficient in supporting and evangelizing technology and policies as well as the purpose and benefits of ITIL and ITSM when it comes to process and the advancement of a company toward better business. I believe in up-time, not simply on servers, but the whole infrastructure, including the desktops and laptops people use day-to-day.

My skills reside a range of non-exclusive areas including scripting, automation, web-based software development, and technical troubleshooting/problem resolution. While my current employment is more of a DevOps role working in systems Integration with some involvement with monitoring tools like New Relic Synthetics and Zabbix, I have had extensive experience working with PHP/MySQL/ASP/T-SQL on a Linux or Windows OS. I have significant experience with hardware and software deployment reputation for ensuring minimal customer impact. I have also had great success as the specialist, finding quality solutions under any number of platforms including Microsoft Office, Command-Prompt batch files, Visual Basic, and web-based solutions. I am experienced in Server Administration on a small scale, less than 10 servers with limited WAN exposure, with great success. I am confident and interested in providing solutions to a small to mid-sized business environment, supporting end-users as a sole supporter or in a team environment, and mentoring and growing the team's skills and strengths to ensure the user-community is well served within budget and needs.

I know that my interest is to primarily remain technical, utilizing my skills to serve and mentor others with a natural progression to management, though that is a long-term goal. Short-term I would hope to broaden my knowledge and skills in end-user services with considerations for distributed services and centralized computing. Whether it's Citrix, web-based, or another tool, the advantages of centralized, thin-client services and tools are a leading concern. Certifications will regain a role in my career, though not to as a means of self-promotion, but as a tool for the company I work for, to boast the quality of their people.

Application Developer

My skills as a web developer are focused primarily on the technical side of design and the programming involved. While I am capable of graphics work for the web, traditionally a trained graphic artist will provide the presentation side asking me to make the web site look as he or she has drawn it. I will take the finished graphics and connect the presentation layer to the technical layer delivering the finished product, connecting the look and feel of a web site to a database or a system to serve the user. I have had strong experience with Linux/Apache/MySQL/PHP (LAMP) and Microsoft development platforms with support for Microsoft Access if required and some use of Oracle-based systems.

Desktop Technical Analyst/Support

An effective second-level support and technical troubleshooting professional, my communication and technical skills are key to this role. In addition to these core skills my skills in tools development using Visual Basic, command prompt batch files, scripting, utilities, and automation play a very large role very important for specialized functions and special projects. I am experienced with Symantec Ghost, in-house data recovery, and system deployment methods. I am consistently respected by my team and customers for my technical skills. I am experienced in software support and configuration including automated setup, ODBC connectivity, and custom setup procedures.

Windows LAN Administration

Whether it is administering a rack of servers in a small company, or assisting in server administration as part of a team in a larger organization, I have extensive skill in server configuration and planning. I understand the logic more than simply how to do the job. My history with Windows networking, LAN configuration, TCP/IP, and VPN support is varied and offers a strong background to support your company.

Information Management

I have many strong skills, one of which is my ability to document technical procedures and produce a technical library to ensure knowledge gained is knowledge retained. With Molson, Paramount, and Toyota a good portion of my role was spent ensuring the processes we required to perform various job functions are refined into repeatable, procedures.

See also: skills matrix

Volunteering

I have tried, in the past, to help organizations that need help with what I am good at. I have withdrawn from some of the following groups due to time and other commitments but I still try to help where possible.

In the few hours away from work, and squeezed in against the needs of family and friendships, is my volunteer work. I give back to my faith, my children, my friends, my industry, and my community through many channels and my skills, the same skills I offer to you.

Help Desk Institute - Toronto Chapter

An organization to support the management and analysts of the service desk industry, I provide technical and finish work for their web-site, www.helpdesktoronto.org, running PHP against a MySQL database on an ISP. While the overall look is my own, the underlying mechanics are only half mine. I enjoyed this work though circumstances have changed and I am unable to assist them any further.

Manse Valley Community Association

This community association is located in Scarborough and they're first concern is the greenspace in their area. They would like the greenspace preserved and the housing project(s) that threaten it moved elsewhere. I do what I can by providing the site and design in addition to helping with the electronic version of their newsletters. Their web address is mansecommunity.hopto.org.

St. George's Church on-the-Hill

The Church Kids organizer, Deborah Nixon, relied on me to clean up, refurbish, and assist them with recycling used PCs and laptops into usable systems for their youth group. I enjoyed this work though circumstances have changed and I am unable to assist them any further.

E-Guiding.com

While I have not been actively involved in this project for a while I was able to transfer this site from a basement operation to a proper server and into the hands of thenetnow.com who have been able to maintain the site very well since the transition.

Helping others

I am always looking for new and effective ways to help people around me. Whether it is in a manner such as those listed above, or something new, I am always happy to help.

More Information

While I am not currently available, I entertain all discussions of opportunities for consulting, contract, or full-time positions. Preference is given to full-time opportunities. While I have a wide range of skills, and determination that ensures whatever I do is done well, I know what environment is best for me to ensure longevity. My ideal position would serve a small-to-medium sized company, where my skill sets can be utilized. This would involve being either independant or part of a team that would maintain user's systems, provide network administration and upgrades, and may even include tools development and/or web development.

If you need someone like me, with my skills, you will need to know me. An interview will tell you only so much about me. To understand me, and whether I'll be a fit in your organisation, please visit my personal website. My preference is to work local to my home in the Bramalea/Brampton area.