I first learned to code in TI BASIC on my grandpa's TI-99/4A in the late 1980s. My first programming course was not until 2001 when I took a Java 2 class my Freshman year of college. That next summer, I took a C++ course for extra credit. Next semester, I took a Data Structures and Program Design class in Pascal and a Visual Basic 6 course. At this point in my studies, I began to transition from programming to systems engineering, learning about Novell Netware 6 and Microsoft Windows Server 2003.

These days, I virtualize server, network, and storage (IT Infrastructure) using VMware vSphere on Nutanix, Amazon AWS, and Microsoft Azure; I architect, build, and administer complex, multi-tier applications and systems using several different flavors of server operating systems, databases, containers, and load balancers; I secure email communications and enable collaboration with Microsoft Office 365, Microsoft Teams, G-Suite, Proofpoint, Mimecast, and DMARC; I research and test new technologies, methodologies, and best practices to further hone my skills and to help ensure I'm delivering the best solutions.