HELLO
A long time ago in a galax... Let's try again... ๐คจ
Many years ago, this blog and its guides, tutorials, and knowledge articles, were required by Packt Publishing to cross reference:
Amazingly, it's still there for sale on Amazon—highly recommended, good read, buy now. Zero chance you’ll find that version of SolarWinds today. Nevertheless… good read, very entertaining, great value—buy now. ๐
In recent years, this has become a convenient place to keep my bio. ๐ป ๐ค
BIOGRAPHY
I entered the IT industry in the late 1990s at Datel Systems, building systems for the San Diego Community College District. Around that time, my brother Greg and I spun up Blue Sun Design LLP, an MSP serving small and mid-sized businesses.
Dec 2004, I joined BioMed IRB as a Network Administrator, managing a HIPAA-compliant infrastructure.
Mar 2009, I became Director of IT for IDSolutions, a subsidiary of McCarthy & Holthus LLP, where I led a team of Systems Engineers, Network Engineers, and Help Desk Technicians.
Jan 2014, I decided to return to a hands-on role as a Systems Engineer at SpotLink, later serving as Regional Account Manager for North County San Diego.
Sep 2014, I relocated from San Diego to Denver after accepting a Sr. Systems Engineer position with Accuvant, who (shortly after) acquired Fishnet Security to become Optiv. The move to Colorado was a great success because I met my wife, Lauren, and (shortly after) my two incredible kids, Rachel and Ian.
Sep 2019, I joined Nelnet as Cybersecurity Manager over Vulnerability Operations (eight Engineer & Architect direct reports), leading an initiative to replace CIS compliance with DISA-STIG to meet U.S. Department of Education (FSA) security requirements. This role required a 6c Public Trust Security Clearance.
Feb 2022, I defected and went into sales as a Sr. Solutions Engineer for SentinelOne, consistently exceeding annual sales goals and earning a President’s Club trip in 2024.
Currently, Sep 2025, I joined Zero Networks as a Solutions Engineer, helping enterprises implement automated micro-segmentation and Zero Trust—with Just-In-Time (JIT) MFA to protect privileged access without agents, manual policies, or complex integrations.
MY CERTS
- [MCSA] Microsoft® Certified Solutions Associate
- [MCP] Microsoft® Certified Professional
- [VCP7] VMware Certified Professional 7 – Cloud and Automation
- [VCP6] VMware Certified Professional 6 – Data Center Virtualization
- [NCDA] NetApp® Certified Data Administrato
- [ACWP] Aerohive® Certified Wireless Professional
- [ACWA] Aerohive® Certified Wireless Administrator
- [ACE] Accredited Configuration Engineer – PAN-OS
- [ITIL-F] ITIL Foundation Certificate in IT Service Management
IRL UPDATES
June 2024, family and I packed our bags and moved from Colorado to the Arizona desert. At that time, Rachel (7) was officially traded from the Arapahoe Lady Warriors to the Arizona Kachinas, and Ian (4) began his hockey journey in learn-to-skate classes with ambitions of becoming a goalie and perfecting post-to-post kick saves.
As of Sep 2025, Rachel now plays with the boys on the Jr. Sun Devils 8U Elite travel team, and Ian was drafted to the San Jose (aka Chandler) Sharks.
RULES TO LIVE BY
Don't get ruthless, you'll get toothless.
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If you fight, may you fight for a friend.
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| > if / then logic < |
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| if a backyard rink is an option |
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| then always build rink. |