If you actually read this paper on “what makes me, me”, my drive, my work background and my knowledge journeys – Thank you. 
(NOTE: use Opera or DuckDuckGo to avoid ads…)
 
UPDATE: Mar. 2026  — Returning to AWS Data Engineer.

After 10 years of AWS Cloud Architect/Engineer work, up to Tier III support, I made a move in mid-2023 to switch over to D.E. (Data Engineering).
2023 late: However, the Google D.E. journey failed, so, I took on ‘more‘ of a personal certification effort (technical sabbatical) for the following two years – for: AWS Data Engineer & AWS ML Engineer.
2024 Spring: I accepted a Deloitte mid-level AWS Data Engineer offer over a Booz Allen offer (resigned due to BDIP)
2025: No traction for AWS ML (Machine Learning) Engr Associate / Specialty – (economy & 2025 layoffs) – NVidia Gen AI Engr cert halted. 
2026: refreshing AWS DE knowledge & looking for local — Hybrid or Onsite (no FT Remote).

In addition, currently refreshing my Databricks & AWS MWAA with the aim of bolstering them with my MBA & Intelligence analytical background.

—> My primary website (url) for multiple papers over time (besides the following, more listed at the end).
NOTE: For my technical & strategy papers: D.E. / ML / Strategy & Critical Thinking — “none” of them are Academic, Philosophic or Theoretical.
They are down to earth hands-on technical, thinking content in everyday work (papers were created to help others [and me] to use hands-on).

• The specific Journey papers highlight for all, a good path to earn these certifications if one does not have “hands-on work experience” 

The two technical sabbaticals were intensive, self-directed (expensive), DEEP DIVES to earn certifications in Data Engineering (AWS & Google) and AWS ML Engineering (both certifications).

1) Google D.E. (Sept 2023): economy & job layoffs in late 2023 skewed my efforts. End of Dec., returned to AWS and their Data Engineer path.
2) AWS Data Engr (Spring 2024) – prior to the two offers (Booz Allen & Deloitte)
Then turned my focus on attaining the ML certs: 
The two ML certs are to make up for not having ‘multiple years of hands-on AI/ML work experience‘.  
3)  NVidia Generative AI (cert progress halted)
4) AWS ML Engr Associate cert (Jul 2025):

• NOTE: scored over 900 on that Associate cert (a 1st in my AWS Cloud career)…

5) AWS ML Engr SPECIALTY (Sept 2025 but did not break 900….) 

Papers
If serious, all of the certification JOURNEY, multiple technical and/or strategy papers are @ the link above (also linkedin postings):

1. Overall Strategy and Tactics as a Data Engineer / ML Engineer  <=== (this one you really should check out)
2. Enders Game: Only a Teenagers Book? No! Strategic & Creative Thinking Yes.
3. Python & SQL Usage, Costs the Good & Wasted
4. Data / ML / AI Engr Role Denied because Company Thought I was ONLY doing a Certification Run
5. Code errors: ML Engineer Outdated Pandas, Node.js, LabelEncoder, NaN, Jupyter Notebook, oh my
6. Extra Knowledge for (AWS) ML Engineers thats not in AWS Skillbuilder
7. Moving into Big Data Engineering but Overwhelmed & Confused
8. This time I asked Why is it so hard to become a Big Data Engineer Part I

1. Data / ML / AI Engr Role Denied b/c Company “Thought” I was ‘ONLY’ doing a Cert Run…    <— serious paper
2. Journey to Achieve AWS ML Engineer SPECIALTY Cert
3. Achieving My AWS ML Engineer Assoc Cert Journey
4. Achieving the AWS Data Engineer Associate Certification Journey
5. BDIP

During my technical sabbatical efforts, it caused me to produce ~1,100+ pages of notes while earning the four certs.

Sr Corporate Leadership, for who this paper was specifically created for:
As a stand out candidate and to give “you” the incentive to read more than this paragraph – this extensive CV exhibits my very broad and complementary technology background as well as my concentrated specialties in the Cloud – AWS and GCP.

• Benefit to your company: bringing one in, “who is a GO-GETTER…!!! ” 

This material is for you to see the strategic value of bringing someone like me on board – someone ‘always’ hungry for technology and desiring to be ‘hands-on’, while constantly learning.
Additionally, also very curious for problem solving issues and attempting to be creative and/or innovative.

• My drive is evident in attempting to be part of efforts in: strategy, creativity & innovation
  • but it appears I NEED to do an ML / AI Engr project for resume first.

This paper, which leverages my career – is presented due to some recruiters stripping out most of the content from my 3-part CV: cover, resume and technical background.
As stated above – my drive is VERY evident in my AWS ML/AI Engr, Data Engr & Cloud (including Azure and even GCP for brief spells) growth – to be (FINALLY) part of those efforts. It is my driving goal for the next 8-10 years (and maybe gain a doctorate as well….).

********** This section can be skipped if you’d like *************
The making of…. me:
First, I believe in myself enough to be a role model for productivity AND success (with what I hope is perceived as a superb standing in Ethics & Integrity) and wishing it rubs off on others to emulate, which has happened over the years – in order for EVERYONE to grow and share success and knowledge.
(And since I am not a guru or know-it-all  (yet) — I ‘ALSO’ learn from everyone around me, from junior members to senior staff, wherever I go …)

Most importantly, one has to believe in themselves  —  but have fun while doing it…!
That is my personal drive — believing in myself and doing it…! No matter the role, I’ve had fun doing it – ever since my days of:

• Mainframe (Assembler, Cobol, Fortran, Pascal, C++) to
• Data/Network communications & InfoSec to
• CyberSecurity to 
• being a senior Fed in National Intelligence to
• Cloud (AWS, GCP, Azure) Architect / Engineer to
• Data Engineer and now,
• ML / AI Engineer

Then, in tying all the above in with having learned:
5 foreign languages – read, speak & write (all rusty now: Russian, Chinese, Arabic & Japanese) AND trumpet / piano AND Advanced Math / Physics (years ago) – you wind up with a person with a brain built of brain plasticity that WILL contain absorbing and using any new AND old information to digest and use…

This is my brain and mindset on: technology, strategy & innovation/creativity.
That strategic trinity is the reason why, as an AWS Cloud Architect/Engineer, I started and went through the process of gaining certifications (as well as a continual building up of knowledge) for a specific tech trinity of:

• AWS Data Analytics (for a contract that DIA & IC members ended up cancelling), &
• Data Engr (AWS & Google) &
• AI / ML Engr (AWS)

*************** continue from here ******************

Sr Corporate Leaders:
This paper is the game changer (for me) where companies in the past, who do review this CV end up bringing me on-board.
Over time, I discovered there were recruiters who distilled my info so much when presenting to clients that I appear to be JUST another run of the mill candidate.

—- Run of the mill I am NOT…! I am looking to join in ML/AI efforts with Strategy, Innovation/Creativity and Problem Solving at the forefront of my brain. (There is no ordinal ranking for these areas, they are all equal in my head.)

Due to the shifting world in ML / AI and Data Engineering over the past several years, my strategic aim has been to specifically break into an AI / ML Engineering role, preferably with ONE private/commercial company for a good, long time and out of primary AWS Cloud Engineer / Data Engineer roles. Still willing to work in fed spaces for now.

A note on my Deloitte resignation, end of Oct 2024:

• Because of Deloitte’s far, overreaching Compliance / BDIP program, I resigned from my mid-level Data Engineer / Manager role and stopped searching for another Data Engineer job. And via my experience with Deloitte – I am fairly certain there are many others who are also not aware of the BDIPs out there. So I put together a short paper discussing BDIP with other compliance information you ‘must’ agree to work for a company using BDIPs. I did not agree and after a month, I resigned. This is the point when I started all in on my AWS ML & AI certification path. (By the by, as I was leaving – several Deloitte seniors let me know that I was not the first to resign over that compliance program.)
  • That BDIP surpasses even my TS/SCI clearance compliance…

AWS D.E. project on Github – https://tinyurl.com/yc6atz7a
a) Word doc (same name) & b) Readme file

You ask “why” AI / ML / Big Data? Okay…. It is because I have always wanted to work in Big Data (more data) and ML / AI for Strategic, Innovative and Business Intelligence purposes. But due to several DIA and IC contract issues, my path was disrupted multiple times over my cloud career since 2015 due to contract cancellations / de-scoping.

My aptitude, attitude, drive and sacrifice are there and evident as a supernova in my successes of gaining, the:

• AWS ML Engineer, AWS Data Engineer and Google Cloud Platform Pro Data Engineer

certifications – for which I took off from work, altogether to do this full-time, for ~20 months (out of 2 years) to accomplish. If interested, my papers on my journeys for AWS ML Engineer & Data Engineer.
That, as well as with my previous AWS Cloud & AWS Data Analytics & Azure Cloud Engineer growth path shows my drive, hopefully without any doubt.
I want to be part of creative, innovative and strategic cloud efforts – that is my driving goal for the next 8 – 10 years and maybe gain a doctorate as well…

(Be prepared, while extensive, this is a detailed and broad online CV answering ‘MANY’ aspects of my drive, aptitude, ambition and self-starter character. However, if it is too much, then whomever is reading this is not likely to be the type of curious and inquisitive team I want to be part of.)

NOTE: I never got the chance in my IT career (in L.A. years ago) to manage any $20-50 million projects, only ones under $3 million in the past, a long time ago (see ‘Projects’ below).
In my Cloud career, while acting as a PM at a DIA Division in Bethesda, MD – I did oversee all the AWS cloud projects / efforts – while I cannot quote the value of all of them, I can say it was large.

====== ==== UPDATES: ====== ======

Time in cloud roles – AWS ML, AWS and Google Cloud Professional (GCP):

• Oct – Nov 2025: NVidia Generative AI (cert progress ended)
• Sept 2025 SUCCESS:  AWS ML Engineer SPECIALTY cert
• Jul 2025: AWS ML Assoc / AI Engineer — for which I bit off a GREAT DEAL more than I realized when I started this ML / AI path in December 2024 
• Dec 2024: (after resigning from Deloitte in October) jumped full time into AWS ML Engineer to enhance my skill set a bit more – Decided not to wait
  • will figure out how to make time to return to refreshing my Linear Algebra & Multivariable Calculus later this year
    
• Jun 2024: SUCCESS – obtained 2nd Data Engineer cert – AWS Data Engineer
• Jan 2024: switching back to AWS and prepping to sit for the AWS Data Engineer cert (opens late March)
  • continue improving my intermediate Python & SQL
• Jan 2024: It appears holding both, GCP Pro Data Engineer cert and AWS Data Analytics cert are not enough

====== ==== ====== ======

• Sept 2023 SUCCESS: obtained GCP Professional Data Engineer cert
  • Dec 2023: goal was to break into an GCP Data Engineer role
    • Not having 1, 2, 5 years of “hands-on Data Engineer work experience” is hampering me. Additionally, the November/December tech layoffs affected my efforts as well
      
    • Stopped refreshing my Linear Algebra knowledge to return to work
• June 2023: Explicitly taking time off to gain the GCP Pro Data Engineering certification and pick up more Python/SQL  knowledge. Commuting to Chantilly just chewed up too much time every day – causing it to take much longer to get GCP certified.
  
• Feb 2022: AWS Cloud Architect Pro cert renewal
  
• Dec 2021: obtained AWS Data Analytics Engineer certification
• Dec 2021 ==> My goal of getting into a AWS Data Analytics Engineer role at this company fell through. Company’s April 2021 promise to switch me over to Big Data in December did not happen (the role did not exist on new contract). Due to that failure, I resigned for another company
  • It did not matter as it turns out – DIA de-scoped/canceled the Redshift cloud contract – the IC (intelligence community) members each wanted to maintain independent data silos…
• Feb 2020 ==>  Obtained Microsoft Azure Cloud certification

====== ====== ====== ====== ======

To save you valuable time – as much as it pains me to say it, I do not yet have that explicit 1 – 5 years (or more) of ‘day-to-day, hands-on’ Data Engineer work experience to start with on day 1 of a new job.

But, IF your firm is forward AND long-range thinking and not looking through the lenses of ‘must have 5 or 10 years of hands-on work experience’ to start with, I am your new hire. I can do the job – I am not worried or scared of it. I want to get my hands dirty so to speak.

My AWS Cloud knowledge, training and experience was gained the hard way over the past few years – at work and outside of my regular day job as I can make time:

• in the morning hours before work; the hours at night after work and weekends,
• IN-person classes // MULTIPLE online courses with many, MANY labs
• plus several AWS certs & gaining more at this point
  • But the commuting times were slowing down my learning time – that was why I stopped working in June 2023, to devote all my time in gaining the Data Engineering certs.

As to pay, I know I will earn more, just have to find the right place to call home. My aim is to move into a AWS Cloud/Big Data Engineer role for the next decade or more as I have successfully moved out of the Information Assurance (IA) Oversight & Policy arena. Additionally, some people are overly concerned about my coming in and taking over their leadership role (this concern happened while at NSA/CYBERCOMMAND when I was a federal employee {blue badge}). When instead, anyone with good to Great leadership skills would bring me on and welcome my desire to help make the team and the leadership and the firm successful.

I have been focused on learning all of the AWS skill sets necessary to gain the different certifications – no time yet to focus only on 1 or 2 subsets within AWS to become a guru in those 1 or 2 areas. I gained the AWS pro cert for Cloud Solutions Architect but hit the wall for other certifications due to time constraints.

The AWS Specialty cert for Big Data Engineer was on my plate in order to move over into AWS Big Data and/or FinTech. However, that was not enough. Now, I’ve completed the additional Google Cloud Platform Pro cert: Data Engineering.

• You or another forward thinker should take a quick look at a paper I wrote after being asked multiple times, “Why is it so hard to learn AWS?” Part I… it was to help others on some things they should do (along with what I did) to move to a cloud role 
  
• And the follow-on Part II paper
  
• Because of my drive and putting out the previous papers and my move into Big Data (Data Analytics), you now should take a quick look at a paper I wrote to help others (in addition to helping me) on some things they should do to move to this role: This time – “I” asked “Why is it so hard to become a Big Data Engineer” Part I…
  • And because of that aspect, I put out another paper (Moving into Big Data Engineering but Overwhelmed & Confused…) to help assuage, as one person told me, the overwhelming and confusing steps needed to take to move into Big Data
• Another paper: “Cloud Architecture Strategy, Success & ROI from junior Sys Admin to CEO” 

So, “What’s in it for you, the Senior Manager / Executive decision maker (if you are the VERY forward & long range thinker I hope you are)?” 

What’s in it if for you is a stellar employee for your firm/agency, one with drive, as you benefit from the significant amount of effort I’ve poured into my cloud growth to move into a cloud role. As one recruiter put it (in good terms), I am a jack-of-all-trades, while master of none. Actually, it is a “LOT” of IT trades, “all” interrelated (PC, networks, data communication, InfoSec, Cybersecurity, Linux, etc.), which is a good thing.

My unfettered aim is working in “THE Cloud“, specifically ==>> an AWS ML / AI Engr – OR – a combined role of ML / AI / Data Engr role

  a} to work in the areas of: ML Engr; AI Engr; Data Engr; Cloud architecture; Big Data & strategy

to take advantage of my complementary skills & certifications: AWS ML Engr (both noted above); Data Engr (AWS & GCP); Cloud Solutions Architect; Intelligence roles; Technology (several areas) & Strategy along with dual graduate degrees.  

In working in the cloud, I will be a Bridge, due to my “Ambivert” nature {combination of Introvert & Extrovert, which is a real thing} By that I mean, I will be a bridge (between executive to operational levels of individuals in the firm and the different areas of technology) by combining and using all of the multiple areas of my background: IT (see career), Cloud, Cyber Security, Intelligence (national security & human), Strategy and Creativity/Innovation. It is the combination of my skill sets, as they are complementary in many areas that makes being a bridge possible.

For me, an ML / AI / Data Engr role is an excellent fit since IT has been the primary thrust for most of my career in non-cloud roles (voice & data communication (networking), routers, firewalls, PC Support, InfoSec/Cyber security, etc). Troubleshooting role is more along my lines – troubleshooting, problem solving & improving – figuring out where snags out and making whatever better and I want to do this in the Cloud…

To be clear, I had no reluctance or reticence in my goal of ‘moving out of‘ Cybersecurity and Information Assurance roles (specifically, C & A, Governance or A & A) and never again work at DIA.

*****  NOTE:  Here on, will need to further update the content… *****

Overview

Intentional Break (for you to stop)

What I Bring (what sets me apart)

My Brand

My Goal

My Story

Current / Past Tech (cloud) Efforts

Previous IT Projects: further down for reading –> a)  b) & c)  ($ 3/4 million & $2.5 million) – as Nationwide Manager of Mainframe/Network Security, Data Communications, PC Support & Help Desk

Links (My papers – virtualization, strategy, tech, cyber security, intelligence, more)

Overview

You ‘must‘ use your considerable insight and look at my recent background in totality with ‘all’ of my background. Look at it in conjunction with what I’ve done these few years outside of work (learning virtualization / cloud / DevOps, Big Data and DLT/Blockchain) to move forward. It is my innate adaptability to move into something new and rapidly move ahead of other members of any team and bringing them with me.

If you are ‘automatically thinking’ the content used throughout this cover letter is comprised of buzz words, phrases or glib statements being bandied about.  Please stop here because ‘they are not.’ The content all embodies my passions, and for those who look will see this is what is gained in having me onboard. The content is all explicitly considered to convey to you, ‘I am what I say’ (written or spoken or have done).

Intentional Break — Otherwise, please read on to see if you value a ‘richer & fuller‘ individual. 

If you are at this point, thanks for your due diligence – I look forward to working with you.

‘What I bring‘, this combination of my make up is what sets me apart:

• Mindset for ‘Success’ for everyone (from junior members to executive staff)
• Role model
• ‘Energy‘ and ‘Integrity‘
• Adept, Adaptive & Strategic
  
• Learner
• Communicator
• Thinker – of other, hopefully better solutions/possibilities – Enough so for example that junior intelligence analysts on other teams came to me be their intelligence mentor – because I try to think of and use solutions which include multiple aspects, related or not
• Deep & Multilateral Thinker (multiple vectors at once), not just linearly (sequentially)
• Problem solver & Trouble shooter
• Ability to extrapolate (looking at the trees AND forest at the same time)
• Collaboration
• Seeing the weak spots as well as the strong points in various settings
• Drive
• Assist everyone respectfully, no matter their color, gender, religion, age or position
• Able to easily work under pressure (I become very serious & focused when this happens – and it annoys folks that I do not joke around or take it ‘easy’ at this stage)

‘I am looking‘ to become a key player, now – and later, a significant key player in multiple cloud/virtualization areas. And I am not referring to a leadership role. For the next year or two of Big Data, I prefer to work in the trenches, to get my hands dirty. To more fully gain a ‘much deeper’ foundation of knowledge.

My Brand – Technologist & People Person with a GREAT attitude; Deep Cognitive Diversity (* see below) and an AUTONOMIC Reflex to improve efforts with successful outcomes. My Brand is due to being a THINKER & DOER (because I like challenging issues) — I am the type person you want (and need) as part of your team. It is also due to my thirst for knowledge and using it in areas such as in business knowledge, Windows, Linux (even IBM of the past) and Thinking.

My Goal — AWS Cloud Architect & AWS Data Engineer (had to bail out on Google Data Engineer path – not enough years of GCP hands on experience) while working in Cloud Architect/Strategy for the next 10 years. Technology, virtualization, is where I am meant to be… even if I do not currently have 2 – 5 years of Data Engineering experience. After the considerable effort and expenses laid out to learn Data Engineering and Cloud technologies, I have shown I have the drive and inclination to make any team successful in ‘the Cloud.’

In shifting to Data Engineer roles, specifically ‘Cloud Data Engineer,’ I am looking at combining my background of:

• AWS Cloud Architect/Engineer
• MBA & MSc – specifically relating to doing more strategic efforts
• Intelligence Analyst & Intelligence Officer efforts (strategy & tactical)
• Previous tech work: MSSP (SOC & NOC) for Routers & Firewalls; IT Level III PC & Tech Support; voice & data communications; mainframes with some Mobile Comms (BYOD) knowledge;
• InfoSec & Cybersecurity as secondary/tertiary roles
  

My Story

Experience & Leadership:

• POINT PERSON providing InfoSec briefings to U.S. Ambassadors abroad (one Ambassador kept me for 1 ½ hours per his engagement and interest despite his Exec. Secretary having asked me to cut scheduled 1 hour briefing to 20 min)
• Stood up AWS Redshift for Data Scientists, while teaching myself SQL & Python to do so
  
• POINT PERSON to gen up JIRA Advanced Roadmaps at NMEC ICC-B and to move all NMEC programs to it and away from the several disparate other collaboration tools
  
• DIRECTED 24 x 7 watch floor all-source Intelligence Analysts (contractors & military (enlisted/officer)) on global intelligence and cyber security threats
• MANAGER of 4 nationwide teams at same time: Computer & Network Security; Comm network (voice & data), PC & Network Support and Help Desk
• Ability to translate tech-speak for executive leadership and vice versa
• PROJECT MANAGER role in multiple firms and federal entities
• Provide briefings up to senior executives and 2 & 3 star officers
• Languages: Learned to read, write and speak 5 languages
• Knowledge: Cohort leader in both grad degree programs AND learner of new tech (i.e. Virtualization and Mobile Communication) – as well as writings on multiple topics such as:
  • === Pie in the Sky or Strategic & Creative Moves to Cloud & IoT Tech Success
  • === Magic Beans! Virtualization, Security & Risk, SDN, NFV and Mobile BYOD – A Disruptive “Successful” Future
  • === Risk & Risk Management: Ideas, Thoughts & Perspectives for new CEOs, Presidents, EVPs, CIOs, CTOs, CSOs & Managers
  • === Intelligence: for YOU, for Business Intelligence or for National Security;
  • === Data Breaches; Mobile Communication & Devices and Cybersecurity; & more

Use & understanding of:

• Intelligence (individual, business & national security) and the need for critical AND creative thinking
• Strategy and looking at micro / macro (holistic) issues(s) of the moment and also upcoming efforts of tomorrow
• Creativity to improve processes
• Working in high pressure/time sensitive environments (from SOCs to CYBERCOMMAND)

* Deep Cognitive Diversity, what I mean: a very broad and somewhat comprehensive knowledge set of multiple areas: technology, intelligence, education, experience, etc. Basically, Cognitive Diversity, as I write in a separate paper, is a combination of everything that makes a person who they are – the broader and richer the background, the more that person can draw on to be successful in whatever they do.

{NOTE: Only looking for this new role, in the D.C. area.  No more 70 – 80 mile round trip commuting as I did to Ft. Meade, MD and Chantilly, VA AND ‘no relocation’ to any city.}

Previous Tech (cloud) Efforts

Prior to “moving out” of my senior Info Assurance & Risk Management oversight role for C & A (A & A) in 2018, I had spent 2 1/2 years of investing a significant amount of time & expense in the classes/courses and learning:

Early cloud certs:

• Nov 2016 ==> obtained AWS Certified Developer associate cert  
• Aug 2016 ==> this month was spent prepping for VMware NSX cert before I stopped this path
• Jul 2016 ==> obtained AWS (Amazon) Cloud Solution Architect associate cert (online & in-person classes for ==> AWS SysOps & AWS Cloud Solutions Architect ) 
• Jun 2016 ==> obtained CSA CCSK cloud certification from Cloud Security Alliance

Continuation (from beginning of page) of my AWS and GCP cloud efforts:

Aug 2022 – Jun 2023 – Joined another company (Booz/BAH as a subcontractor of a company that I will never recommend) for an AWS Cloud Architect role at NRO with the hope of switching over into a Data Analytics Engineer role. But, here is not working either. Due to doing better at Linux than others – BAH Athena contract had me doing Linux efforts for my last 3 months (2023).
Because it is more Linux than AWS – left that subcontractor and BAH, June 2023.

Jul 2021 – Because of the Dec 2020 DIA de-scoping efforts in last job and that PM role, I took a pay cut to get back to doing hands-on AWS in joining a new company.
In May, this company made a commitment to bring me on and in December to switch me over into a Data Analytics Engineer role. They have me in a temp AWS Cloud Architect role until the Data Analytics role is fleshed out by end of year in the new contract.

— Aug 2022: Leaving company and DIA due to DIA doing another contract de-scoping. Our company cut many staff members and placed me and another member on a DIA contract primarily NOT AWS. Mostly Cybersecurity because of my background – but I had made it clear that I did not wish to do Cybersecurity – so, resigned this RedArch/DIA role to move on to another ‘AWS’ contract. — Have to leave all association with DIA for good.

May 2021: DIA also de-scoped multiple cloud contracts, also affecting the company I was at. The company wanted to keep me and made me the PM for the Cloud team but it was primarily oversight and guided direction (as I was prohibited from hands-on here as well) efforts. Resigned from VPSI/DIA, Jul 2021.

Spring 2021, started my ‘primary Active‘ goal of moving into a role, somewhere close to home in D.C., for an:

• AWS Data Analytics (Big Data) Specialist engineer role 

as I find a company to bring me on for AWS Data Analytics Engineer

Dec 2020 – At this point, very disappointed. Due to being made dual hatted on an undesired path. In addition to AWS architecting and ‘limited’ AWS Strategy – DIA de-scoped multiple cloud contracts, also affecting the company I was at. 

May 2020 – Back in an AWS Cloud Architect role (DIA / NMEC at ICC-B) at the Senior Technical Officer level strategic role for DIA NMEC (at the ICC-B). Resigned from previous company who had us doing Azure so I could return to AWS. Here at NMEC, I was also the point man in charge of creating and standing up a JIRA Advanced Roadmaps effort. This was to get all NMEC functional elements to start using it as the primary collaboration and strategic tool, instead of using several other disparate collaboration tools. This effort is why I am looking to work elsewhere – in order to focus on doing more AWS. While this was growth in another area, it was not a growth path I was seeking – I was looking to spend more time on AWS to become an expert in AWS cloud. Even though I had significant oversight and guidance authority, I was prohibited from hands-on…

Feb 2020 – Obtained my Microsoft Azure Cloud certification before the other team members but resigned from the company (May 2020) having us do Azure cloud efforts so I could return to AWS cloud

Jan 2020 – After laying multiple staff, company moved several of us over to State Dept to do Azure cloud work

Dec 2019 – DIA de-scoped multiple cloud contracts, forcing many companies to lay off staff

Thanksgiving 2018 – Obtained my AWS Cloud Solutions Architect Professional certification — hard, HARD work to attain this cert without years of AWS day-to-day/hands-on work experience and funny thing, (hilariously funny [in a painful way] for some of us – AWS, in October 2018, “removed” having Associate level certificates in order to gain the Professional level certifications, ironic….). — Now, it is time to prep for the next two AWS Professional certs ==> Advanced Networking Specialty & DevOps Engineer – see if this can be accomplished by February 2021….

Aug 2018 – Landed a new AWS Cloud Solutions Architect role but we will have to see how it goes in performing actual AWS work. (Jan 2019 update: No, this role is not more AWS Cloud Architect work, it is ~65% agency processes and ~35% AWS cloud work – very disappointing.)  However, very poor corporate culture at this company – toxic. Many members (a few dozen) left in the first few weeks while many of tried to stick it out but I gave up after 3 months. DIA was also dragging their feet on the contract. As a result of the feet dragging, DIA caused the company to lay off a couple hundred individuals.

July 2018 –  Well, sad to say it already but it is time to move on as my career path is in jeopardy due to the lack of AWS access/work at this company. The lack of actual AWS work that I believed I was coming in for caused me to fail my AWS Cloud Solutions Architect professional exam by “2 points”….

May 2018 – Landed an AWS Cloud Solutions Architect role in but we (AWS Architects) have still ‘not’ received AWS accounts to perform AWS work.  Intelligence agency is still holding back funding (so the company says) and no ETA as to when we will gain those AWS accounts to start doing AWS work.

But still not enough – right…??  Companies want even more from their prospective employees. So, we have to continue learning more content to satisfy multiple companies and hope that we ‘then‘ have enough of a cross-blended balance of software knowledge to make it.

Other skill sets:

• AWS CI/CD / Linux/Unix / Power shell / more coming
• Statistics is rusty (undergrad courses)
  

PREVIOUS:

Expired certs –> Cisco routers (CCNA), CheckPoint Firewalls (CCSA & CCSE), Novell network (CNE) Engineer, plus others such as Voice & Data-communication

Courses:

• VMware (in-person class)
  • VCP-NV (NSX network & security virtualization – in-person class & lab)
  • Plus multiple basic VMware courses Data Center, Cloud, vSphere, etc. (online)
• Basic SDN/NFV courses
• Cisco CCNA (refreshing this knowledge set)
• SPLUNK 
  
• ISC2 CCSP (cloud cert from ISC2 – late 2019, possibly)

Previous IT Projects

a) b) & c) ($ 3/4 million  &  $2.5 million) – as Nationwide Manager of Mainframe/Network Security, Data Communications, PC Support & Help Desk

a) Organizational Move to IBM RACF for Network / User Security Access (built in CapEx at the VP of IT & Finance level)

My responsibility was geared towards:

• Rolling out new security processes (accesses) for the nationwide enterprise
• Creating white paper process of:
  • What is happening
  • What to do
  • What is allowed
  • What is not allowed
  • Troubleshooting access issues
• Creating a troubleshooting tree list for the nationwide Help Desk team
• Introduce the new process to all VPs, Managers and Supervisors at each site (conference room sessions)
  • Gain stakeholder buy-in was key for this success
  • Explicitly (verbally and written) state that users accounts will be immediately revoked if passwords are left under keyboards, pasted to monitors or other desktop/drawer locations – and that supervisors would have to contact us to reinstate users’ access (managers/supervisors had total buy-in on this)
• Introduce the new process to all users at each site, via Supervisory staff for each branch/division

b) Mainframe related – Install new network due to Arson in old office

Arson act targeted against another office at N. Hollywood office location unfortunately burned out our remote office in that building.

Budget – $750,000                                    Deadline – one weekend

My responsibility was geared towards:

• Determining and laying out game plan to restore site functionality at new site (and gaining VP approval of course),
• Gaining manpower (8 people) from the current work IT operations/programming staff (move equipment),
• Overtime for those individuals,
• pulling and laying communication cables (copper) – had a vendor do this,
• moving equipment for ~200 seats into another temporary office space in a different building
  • Data communication – terminals, controllers, multiplexer, data modems
  • Voice communication – analog PBX and phones
• Configuring at:
  • New remote site: Data comm controllers, muxes and modems
  • HQ office: Front End Processor had to be re-configured to:
    • Remove old data comm info for the burnt out site and
    • Add new config info to connect to new site
• Oversee vendor config of new PBX and verify PBX config info
• Testing to ensure voice and data links all functioned:
  • Verify that users are able to use terminals and phones on their desktops

Slept on couch in lobby of new site in order to ensure “everything” was working by that Monday morning…

c) Mainframe related – Install new data-communication network in new remote two story office structure

Budget – $2.5 million                    Deadline – 3 weeks

My responsibility was geared towards:

• Determining and laying out game plan to get new site up and running over that time frame (and gaining CEO & IT VP approval of course),
• Gaining manpower (11 people) from the current work IT operations/programming staff (move equipment & assist in pulling copper),
• Overtime for those individuals,
• pulling and laying communication cables (copper) – had a vendor do this (with our people support),
• moving equipment for ~350 seats into the 2 story office space
  • Data communication – terminals, controllers, multiplexers, data modems
  • Voice communication – analog PBX and phones
• Configuring at:
  • New remote site – data comm controllers, muxes and modems
  • HQ office: Front End Processor had to be configured to:
    • Add new config info to connect to new site
• Oversee vendor config of new PBX and verify PBX config info
• Testing to ensure voice and data links all functioned
  • Verify that users are able to use terminals and phones on their desktops
• Set up and configure the several Windows PCs we had at the time, primarily for the executive and secretarial staff

No need to sleep on couch for this effort – but massive daily hours on site to ensure everything succeeds as scheduled

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