I'm a collaborative engineering leader who believes teams do their best work when there is trust, clarity, and shared ownership. I give engineers a real voice in how we build things while keeping us aligned on the big picture. My focus is on open communication, quickly unblocking challenges, and making sure people feel supported, especially when priorities shift or pressure builds. I do not micromanage; instead, I stay close enough to help guide technical decisions when needed. My ultimate goal is to build a healthy team culture where engineers feel proud of what they are building and enjoy the process of solving hard problems together.

With over two decades of full-stack development experience, I have led globally distributed teams in delivering scalable mobile solutions for some of the world's most recognized retail brands. At Branding Brand, I helped launch white-label mobile commerce platforms using React Native and Flutter, drove process innovation, and cultivated a culture of learning and technical excellence. My technical background includes front-end work in React and React Native, backend systems like ASP.NET and Node.js, and database development with SQL Server and Oracle.

Beyond engineering leadership, I’ve been exploring ways to creatively apply AI by building side projects and lightweight SaaS tools. I'm especially interested in how AI can streamline development workflows and create new opportunities for automation, personalization, and problem-solving. I’m also following the evolution of Web3 and crypto, and enjoy experimenting with apps and protocols in the decentralized space.

Earlier in my career, I served as Race Director for the Christmas in July Races and the Des Plaines River Trail Races, managing sponsorships, marketing, operations, and race-day logistics. That experience gave me firsthand insight into entrepreneurship, brand building, and delivering large-scale experiences with tight timelines.

Throughout my career, I have worn many hats, including developer, mentor, team lead, project manager, entrepreneur, and strategic partner to business stakeholders. I am passionate about creating environments where engineers can thrive, products can scale, and teams can innovate together.

• 20+ years of full-stack development experience with leadership progression from Developer → Team Lead → Engineering Manager
• Led globally distributed teams (up to 8 direct reports) delivering mobile commerce solutions for major retail brands
• Proven track record of building scalable platforms and improving team velocity through process optimization
• Diverse industry experience across Finance, Insurance, Travel, Sports, Healthcare, Retail, E-Commerce, and more
• AI/LLM expertise with hands-on experience in prompt engineering, AI-assisted development, and modern AI tools
• Entrepreneurial background as co-founder of successful race management business (2014-2024)
• Strong technical foundation in React, React Native, Node.js, .NET, and cloud platforms (Azure)
• Servant leadership approach focused on mentoring, unblocking teams, and creating environments where engineers thrive

I'm actively seeking my next leadership opportunity. Having built a strong foundation as a Senior Engineer, Team Lead, and IT Project Manager, I am now focused on a management role that leverages my extensive experience with modern tech stacks and leading distributed teams.

My ideal position is one where I can act as a servant leader, focusing on the non-coding aspects of engineering management. This includes leading technical direction, participating in daily engineering discussions and code reviews, and most importantly, mentoring and coaching engineers to foster their career growth. I am passionate about creating environments where my team can thrive and consistently deliver successful, high-impact projects.

• Team Leadership: People management, Mentorship, Team Building, Conflict Resolution, Emotional Intelligence
• Strategic Planning: Roadmapping, Cross-Functional Collaboration, Process Improvements, Problem Solving
• Remote & Offshore Team Management: Leading distributed teams, Communication, Project Delivery
• Engineering Management: Code Reviews, Technical Direction, Release Management, Agile/Scrum
• Client Relations: Effective communicator, Client liaison, Technical discussions

• Communication: Effective communicator, skilled in client liaison and technical discussions
• Problem Solving: Skilled in identifying and resolving complex technical issues, promoting continuous improvement
• Project Delivery: Experienced in agile management, ensuring project clarity and adaptability
• Mentorship & Development: Committed to mentoring and developing teams, enhancing learning and growth
• Innovation: Promoting continuous improvement and creative problem-solving

• Frontend & Mobile Development: React, React Hooks, React Native, Next.js, JavaScript, TypeScript, Flutter, HTML5, CSS
• AI/LLM: Prompt Engineering, Context Engineering, AI-Assisted Development, ChatGPT, Claude, Google Gemini
• APIs & Data Handling: REST API, GraphQL, 3rd party APIs and libraries
• Backend Technologies: Node.js, ExpressJS, ASP.NET/VB.NET, SQL, SQL Server, Oracle
• State Management & Testing: MobX, Redux, Context API, Jest, Cypress.io, Playwright
• Development Tools: Git, GitHub, GitLab, GitFlow, VS Code, Cursor, Replit, App Center, Travis, GitHub Actions
• Release Management: Apple Developer Portal, App Store Connect, Google Play Store
• Cloud Platforms: Microsoft Azure (Foundational Knowledge)

I've worked professionally in several different industries over my career, including, but not limited to Finance, Insurance, Travel, Sports, Healthcare, Retail, E-Commerce, Motorsports, Environmental.

• Be the Manager People Won't Leave
• Leading with Emotional Intelligence
• Leading and Motivating People with Different Personalities
• Humor A Leaders Guide to Connection Safety and Trust
• Diversity Inclusion and Belonging

• React Building Large Apps
• React Ecosystems
• React ServerSide Rendering 2018
• Getting Started with Microsoft Azure by Microsoft Press
• Microsoft Azure Fundamentals AZ900 Cert Prep by Microsoft Press

• Presenting Technical Information with Stories
• Strategic Thinking 2017
• Sramana Mitra on Bootstrapping

Conducted a hands-on exploration of AI's impact on engineering workflows by leveraging AI agents (Replit, Cursor) powered by Claude and APIs from Google's Gemini to build full-stack applications in a low-code environment. This initiative was focused on understanding the capabilities, limitations, and strategic value of AI-assisted engineering to inform future team and process optimizations.

• Rapid Prototyping: Built a resume builder and crypto site generator to evaluate how AI can accelerate prototyping and streamline development efforts.
• Advanced Feature Development: Used AI to build a complex, web-based data manipulation platform, including advanced table operations, visualization, and OCR capabilities from images.
• AI Methodologies Exploration: Developed the Three-X-Rule application with social content generation to explore and compare different AI models (Gemini API), demonstrating hands-on experience with context management and multi-model integration.

• Company Description: Branding Brand is a SaaS company that provides a technology platform that helps retailers and brands build and manage their mobile commerce sites and apps and now primarily focuses on their Shipcode product.
• Key Responsibilities: Led and mentored globally distributed engineering teams (up to 8 direct reports) to deliver high-performing mobile commerce applications for major retail brands like Boot Barn, Country Road, Mimco, Witchery, and CVS Health.
• Team Leadership & Communication: Lead Daily Stand-up Meetings with Engineers, Facilitate Forward Progress, Ticket Unblocking
• Innovation: Improving processes, Keeping team motivated and engaged
• Technical Oversight: Feature Feasibilities/Spikes, Research and Assessments, Guiding Engineering Work, Problem Solving, PR/Code Reviews and Merges, GitHub Repo Management, App Build and Release Management, Manage and Coordinate Down Merges
• Project Management: Client Meetings and Communication, Daily PM Sync-Up Meetings, Weekly UI/UX Sync-up Meetings, Ticket Grooming, Ticket Sub-Tasking, Ticket Estimations, Adapt and Shift Priorities
• Accomplishments:
  • Spearheaded the architecture and deployment of a scalable white-label mobile platform, which accelerated time-to-market for three distinct co-branded apps.
  • Drove strategic process optimizations and team engagement, which improved developer velocity, code quality, and team morale.
  • Championed code quality through rigorous code reviews and continuous technical oversight across multiple projects.
  • Contributed to roadmap planning, resourcing, and execution strategies.

• Company Description: NPA is the world’s largest provider of powersport vehicle remarketing services and a wholly owned subsidiary of Copart, Inc.
• Key Responsibilities: I worked in a team environment and leverage Agile software development principles to develop new projects, core features and support existing functionality that directly impacts the company's bottom line and improve dealer experiences.
• Key Contributions:
  • Started the development of a Transit Mobile app with React Native that allow carriers to manage and track inventory. Did not finish this app before moving on to my next role at Branding Brand.
  • Built the front-end UI/UX components from the ground up for a critical real-time SaaS platform that serves dealers worldwide and sells over $1 Million of product every auction using React, custom React Hooks, MobX, SignalR Web Sockets, Janus Media Server, REST API's, Styled Components, CSS Grid, and Framer Motion that leverage .Net core Microservices, Azure cloud services, and a SQL database. Used Jest, React Testing Library, and Cypress.io for tests.
  • Developed the front-end UI/UX of revenue-generating DigitalAdPackageTM that allows dealers to purchase media and condition reports, which enable them to list their auction purchases on their website the same day they are purchased. This feature used .NET, jQuery, AngularJS, and SQL Stored Procedures.
  • Implemented a streamlined dealer checkout workflow process from the dealer's membership portal on the npauctions.com website that integrated with the back-end auction management software using.NET, jQuery, classic ASP, SQL Stored Procedures, and REST API's
  • Provided seamless interaction for dealers with NPA applications by providing support for the NPA website, mobile site, and each of the seven Exchange websites (BMW, Harley-Davidson, Yamaha, Honda, Piaggio, MotoLease, and Insurance Total Loss). These sites leverage .NET, jQuery Mobile, Angular 2, and AngularJS and SQL database.
  • Developed an internal at-a-glance Sprint Status application that enabled product owners to access the most up-to-date information from our sprints. Created this app using React and a .NET core API service that made requests to the Scrumwise API.
  • Supported and enhanced the internal content management system that enables the Marketing team to launch campaigns and website content without the need for IT involvement, such as the ability to stage, review, then deploy content changes to a Production environment. I implemented the functionality using .NET CQRS, MVC, and a SQL Server database.
  • Provided continuous support and implement feature requests for the auction management platform that enables the business to run smoothly.

My wife and I both decided to leave our Software engineering jobs in Chicago to move to San Diego to raise our family. We agreed that I could take a planned sabbatical after relocating to enjoy San Diego, spend more time with family/kids, and learn some new technologies in the process.

• MERN Stack - Social Media Site
• C# ASP.NET MVC - Video App Rebuild
• C# Unit Tests Code Along

• Company Description: NFA is the industrywide, self-regulatory organization for the U.S. derivatives industry that strives every day to safeguard the integrity of the derivatives markets, protect investors and ensure Members meet their regulatory responsibilities.
• Key Responsibilities: Developed business internal and external full-stack web applications, worked both independently and on a team to manage and guide projects. Headed up projects and mobilized developers in all phases of project development. Mentored and guided staff, instituted new staff onboarding orientations, wrote reviews, and formalized developer training programs.

• Key Contributions:
  • Redesigned and coded an internal financial analysis system from the ground up. I managed and steered the technical direction that ensured a solid foundation for current and future development. Managed and exceeded expectations by delivering the project early.
  • Served as the architect and lead front-end developer for the new dashboard system that served as the entry point for all firms upon authentication and provided at-a-glance information at their fingertips. Served as a mentor who taught project developers' syntactical knowledge, as well as the system's MVC architecture.
  • Led the design and architecture for front-end and back-end integrations and trained project team members. Converted and enhanced Phase one of the online registration system's multi-phase initiative to improve user experience and provide new features.
  • Orchestrated framework upgrades, authentication conversions, and system deployments of 26 applications that enabled systems to proceed with latest initiatives.
  • Coordinated IS department-wide testing of 146 business applications resulting from an Oracle Encryption upgrade, which enabled the organization to comply with the National Institute of Standards and Technology's Encryption standards.
  • Produced custom training programs for software development staff. Assembled a list of developer training videos that would help them learn the organization's new technology stack.
  • Served as Content Manager of IS department's portal content. Collaborated with steering committees, tested and managed content, performed audits and ensured compliance, created and managed project team sites.

• Key Contributions:
  • Led initiative to upgrade authentication for 13 systems and develop a single sign-on web application that served over 1M successful logins.
  • Served as liaison for IS department with Communications and Human Resources departments and coordinated all technical aspects of the organization's Careers "Microsite, " that launched as Phase one of a multi-phased launch of a site-wide redesign initiative.
  • Developed a relationship management system from the ground up and integrated into a suite of two new companion risk systems. These systems accelerated the staff's ability to filter and confirm specific information.
  • Created a client-rich CFTC's Form 102 and several maintenance screens that improved the staff's ability to associate relationships between large traders and clearing firms, manage omnibus accounts, and hedge exemptions.

• Key Contributions:
  • Pioneered the creation of a data-driven template architecture for a financial reporting system (Easy File) from the ground up that decreased the implementation time for 12 other systems.
  • Formed early stages of the organization's core IS Standards components widely used by all applications to enforce consistency, reduce costs, and save time and effort.

• Company Description: Bond Technologies was a professional services (consultancy) firm for Fortune 1000 companies. It's no longer around, the company was dissolved as a result of the economy after the 9/11 attacks.
• Key Responsibilities: Developed full-stack web applications, provided system support, and managed projects across multiple clients and industries. Managed and mentored a small team of consultants, developed career plans and wrote annual reviews. I progressed from a Consultant, Senior Consultant, to Technical Project Leader during this time.
• Key Contributions:
  • Engaged in key leadership roles such as leading sales initiatives, managed professional and technical growth of consultants, and shared technical knowledge with others.
  • Responsible for project delivery of small project teams at several clients, which included managing client expectations, leading project meetings, managing deliverables, and technical delivery.
  • Designed and developed several client/server and web applications for various clients across Financial, Media, Consumer, Insurance, and Industrial industries.
  • United Airlines website support team leader responsible for managing and guaranteeing the technical delivery of both Bond and United Airline employees, understanding, scheduling, and deploying content releases.

• Company Description: Mostardi Platt is an environmental consulting company that provides environmental testing and compliance services.
• Key Responsibilities: Conducted environmental testing, collected emissions data, and wrote technical reports submitted to the EPA.
• Key Contributions:
  • Environmental Testing: Performed field testing and data collection for environmental compliance requirements
  • Technical Report Writing: Created detailed technical reports for EPA submission, developing strong written communication skills
  • Data Processing: Worked with field data and spreadsheets, gaining early exposure to data analysis and automation
  • Safety & Compliance: Ensured all testing procedures met regulatory standards and safety requirements

Note: Side venture while employed at NFA (2014-2017) and NPA (2019-2022)

• Key Contributions:
  • I had the special privilege of managing and organizing endurance events that changed lives. With our events, participants became part of our family, and we focused on providing the best possible runner experience. With a 5-star rating on Facebook and the positive feedback we received, it inspired us to continually raise the bar.
  • As a race director, I oversaw, coordinated, and implemented the Des Plaines River Trail Half Marathon, Marathon, and 50-Mile Trail Races, as well as the Christmas in July 5K, 6/12/24-Hour Solo and Relay Endurance Runs in the Chicago area. My responsibilities included budget management and accountability, race site logistics, sponsor, ambassador, and volunteer development, year-round race promotion, and technology integration management.
  • As a business owner, I was self-driven and highly results-focused. I took intentional action to maximize impact on company growth and event success. I communicated openly with the team, encouraged interaction and involvement, and stayed cost-conscious without ever compromising participant experiences. I adapted well to changing demands and embraced challenging opportunities.
  • In 2024, we successfully sold the DPR Trail Races and formally dissolved the business.

Note: Side venture while employed at NFA

• Key Contributions:
  • I always enjoyed helping grow businesses on the web and streamline their processes through technology. As founder of New Leaf, a technology consulting company at its core, this new venture naturally opened a new chapter of growth for me. It afforded me to take what I learned previously and extend that to build a business network and customer base.
  • Often, it takes the combination of the right talent to achieve success. There were times, I knew didn’t have all the necessary skills or the capacity to complete projects on my own to achieve success. Knowing when to ask for help is all part of working independently and I realize the benefit other resources can bring forth and leveraged it when necessary. I worked on an internal web project for Fieldwork and a new public website and content management system for Petroferm, who is now Vantage.
  • Starting this business eventually allowed me to start up an unlikely line of business, which I was passionate about; New Leaf Ultra Runs, a long-distance running group which had over 1,000 Facebook members and a popular following of a series of low key unofficial races, which later triggered the development of Runners 4 Wellness, an event management company that I co-founded.

I attended Belleville Area College on a Tennis scholarship in Belleville, IL from 1990 to 1992 to get my general studies out of the way.

I then transferred to Illinois State University in Normal, IL and graduated in 1995 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Geology.

• Ultra-Marathon Runner: Completed 30+ ultra-marathons, including a run across the state of Illinois
• Running Community Leadership: Founded and led a running group (2009-2013) that organized unofficial races, building community and fostering participation
• Current Sports: Pickleball
• Leadership & Persistence: Ultra-running and community organizing demonstrate exceptional goal-setting, mental toughness, and ability to work with support teams

After graduating with a Geology degree, I obtained a job with an environmental consulting company (Mostardi-Platt) as a Testing Technician and Report Writer. My role there involved climbing smokestacks, collecting emissions data, and writing reports that were submitted to the EPA.

While processing data, field workers manually created spreadsheets for each testing session. A colleague introduced me to Excel macros and VBA programming, showing me how to record and automate repetitive tasks. This sparked my interest for coding.

Around 1997, at the height of the .com boom, I became fascinated with how I could use code to make my work more efficient. I started learning programming by recording and modifying macros, which gave me a hands-on introduction to coding.

Seeing the potential, I decided to pursue coding full-time and put my resume on Monster.com. Within a week, I was hired by a consulting company (Bond Technologies) that trained me on the job. I was exposed to a variety of technologies, programming languages, and industries by being placed with different clients. During this time, I became accustomed to learning new technologies regularly and worked with many different stacks, including Classic ASP, VB, VB.NET, Delphi, XML, Vignette StoryServer, and SQL Server.

This approach, learning by doing and being thrown into diverse tech environments became my pathway from geology to a full-time career in software development.

I've curated a focused coding playlist featuring Post-Rock and Electronic Instrumental music designed for deep work and extended coding sessions. The carefully selected tracks create an optimal environment for sustained focus and productivity. Feel free to explore if you're on Spotify.

Focused Coding Playlist on Spotify