I'm a mission-driven technology professional with a career that spans military service, IT operations, cyber security consulting, and mentorship. My journey with computers began at a young age and eventually led me to enlist in the U.S. Air Force as a Combat Controller (CCT). There, I earned my parachutist badge, became an FAA Certified Tower Operator, and graduated from Survival School. My training included small unit tactics, explosive handling, and close air support coordination. After retraining as a Vehicle Operator, I deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom as part of the USAF's first Army Detachment. We all learned Convoy Tatics, Heavy Weapons, and became Combat Lifesaver qualified. Upon returning home, I skipped leave and went straight into Airman Leadership School, I graduated with honors. That distinction led to recognition by the Royal Air Force Lakenheath leadership and selection for the “Why We Serve” Armed Forces speakers initiative, a nationwide public affairs tour across the lower 48 states under the Office of the Secretary of Defense.
Following my military service, I pursued civilian helicopter and fixed-wing pilot training before returning to IT as the Student Help Desk Manager at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. There, I deepened my technical expertise and began mentoring students in troubleshooting and system support.
During graduate school, I conducted research in sales and marketing and later launched two retail tech support franchises. I was promoted to Remote Technician Operations Manager for NW Georgia, where I oversaw multi-site operations and service delivery. This experience paved the way for a transition into full-time IT, where I served as a System Administrator responsible for infrastructure design, deployment, and lifecycle management.
I later advanced into cyber security as a Security Analyst at ArmorPoint, where I transformed SOC operations by tuning detection content, developing a version-controlled knowledge base, and optimizing a multi-tenant SIEM/SOAR/EDR platform. I mentored junior analysts and advised clients on patch management, policy alignment, and configuration hardening.
As a Security Consultant, I’ve provided expertise in risk assessment, compliance, and incident response. I've delivered Azure security training, built KQL templates for hybrid threat detection, and contributed to crowdsourced intelligence via platforms like IPAbuseDB.
Today, I’m active as a Peer Mentor and serve as the Grants Manager for VetSec.org, helping expand access to training and career support for the veteran cyber security community. I continue to sharpen my security skillset with hands-on development using open source and cloud-native tools, focusing on DevOps, infrastructure-as-code with Terraform, and secure CI/CD pipeline implementation in AWS. My work centers on scalable, secure-by-design architecture and policy-as-code to bridge the gap between security and operational efficiency.
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