Principal Data & Platform Engineer
Over a decade of experience in data engineering and platform leadership — spanning systems administration, architecture, management, and SaaS delivery.”
Skills & Tools
Languages &
Scripting
- Python
- SQL
- Shell (Bash, etc.)
DevOps &
Infrastructure Management
- Docker
- Kubernetes (+EKS/Fargate)
- CI/CD (GitHub Actions, Jenkins, etc.)
- Ansible
Data Engineering &
Distributed Systems
- Kimball Dimensional Modeling
- ETL/ELT Pipelines
- Airflow
- Lakehouse / Delta Tables
- RDBMS (Postgres, MS SQL, etc.)
GradientAI (2022-Present)
Principal Data Architect (06/2024-Present)
Scaling operations leveraging cloud technology and streamlining business processes.
Cloud
Architecure
Designed and implemented an enterprise-scale data platform using Airflow and Kubernetes.
Workflow
Consolidation
Unified dozens of disparate pipelines into a single orchestration system, reducing manual engineering effort by 99%.
Developer
Productivity
Implemented a standardized cloud engineering environment on AWS, improving developer productivity and reducing deployment-related incidents.
Engineering
Leadership
Chaired cross-functional committees to define standards for data governance, schema evolution, data lake utilization, and Databricks/Spark adoption.
Data
Architecture
Developed a hybrid NoSQL/Kimball-style architecture for a major product revamp, enabling high-performance OLAP analytics on highly cardinal data.
Platform
Engineering
Led a five-person platform engineering team in migrating legacy batch systems to cloud-native orchestration patterns.
Project
Management
Collaborated with product teams, external stakeholders, and engineering groups to ensure platform capabilities supported real-time SaaS application needs.
Backend
Development
Designed FastAPI-based backend infrastructure for user-facing analytics platforms and decision support tools.
Stakeholder
Management
Partnered with external stakeholders to gather requirements, define scope, and deliver projects—balancing multiple initiatives alongside existing client commitments.
Sr. Engineering Manager (03/2022-10/2024)
Leading teams to deliver cloud-native platforms and standardizing onboarding to accelerate client success.
Team
Leadership
Built and led a high-performing team of 11 engineers, delivering a cloud-native SaaS product that accelerated onboarding timelines and generated recurring revenue.
Strategic
Contribution
Influenced company strategy across engineering, sales, and product, ensuring platform development stayed aligned with business objectives.
Leadership
Development
Mentored and coached engineers, fostering a culture of accountability, growth, and continuous improvement within the team.
Cross-Functional
Collaboration
Worked with UX, product, and subject matter experts to refine usability and feature design, improving adoption and client satisfaction across product lines.
Communication &
Incident Management
Established communication and incident response standards that reduced interruptions by 80%, later scaling them company-wide as best practices.
Onboarding
Acceleration
Standardized ingestion architecture and internal handoffs, reducing client onboarding from 120 days to 20 days and eliminating implementation slippage.
Client
Engagement
Led strategic negotiations with enterprise clients on multimillion-dollar deals, aligning platform capabilities with customer expectations and cutting contract turnaround time by 90%.
Process
Standardization
Designed scalable protocols for client implementations, translating complex requirements into structured, API-driven integrations and reproducible delivery practices.
Operational
Efficiency
Established repeatable workflows for faster, consistent delivery of complex client integrations organization-wide
Watauga Group (2021-2022)
Data Engineering Manager
Modernizing analytics through cloud-based reporting, standardized pipelines, and streamlined data operations.
Reporting
Modernization
Led the transition from Excel to Power BI, modernizing company-wide reporting and improving speed and efficiency for client deliverables.
Pipeline
Standardization
Consolidated 30+ bespoke pipelines into scalable workflows, doubling the client base through operational efficiency.
Cloud
Infrastructure
Oversaw Azure environments including Linux and Windows VMs, object storage, and managed databases to support enterprise reporting.
Data
Warehousing
Designed robust data warehouses using Kimball dimensional modeling and normalization best practices.
Operational
Efficiency
Streamlined reporting pipelines, reducing report generation from 35 days to 2 days and enabling real-time reporting.
Stakeholder
Engagement
Collaborated with executives and department heads to align data solutions with business needs, improving retention and satisfaction.
Agile
Adoption
Championed agile practices, shifting delivery from ad hoc work to structured timelines and predictable outcomes.
Cross-Functional
Collaboration
Worked with advertising, operations, and leadership teams to ensure data systems supported strategic goals.
Foundation for
Growth
Laid the groundwork for scalable reporting systems, enabling expansion and future real-time analytics adoption.
Cornyhorse, LLC (2017-2022)
Freelance Data Engineering, Systems Administration, and Project Management
Delivering end-to-end data engineering and infrastructure solutions across cloud platforms, from pipeline automation to client-facing analytics.
Client
Collaboration
Partnered with clients to gather requirements, create project plans, and deliver tailored solutions that met business needs.
Pipeline
Automation
Built and automated data pipelines using Python and SQL, improving efficiency and reliability across client systems.
Cloud
Infrastructure
Designed and maintained cloud environments across AWS, Azure, and DigitalOcean, including VMs, storage, and managed databases.
Systems
Administration
Managed DNS records, SSL certificates, and FreeIPA LDAP authentication, ensuring secure and reliable client infrastructure.
Database
Management
Administered PostgreSQL across Windows, Ubuntu, and RHEL, optimizing performance and availability.
Data
Visualization
Developed dashboards and reporting tools based on client specifications, translating data into actionable insights.
Ongoing
Maintenance
Provided continuous support for AWS-based infrastructure, including EC2 with Docker/Jupyter, PostgreSQL, and LDAP services.
Project
Oversight
Directed multiple concurrent client projects, managing subcontractors to ensure high-quality delivery and smooth handoffs.
Long-Term
Engagements
Built and maintained lasting relationships with clients through repeat contracts, trusted delivery, and meticulous budget management.
University of Utah Health (2017-2019)
Data Architect
Architecting healthcare data systems to enable research, streamline operations, and deliver actionable insights.
Data
Architecture
Designed dimensional and normalized models for healthcare data, ensuring structures supported accurate analysis and reporting.
ETL
Development
Built automated pipelines using Python and SQL, streamlining data integration and reducing manual processing.
Infrastructure
Planning
Defined hardware and software requirements for data warehouses, collaborating with high-performance computing teams to provision resources.
Research
Enablement
Prepared and transformed datasets for statistical analysis in medical research, ensuring data scientists had reliable inputs.
Data
Visualization
Created dashboards and reports with Tableau, Power BI, and Matplotlib, translating complex data into insights for medical professionals.
MarketScan
Project
Developed a dimensional model for the Truven MarketScan project and co-authored research applying healthcare data architecture.
Operational
Efficiency
Designed a surgical scheduling load-balancing tool, projecting annual cost savings in the eight- to nine-figure range.
Cross-Functional
Collaboration
Worked directly with doctors, surgeons, and researchers to align data engineering efforts with clinical and research needs.
Systems
Administration
Maintained Linux, Windows, and PostgreSQL/SQL Server environments; optimized SQL and R/Python workflows for performance.
WVU Medicine (2017)
Business Optimization Strategist (Data Analyst)
Transforming healthcare operations through data visualization, strategic analysis, and population health insights.
Data
Visualization
Built Tableau and Python dashboards to turn complex healthcare data into actionable insights for clinical and operational teams.
Data
Analysis
Worked with structured and unstructured healthcare data from Epic’s Clarity database to support diverse healthcare initiatives.
Executive
Reporting
Provided regular reports and analysis to the C-Suite, directly informing organizational strategy and decision-making.
Population
Health
Contributed to initiatives addressing nutritional health and rural transportation, improving healthcare delivery in underserved areas.
Strategic
Planning
Supported organizational growth planning, including acquisitions and identifying optimal sites for new facilities.
Decision
Support
Informed strategic decision-making with analytical insights.
Research
Support
Combined clinical and claims data to create comprehensive datasets for statistical analysis, enabling advanced healthcare research.
Health
Outcomes
Contributed to population health projects that improved care delivery and outcomes for rural and at-risk populations.
Stakeholder
Engagement
Worked across medical, operational, and leadership teams to align data-driven insights with organizational priorities.
West Virginia University (2015-2017)
Database Administrator
Managing enterprise databases through automation, upgrades, and performance tuning to ensure reliability and efficiency.
ETL
Automation
Automated data transfer processes with UNIX Shell and Perl scripting, improving efficiency and reducing manual effort.
Database
Administration
Installed, configured, and maintained databases in UNIX/Linux environments to ensure stable and reliable operations.
Maintenance &
Security
Performed regular patching and upgrades to preserve database integrity, security, and long-term stability.
Performance
Tuning
Optimized SQL queries and database performance through profiling and tuning, enhancing application responsiveness.
System
Upgrades
Led the migration of critical databases from outdated AIX/Oracle systems to modern Oracle on RHEL, demonstrating both technical skill and project management.
Data
Migration
Oversaw the migration of procurement and accounting data, maintaining operational continuity and efficiency during transitions.
High
Availability
Implemented clustering, backups, and restoration processes to guarantee data integrity and minimize downtime.
Developer
Collaboration
Partnered with application developers to refine SQL queries, resulting in faster performance and improved user satisfaction.
Environment
Management
Maintained clean and stable development, testing, and production environments to support consistent and reliable delivery.
Education
| Bachelor of Science in Management Information Systems | (2014-2016) |
| Bachelor of Music in Music Education | (2008-2012) |