Aside from criticism, I am not one to talk about myself, but if you have found my blog and are reading this, I want you to know who I am, why I do what I do, and my views and insights into the world of Enterprise Architecture, software development, .NET, SQL Server and the C# language.

Everyone has a story to tell, past experiences to share, and at least one thing about which they are passionate. A life without some type of passion is dull, dreary, and leaves you without a true sense of purpose. I can’t imagine living everyday without the passion that is within me and the energy that drives me to seek continuous improvement with everything that I do. I believe that to be successful in the field of Information Technology, you must first be a problem-solver. Software development tools are merely things that we use to solve problems. It’s that simple!

I have been in the world of Information Technology for over 20 years and have held every position from Programmer/Analyst to Director of Information Technology. I have been a passionate developer and architect for most of that time and have a diverse background. I spent 12 years in developing and managing manufacturing software systems and the remaining 8+ years building mission-critical enterprise software systems for State and Federal government agencies. Every position that I’ve held and every client for whom I’ve worked has provided me valuable experience and insight into the dynamics of not just development and architecture, but also business process re-engineering and the qualities of successful organizations.

Since 2000, I have been a passionate advocate of the Microsoft .NET Framework and C# has been and still is my language of choice. I have a solid background in Java, C++, Visual Basic, RPG, and COBOL, though the last two I haven’t thought of in many, many years!

I love teaching, and the experience and knowledge that I have gained has provided me with the privilege of being able to expose many people to the wonderful world of .NET and C# and the benefits of object-oriented development. I intimately understand the challenges one faces when learning a new programming language.

I truly enjoy building and guiding development teams, and there is nothing that can replace finding the perfect mix of people, talent, and personalities to form an effective working group. If a team or organization is truly effective, there is never a need to mention the word “synergy”. When you have it, you know it! When you don’t have it, you talk about it and meet in an attempt to find it.

As a bright-eyed, young developer of about 25 years of age, I have to admit that at times I had an unfounded confidence and had the belief that I knew a lot more than I really knew. Age, time, and experience have softened this cockiness and having finally reached my 40s, I have evolved into someone who profoundly understands that the more I learn, the more that I realize there is so much more that I don’t know! It’s a daunting task to keep up with ever-evolving technologies, and there is no such thing as complacency and living within a comfort zone for too long. Though I love new tools and technologies, I never lose sight of the fact that a development teams job is to produce and deliver products that meet the customer’s needs.

I hold a Bachelor of Science in Management Information Systems from Troy University in Troy, Alabama and I am a Microsoft Certified Solution Developer (MCSD), Microsoft Certified Application Developer (MCAD), and a Microsoft Certified Professional (MCP). I hold a CompTIA Security+ certification which I update every three years, and I hold a VMware VTSP certification.

Though I think credentials and certifications are important, I believe that they are merely designations that prove you studied, passed tests, and have at least a minimal level of knowledge. Truth be told, everything I know now I’ve learned on-the-job either through trial and error and self-study. There is just no substitute for that!