Strategic thinker, creative problem solver, developer, and marketer.
Currently Director of Web Development @ 2060 Digital.
Introduction
I'm no dinosaur.
Sure, I've been coding for nearly twenty years, with over a decade of professional experience in the marketing and advertising industry. But age isn't really the issue I'm talking about here. Success in today's (unpredictable, post-COVID, paradigm-destroying) world requires adaptability. You need to be able to roll with whatever punches (or giant asteroids) that the universe may throw at you.
I'm an extremely strategic, analytical thinker whose deepest desire is to understand the phenomena, systems, and trends all around me. This allows me to think through problems, identify potential pitfalls, and prepare for a wide range of possible outcomes. I enjoy business development, scenario planning, philosophy, science, creative writing, podcasts, photography, travel, and parenting (most of the time).
I lead a dynamic, multidisciplinary team of digital experts all aligned in a mission to create outstanding websites (while also supporting a veritable smorgasboard of digital marketing and advertising campaigns). I'm committed to working hard, serving others, learning constantly, improving processes, and growing continually—both as a person and as a professional. No matter what happens next, I'll be as ready as anyone.
Experience
Currently
Director of Web Development / 2060 Digital (2017 - Present)
After joining the company as a Web & Systems Developer in 2012, I assumed my current role as Director (overseeing our web department) in the spring of 2017.
In this role, I manage a team of highly intelligent and talented people (project managers, developers, UX designers, etc.) and work with our other managers to help ensure that we're always growing and improving as an organization. I frequently interface with our various markets, strategists, salespeople, clients, and operations teams, providing support, expertise, and additional brainpower wherever possible.
There are days where I may feel like a firefighter, cheerleader, architect, or teacher. But above all else, I consider myself to be a servant to other people, and I consistently do my best to try to help those around me succeed.
Previously
Advisory Board Member, CIT Program / Gateway Community and Technical College (2014 - 2019)
Along with leaders in other technology-related fields, I participated in advisory board meetings to provide input related to Gateway's CIT program course offerings, curriculum, and strategies to best prepare students for entering the workforce.
Web & Systems Developer / 2060 Digital (2012 - 2017)
My time with 2060 Digital goes back well beyond my current role, when I was hired primarily to develop and maintain several websites for four local radio stations and a number of related properties. My role expanded significantly into marketing almost right out of the gate, as the company grew dramatically (and with great success) during my first several years.
Data Manager & Developer / Lightborne, Inc. (2010 - 2012)
While the company specialized in top-quality video production, postproduction, and motion graphics work for major national/international brands and many of the music and entertainment industry's biggest names, my role was a bit less on the "sexy" side (and a lot more on the "geeky" side). My duties included managing massive amounts of data while also developing and maintaining a robust company intranet system, along with various smaller applications (such as the company website and an inventory system for tracking physical assets).
President / Ripening Lime Development, LLC (2010 - 2012)
After doing freelance website and software development work for a few years, demand for my services was high enough for me to form my own company. While I was able to turn a small profit (and I've always had an entrepreneurial spirit), I soon learned that some aspects of business administration just weren't for me (and a few more years of experience would have done me some good, too). I dissolved the company when I went to work for 2060 Digital in 2012.
Education
Bachelor of the Arts / Cincinnati Christian University (Graduated in 2009 with honors)
Skills & Expertise
As a wannabe-Renaissance-man, I have an always-growing breadth and depth of cross-disciplinary knowledge that (combined with my strategic thinking and problem solving ability) enable me to jump in and assist with nearly any challenge.
Major Proficiencies & Expertise
Web development and SPAs
Responsive design / web accessibility (WCAG)
UX design / best practices / performance optimization
Working knowledge of digital advertising (display, paid search, social media, etc.)
Remarketing and conversion tracking
Google Analytics & custom event tracking
SEO best practices and techniques
Technical Knowledge & Skills
JavaScript / ESNext
ReactJS / Redux
CSS3 / CSS-in-JS / Sass
HTML5 / JSX
NodeJS
PHP, Python, & Ruby (rusty with Java)
Laravel, Yii, Rails
WordPress & Other CMSes (including headless CMSes)
Rest APIs & Web Services (both design and integration)
Static site generators (Gatsby, Next.js, Jekyll)
MySQL, PostgreSQL, GraphQL
Web servers (Apache, NGINX, IIS)
Version control (Git) and continuous integration
Unit testing (Jest)
Various tools, bundlers, and transcompilers (Babel, Webpack, Gulp, Grunt)
Adobe Creative Cloud (XD, Illustrator, Photoshop)
Soft Skills
Strong work ethic and a passion for helping others
Deeply-rooted servant leadership mindset
Sharp critical analysis and problem solving ability
