I'm a hands-on senior technologist and Solutions Architect who has spent the last two decades turning business problems into working software - from GIS platforms for engineering firms to enterprise systems in the cloud.
I was hooked on programming from a very young age: my first "app" was typing 3rd-grade math homework into an Atari 800 with the BASIC cartridge loaded and letting it hand me the answers. Growing up in Alaska during the early days of the internet, computers - much less connectivity - were out of reach; long-distance phone bills made online access a luxury. So my friends and I settled for pursuits that cost nothing: cards, chess (where I picked up my "Shah Mat" nickname), and role-playing games.
My technical foundation is broad: C-type languages (C, C++, C#, Java), the BASIC family (Visual Basic .NET, VB6, VBA/MS Access), dynamic languages (JavaScript/TypeScript, Python), data platforms including MS SQL Server, Azure SQL, and PostgreSQL, and cloud infrastructure on both Azure and AWS. I architect enterprise solutions spanning applications, databases, cloud services, and infrastructure - working directly with clients and project managers to translate business requirements into secure, scalable systems. UX and framework design are my specialties, backed by a record of building new systems from the ground up and taking over brownfield projects to modernize them.
My CAD background gives me a distinct lens on GIS software and spatial data systems - how they're built, customized, and used for capture and analysis, and how that data relates to real-world situations. Lately I've been focused on shepherding cloud and local AI systems through the full project lifecycle: requirements planning, build out, testing, and delivery.
Senior Solutions Architect
Leveraging cloud and local AI/LLM systems to design, develop, and modernize enterprise web applications, APIs, and integrations built on .NET/C#, JavaScript/TypeScript, Angular, React/Next.js, Node.js, Python, and SQL. Leading technical discovery and client consulting for Digital Services engagements - translating requirements into end-to-end architectures spanning applications, databases, cloud services, and infrastructure. Designing Azure and AWS environments (hosting, deployment, Terraform/OpenTofu automation), building CI/CD pipelines, optimizing relational and NoSQL databases (SQL Server, Azure SQL, PostgreSQL, Cosmos DB), mentoring development teams, and supporting business development with technical proposals, estimates, and client presentations.
Senior Technology Consultant
Led custom client software projects from a technical perspective: advised project managers on technology stacks, conducted stakeholder interviews and requirements gathering, wrote technical documentation, and drove systems architecture from functional planning through scope/schedule/budget breakdowns to hands-on development and testing.
Senior Application Developer
Designed and implemented business applications with GIS components using proprietary and open source libraries - ESRI Web APIs, Python (ArcPy, GDAL), .NET/ASP.NET MVC, Azure, Node.js, SQL Server Reporting Services, SQL Server, and PostgreSQL/PostGIS. Full-cycle work: requirements gathering, stakeholder interviews, architecture design, development, and remote/on-site installation and training.
Senior Application Developer
Built business applications with GIS components on stacks including ESRI Web APIs, .NET/ASP.NET MVC, Node.js, PHP, SQL Server Reporting Services, Oracle, SQL Server, MySQL, and PostgreSQL/PostGIS - from requirements gathering and architecture design through development and client training.
GIS Application Developer
Designed and implemented GIS business applications using ESRI ArcObjects and Web APIs, VB.NET/C#, ASP.NET MVC, Oracle 10g, SQL Server 2005–2008 R2, and Adobe Flex. This is where my reputation as a "tech ninja" was earned.
Junior Application Developer
Maintained and extended .NET 1.1/2.0 desktop software, and gathered and implemented requirements for new desktop and web projects using Microsoft Access, VB.NET/C#, ASP.NET, and SQL Server 2000/2005.
C# / .NET JavaScript / TypeScript Python Java Angular React / Next.js Node.js VB.NET / VBA
MS SQL Server / Azure SQL PostgreSQL / PostGIS Oracle MySQL Cosmos DB SQL Server Reporting Services
ESRI / ArcGIS Web Mapping ArcPy / GDAL CAD / Spatial Data Systems
Software Architecture Azure / AWS Terraform / OpenTofu CI/CD & DevOps AI System Integration
Agile & Waterfall Methodologies Project Management (CompTIA Project+) Technical Writing Client Liaison Team Leadership & Mentoring
B.S., Information Technology - Software Emphasis
A.S., Computer-Aided Drafting & Design
A.S., Electronics Engineering Technology
