Designer Heart - Developer Mind

I am a maker and a creative problem solver by nature. Whether the solution is found in development or design, it is all about thinking creatively to meet challenges. My sweet spot is collaborating with cross-functional teams to arrive at the best possible outcome. I will do whatever it takes.

Specializing in building websites and applications, my current tools of choice are React, Javascript, Typescript, and NextJS, although I also have extensive experience with PHP (my first programming language) and WordPress and am currently exploring all the ways to integrate them. While my main focus is on the front end, nothing is more exciting to me than connecting the data from an API or a CMS, via REST or GraphQL.

My Story

My first programming experience was via the database solution program FileMaker Pro, which I used to solve real-world problems for business use cases where there were no off-the-shelf solutions.

My first website required a custom shopping cart that charged delivery fees based on zip code. I learned PHP and built it from scratch, with mySQL powering the e-commerce and an admin backend for managing products, using sessions and encryption. My hybrid career as a web designer and developer was off and running.

I honed my skills working with agencies, startups, and personal clients in both development and design - branding, print, and web. When I discovered WordPress (over a decade ago) I was building custom themes from the beginning. I have always seen it as a platform capable of almost anything, and that has not changed.

As the web manager at Cloudera, my responsibilities included managing their newly-built AEM site and I took the developer training. After working at PagerDuty rebuilding their corporate WordPress site from the ground up, I was brought aboard at Cengage, to help modernize legacy educational products and promote the internal creative team with a shiny new website.

It was at Cengage that I began my journey with React. We pursued an ambitious initiative to move legacy educational programs into the modern age, converting data visualizations and Flash-based programs into React applications. I decided to go "all in" on React and Javascript and later, Typescript .

Today, after two years at Apple, building out the POC for a transformation of Apple.com with React, Next, and Typescript, I am looking forward to my next challenge.

Outside of work, you'll find me hiking with my dog, in the gym, on the slopes, or indulging my passion for world travel.