Systems & Network Administrator
I have 20+ years of experience supporting information technology infrastructure across higher education, government, small business, and manufacturing environments. Built upon a foundation of self-directed, hands-on learning, I’m now formalizing decades of field experience by completing an Associate of Applied Science in Cybersecurity and Network Systems. I am seeking a cybersecurity internship, part-time opportunity, or entry-level security role where I can apply my infrastructure experience while continuing to develop my cybersecurity expertise.
Work experience
Systems & Network Administrator / IT Coordinator
Worker-Owned Restaurant Corporation | Athens, Ohio | 2004–2013
- Network Infrastructure: Designed and implemented the organization’s network infrastructure, including structured cabling, WLANs, VLAN segmentation, and deployment and administration of a pfSense firewall. Extended secure connectivity to remote offices and home-based users through encrypted site-to-site VPNs using OpenVPN.
- Linux Migration: Led an organization-wide migration from Windows to Linux, implementing LTSP to centrally manage approximately 20 workstations supporting 90 users, improving system stability, reducing vulnerabilities, and eliminating software licensing costs.
- Identity & Access Management: Implemented centralized identity and access management (IAM) using Zentyal (OpenLDAP, Samba, and Kerberos), enabling Single Sign-On (SSO) across multiple applications and integration with Google Workspace using OAuth.
- Virtualized Infrastructure: Deployed and administered an on-premises KVM/libvirt virtualized server environment hosting core business and development services, replacing standalone physical systems with centralized open-source infrastructure.
- Monitoring and Operations: Implemented and maintained infrastructure monitoring using Icinga (Nagios) and SNMP, administered backups with Bacula, proactively identified performance issues, and supported capacity planning and operational visibility.
- Web & Business Systems: Developed and maintained a WordPress-based website and e-commerce platform integrating event promotion, product sales, and social media while supporting PCI-compliant payment processing.
Tech Support Analyst
University of California – Santa Cruz | Santa Cruz, California | 1999–2004
- Career Progression: Progressed from Tier I help desk support for a campus of 18,000 students, staff, and faculty to Tier II and eventually to server administration and workstation support for approximately 300 clients across departments including IT, Human Resources, Police, Physical Plant, Receiving, Business Services, and the Chancellor’s Office.
- Server Administration: Administered and maintained critical campus infrastructure:
- Campus-wide emergency alerting system integrated with phone services for mass notification during public safety events.
- The university’s online learning platform, WebCBT.
- Ten departmental servers providing database, file, print, primary and secondary domain services supporting administrative operations.
- Managed server backups for supported systems using the Legato NetWorker client, ensuring reliable data protection and recovery.
- Enterprise Client Support: Installed, configured, and supported a myriad of applications including enterprise application clients such as ERP systems (PeopleSoft, Banner) and business intelligence (BI) tools (Business Objects/Crystal Reports), ensuring proper database connectivity and readiness for end users and development staff.
- Training Lab Administration: Managed and maintained two computer labs for the Human Resources department, each housing approximately 40 workstations, ensuring availability and readiness for staff training and departmental operations.
- Operations & Support: Diagnosed and resolved network connectivity and system anomalies impacting availability and security. Managed support requests within a ticketed workflow, maintaining SLA compliance across multiple departments and adapting communication style for faculty, staff, and students.
Mobile Food Owner / Operator
Nixtamalized Mobile Food | Athens, Ohio | 2015–2021
- Business Operations: Founded and operated a successful mobile food business for six years, managing strategic planning, budgeting, operations, customer relations, and event logistics.
- Cloud & E-Commerce: Deployed, administered, and maintained a WordPress-based website and ordering system on Amazon Web Services (AWS) EC2 using a LAMP stack (Linux, Apache, MySQL, PHP), including integration with Square for payment processing to support business operations, e-commerce functionality, and online sales.
- Business Analytics: Analyzed customer feedback and sales data to refine product offerings and improve customer retention.
Tech Support Specialist
Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Corrections | Columbus, Ohio | 1999
- Regional Technical Support: Began on the central IT Help Desk before transitioning to field technical support, providiing workstation and network support across eight facilities including correctional institutions, a pre-release center, and the parole authority throughout Southeastern Ohio and the Columbus area—including SCI, PCI, CRC, HCI, RCI, CCI, Franklin Pre-Release Center, and the Athens Parole Authority.
- System Deployment & Networking: Performed system imaging, deployment, and network troubleshooting as part of a centralized IT operation supporting the regional corrections infrastructure.
IT Support Technician
Tri-Star Computer Solutions | Lancaster, Ohio | 1995–1998
- Network Infrastructure: Installed and supported network infrastructure, servers, and workstations for retail, manufacturing, and public sector clients in Novell NetWare and Windows environments, serving organizations including Glassfloss Industries, Zebco Industries, and the Lancaster Police Department.
- Network Migrations: Executed client infrastructure projects including multiple ARCnet-to-Ethernet network migrations and Novell NetWare 3.x to 4.1 migrations.
- Internet Connectivity: Integrated Windows NT Internet gateway and proxy server solutions into Novell NetWare business networks, enabling secure shared Internet access for commercial clients.
- ISP Technical Support: Delivered outsourced telephone technical support for Fairfield Internet, a regional Internet service provider (ISP), assisting customers with dial-up connectivity, modem configuration, web browser and email client configuration, and Internet access issues.
- Desktop Support: Provided on-site, in-house, and telephone technical support for commercial and residential clients. Built, upgraded, and repaired desktop systems, including hardware installation, operating system installation, and system configuration.
Machine Operator
Athens Mold and Machine | Athens, Ohio | 2022–2025
- Precision Manufacturing: Operated CNC mills and manual lathes in a precision manufacturing environment.
- Quality & Documentation: Interpreted blueprints and adhered to quality standards and established procedures.
Education
- Associate of Applied Science in Cybersecurity and Network Systems, Hocking College, 2027 (expected)
Selected Technical Skills
Operating Systems: Linux · UNIX · Windows
Networking: TCP/IP · VLANs · WLANs · DNS · DHCP · pfSense · OpenVPN · Structured cabling · SNMP
Systems Administration: KVM/libvirt · LTSP · LAMP · WordPress · AWS EC2 · Google Workspace
Identity & Access Management: OpenLDAP · Samba · Kerberos · SSO · OAuth
Monitoring & Operations: Icinga (Nagios) · Bacula · GNU Mailman
Security: Network segmentation · Firewall administration · PCI compliance · Wireshark · CTF participation