Experience

Principal Engineer
Little Room
July 2017 – Present

• Architected and developed custom WordPress plugins tailored to specific client requirements, enhancing site functionality and user experience.
• Conducted comprehensive performance audits, implementing targeted optimizations focused on improving client website load times and user experience.
• Managed ongoing site maintenance projects including core/plugin/theme updates, security monitoring, uptime checks, and automated backups, ensuring high availability for client sites.
• Fostered strong client relationships through clear communication and personalized technical support and strategy.

WordPress Expert and Product Advocate
DreamHost; Remote
September 2021 – April 2025

• Analyzed and optimized core server infrastructure (Nginx, MySQL, Redis) to bolster WordPress hosting performance, scalability, and reliability across the platform.
• Implemented advanced server-level tuning, including optimized Nginx caching configurations and MySQL query performance enhancements for WordPress workloads.
• Served as the technical authority and product advocate for WordPress hosting architecture, server configuration, performance best practices, and feature development.
• Developed server tuning methodologies specifically targeting WordPress application demands.
• Created and maintained internal technical documentation and best practice guides for WordPress server management and product features.
• Troubleshot and resolved complex hosting issues related to server resource allocation, performance bottlenecks, and application conflicts.
• Mentored technical support and engineering team members in diagnosing complex site performance issues.
• Collaborated with support, product, and marketing teams to understand customer challenges, shape product direction, and inform platform improvements.
• Engaged with the wider WordPress community through public outreach, presentations, and knowledge sharing, representing DreamHost’s product offerings.
• Authored original, WordPress-focused technical content for DreamHost’s official blog and knowledge base to support product adoption and user success.

Senior Performance Engineer
Liquid Web; Remote
July 2017 – July 2021

• Evaluated server stack performance (Linux, Nginx/Apache, MySQL, PHP, Redis) and WordPress configurations (plugins, themes) to ensure platform scalability and reliability for Managed WordPress/WooCommerce products.
• Identified critical platform bottlenecks and presented data-driven optimization strategies to engineering teams, contributing to improved product stability and speed.
• Defined, monitored, and enforced performance Service Level Objectives (SLOs) for hosting products.
• Provided direct, high-touch consultation to key customers, significantly improving their site speed, enhancing stability during peak traffic (e.g., Black Friday), and supporting revenue growth.
• Identified potential upsell/cross-sell opportunities based on performance analyses, providing actionable leads to internal sales teams.
• Designed, executed, and documented comprehensive load tests using tools like k6 to validate platform limits and improvements.

Developer Advocate
WP Engine; Remote
October 2011 – June 2017

• Joined as employee #5, contributing to the company’s foundational growth from startup to top tier web hosting provider.
• Established and led the Level 3 Support team, defining escalation paths and handling the most complex WordPress technical issues.
• Performed advanced hacked site cleanups and developed a standardized post-infection hardening playbook adopted by the Support organization.
• Championed WordPress development best practices within the developer community and among high-profile theme/plugin developers.
• Provided expert technical consultation on the feasibility and architecture of large-scale WordPress projects.
• Managed and curated WP Engine’s Disallowed Plugins list, working collaboratively with plugin developers to resolve security and performance concerns.
• Monitored services and performed security audits across thousands of Ubuntu cloud servers, identifying and mitigating vulnerabilities with insecure WordPress plugins.
• Served as a key technical contributor in defining requirements, coordinating development, and launching targeted WooCommerce hosting plans, helping establish a significant new revenue stream for the company.

Technical Support Manager and WordPress Specialist
DreamHost; Los Angeles, CA
June 2006 – October 2011

• Provided expert-level WordPress troubleshooting and technical support to customers.
• Led, mentored, and supervised a team of WordPress-focused Technical Support specialists.
• Developed the initial social media (Twitter) support escalation strategy and guided the early Social Support team.
• Performed network monitoring across thousands of Debian Linux servers, acting as a first responder for network attacks or system failures and managing hardware migrations.

Organizations

Co-organizer
BarCamp Los Angeles; Los Angeles, CA
November 2006 – May 2009

Web Developer
Bakersfield Burrito Project; Bakersfield, CA
March 2017 – Present

Speaking

WordCamp Phoenix 2012
WordCamp Los Angeles 2013
WordCamp Los Angeles 2014
WordCamp Orange County 2015
WordCamp Sacramento 2015
WordCamp Sacramento 2016
WordCamp Sacramento 2017
WordCamp San Diego 2017
WordCamp Santa Clarita 2019
SoCal WordPress Meetup
Chandler WordPress Meetup
Bakersfield WordPress Meetup
Las Vegas WooCommerce Meetup
WPSessions
WordSesh 2
WordSesh 3

Podcasts

Co-host
WPwatercooler (ended 2024)

Co-host
Dev Branch (ended 2024)

Producer
Gag Me With a Chainsaw

References

Provided upon request