Experience

Principal Engineer
Little Room
July 2017 – Present

• Create custom plugins to meet client needs, improving WordPress site functionality
• Conduct performance audits and make optimizations to speed up client websites.
• Provide ongoing site maintenance, including updates for plugins and themes, core security updates, uptime monitoring, and automated backups
• Communicate with clients regularly, providing personalized service for every customer

WordPress Product Advocate
DreamHost; Remote
September 2021 – Present

• Audit and measure server level performance for DreamHost customers
• Act as a subject matter expert to both DreamHost support and the WordPress Specialist teams
• Meet with support staff to understand the challenges DreamHost customers experience
• Improve the DreamPress and WordPress one-click install products through feedback from customers, the support team, and prior experience
• Mentor DreamHost employees interested in WordPress development and community engagement
• Engage the WordPress community through public outreach
• Create original, WordPress focused, content for DreamHost verticals

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

• Evaluate server performance and WordPress stack (plugin, theme) variations for scalability
• Identify platform bottlenecks and present optimization strategies to engineering team
• Define and enforce performance goals for Managed WordPress and Managed WooCommerce hosting products
• Work one-on-one with high-touch customers to improve site speed, increase revenue, and keep things stable during high traffic periods
• Provide internal and external sales teams with potential revenue channels based on the performance of existing customer sites as well as sales leads
• Write, run, and document load tests

Developer Advocate
WP Engine; Remote
October 2011 – June 2017

• Discussed and encouraged best practices in WordPress development with theme and plugin developers
• Called in to act as a final say with regards to the feasibility of some larger scale projects
• Maintained WP Engine’s Disallowed Plugins list, and worked closely with plugin developers to keep them off the list
• Handled advanced WordPress support issues, then parlayed those experiences into the creation and management of the Level 3 Support team
• Performed hacked site cleanups; escalated advanced cases—such as repeat infections—to external vendor, Sucuri
• Developed a post-infection playbook for hardening hacked sites that Support team followed
• Monitored services for thousands of Ubuntu based cloud servers, across multiple vendors, performed regular audits for vulnerable plugins and code
• Crafted and launched WooCommerce Plus plans, opening up an entirely new targeted revenue stream for internal sales team

Resident WordPress Nerd
DreamHost; Los Angeles, CA
June 2006 – October 2011

• Performed high level WordPress troubleshooting and maintenance for customers
• Led a team of WordPress focused Technical Support employees
• Managed and supervised the day to day output of Technical Support employees
• Crafted a support escalation plan for Twitter and guided a Social Support team through its early days
• Acted as a network monitor for thousands of Debian Linux servers; became the first line of defense in case of network attack or large scale system failure, migrated failing servers to new hardware

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

Co-host
Dev Branch

Producer
Gag Me With a Chainsaw

References

Provided upon request