Resume
I’m a software and web developer based in Brooklyn, NY specializing in PHP, Laravel 5, WordPress 5, PostgreSQL, MySQL, C, Javascript, jQuery, CSS and related technologies on Unix/Linux platforms.
Summary
Software and web developer and technical architect with 30 years’ experience in Unix and open source technologies. I have extensive experience in managing and building enterprise-level software through the development cycle, from concept to release and maintenance. I have worked in the financial services and banking, health care, federal and local government, cybersecurity, broadcast and social media, HR, advertising and non-profit industries.
Job Status: I’m currently under a full-time contract.
Relocation: Not unless you have something in Barcelona or Lisbon. I also work mostly off-site.
Professional Experience
BROOKLYN TECHNICAL SERVICES LLC, president, 2003-present
My tech consulting company has worked for the following clients:
CHILDREN’S HEALTH FUND, 6/2005-present
Since 2005, I’ve been in charge of technical development for most of CHF’s custom software projects, from technical requirements to data acquisition/selection to implementation and deployment.
- Database Architect for EHRIS, an open source, networked electronic patient health records system.
- Technical Architect and Developer for TRMS, an open source, patient referral and transportation management system.
- Developer and sysadmin for ChildrensHealthFund.org, the public-facing company site based first on Drupal 7 and now WordPress.
- Technical Architect and Developer for OSCR, a web application to survey and report data for a school-based reproductive and mental health study for the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene and the Buffett Foundation. OSCR also imports health records from several foreign EHRs and provides a central warehouse for that data for DOH personnel.
- Technical Architect and front/backend developer for Healthy and Ready To Learn. HRL is an online resources library addressing health barriers to learning for parents, educators, health professionals and advocates. I built both the v1 and v2 releases.
- Developer and co-designer for the rebuild of Children’s Health Fund public web site. Launch date: 3/8/23
Technologies employed: Laravel, PHP, Twitter Bootstrap, Perl, Drupal 6, jQuery, WordPress 5/6, PostgreSQL 9/10, MySQL5, Redis, AWS EC2, Elementor, Photoshop.
EXAMKRACKERS, 10/2015 – 4/2016
Examkrackers provides preparation for the standardized MCAT and LSAT exams through an online, interactive application mirroring the actual tests and with books, audio CDs, DVDs, internet forums, and live classes. I built EK’s practice system.
Technologies employed: PHP5, Bootstrap 3, Javascript, jQuery, Postgresql, Amazon AWS, Jira, Confluence
NATIONAL ACADEMY FOUNDATION, 9/2011-10/2013
Built Drupal backend for supporting private, member-based discussion groups, content archives and update notifications.
OPERATIVE.COM, 2003-2007
I was part of the original, three-man development team at Trafficmac (later, Operative.com) creating the QMS ad traffic management software on which the company founded itself as an ASP ad trafficking outsourcer for Foxnews.com, WSJ.com, Microsoft.com, SmartMoney.com, Cars.Com, FoxSports.com and others.
- Development Lead for TrafficMac’s v2 Queue Management System (QMS)
- Built back-end processes for importing daily ad server placement data from DoubleClick’s DART, Real Media’s Open Ad Server (OAS), ValueClick and Advertising.com’s ACE.
- Installed, built and maintained PostgreSQL procs packages for QMS.
- Built DHTML drag/drop ad server placement association tool.
- Built BIF-based MS Excel export tools for interactive site reports.
- Built SQL table package class to permit clients to maintain searchable custom tables within the turnkey environment and code base.
- Built client invoicing tools.
Technologies employed: PHP, Perl, Javascript, PostgreSQL 7.3, FreeBSD.
AMERICAN EXPRESS, 2004
Rebuilt American Express Small Business Network’s OPEN Dialogue™ customer forum software. Ported existing database to new open source software, handled creative and UI redesign, built fail-over replication.
ZERO ODOR, 2005
Technical architect and developer for three e-commerce web sites.
WORDPRESS SITES DESIGNED AND BUILT, 2020-2021
While we are primarily back-end technologists, we dabble in occasional pro bono site design.
- Annabel Green Flowers, flower store, Redding, CT
- Petite Crevette, restaurant, Brooklyn, NY
- Flying Lobster, wine bar, Brooklyn NY
My full-time employment history includes:
BLUEWATER FEDERAL SOLUTIONS, 3/2016 – 10/2016
Contractor to the Department of Homeland Security and the National Initiative for Cybersecurity Careers and Studies.
I had a TS-SCI security clearance for this position so I’m not permitted to reveal much about it. I was happy in this job and liked the talented people I worked with. However Children’s Health Fund wanted to hire me back for a large project and I wanted more hands-on development time and a stronger voice in product design.
Technologies employed: Drupal7, PHP5, jQuery, Selenium, MariaDB, Perl, Linux, Jira
COMMUNITY CONNECT, 2/2002 – 8/2003
Managing Developer/Technology Lead for Diversity Job Market, a jobs board in partnership with the New York Times. Clients included Pepsi, Colgate, Target and the FBI. Maintained Oracle databases. Managed product technical design and vendor selection. Handled promotions and email marketing for 500,000 Jobs members. Community Connect built and hosts three of the internet’s highest-traffic web sites (1.2 billion page views per month and 20 million registered users): BlackPlanet.com, AsianAvenue.com and MiGente.com.
Technologies employed: PHP, Oracle, Perl, Javascript, XML, Linux, Apache, CVS
PURE CARBON, 6/2000 – 6/15/2001
Senior web developer for PureCarbon’s Job Planet HR recruiting web site. Evaluated development technologies such as HTML templates and classified ad resume submission methods.
Technologies employed: Perl, mod_perl, Javascript, Linux, SQL, DBI, CVS, Apache, Oracle
THINK NEW IDEAS/ANSWERTHINK, 6/1999 – 6/2000
Unix development manager, tech lead, developer and technical point person for Proctor and Gamble sites: Tampax, Millstone, Always, Tlounge, Troom, Bodymatters, Envive, Alldays, Femcare. Interim Unix system administrator. Rebuilt and consolidated Unix component of the Avon web and shopping site and relocated it to Avon’s data center in Harrison, NY. Constructed in-house project and resource management tools. Reported to Director of Technology. Sites built (or rebuilt) include Millstone Coffee, Envive Miniforms, Alldays, Avon.
Technologies employed: Perl, C, Javascript, Linux, SQL, DBI, Solaris, CGI, CVS, Apache
GREY ADVERTISING, GREYDIRECT E.MARKETING, 10/1998 – 5/1999
Unix development manager, senior web developer and Lucent tech lead. Designed and developed software to create dynamic web sites, administered Unix servers, managed programming staff, oversaw tech department standards, wrote tech department management tools. Sites built include Lucent GSP, Lucent Seminars, Lifewise Bank.
Older freelance projects include:
US POSTAL SERVICE / ACME CONSULTING, 1996-1997
PBS ONLINE/LEARNING LINK, 11/1993 – 7/1996
Designer, developer and senior support engineer for Public Broadcasting Service’s Learning Link, an internet based conferencing and content-delivery system of 40 servers. The software involved development of internet mail and Usenet news clients, mailing list servers, Usenet-to-mail bridges, maintenance and security programs and automatic content propagation. Built custom software for the various PBS affiliate sites.
BANK-CUSTOMER INTERACTION, CITIBANK N/A, 1991-1994
Programmer and technical designer for Citibank’s telephone home banking system, CitiPhone, as well as several other IVR applications including Citibank Mastercard. Worked extensively with focus group testing and QA.
HUMANWARE, CITIBANK N/A, 1989-1991
Programmer and technical issues consultant for coding and implementation of prototype and trainer for Citicorp Mortgage’s point-of-sale brokerage program, MortgagePowerPlus.
Education
Music, Arranging/Composition
Berklee College of Music
Boston, MA
Organizations
WorldWide Web Artists Consortium (WWWAC), Board of Directors 2004-present, Technical Committee
Bay Ridge Food Coop IT Committee 2009-2010
Author Credits
PC World, February 1984: “Making A Date”. Assembly language tutorial.
dNews, December, 1983: “dBase Machine Language Programmer’s Kit”
Contributing editor, Ashton-Tate’s “Advanced Programmer’s Guide”
Unix Review, June 1993: “C++ Development”
Unix Review, August 1994: “SunPro Workshop for C++”
Old House Web: 2009-2010, freelance writer.
Interviews
Home Office Magazine, Fall 1986: “Getting More From Your Computer”
Link-Up, July 1988: “Building a Corporate BBS
New York Magazine, August 1984: “New York Online”
WBAI Radio, four on-air interviews on telecommunications issues.
John Dvorak’s Guide to Telecommunications Magpie review
Computer Mediated Communications by Matthew Rappaport. Magpie review
Canadian Musician.The Bottom Line by Peter Murray. Mailing list review.
The Wall Street Journal: “Telecommuting Loses Favor”, interview
Additional
I’m a former professional musician based in NYC. I did a lot of studio/filmsound recording, touring and I had the bass chair in three Broadway musicals: Godspell, The Magic Show and Oh! Calcutta!
I have written several open source programs, the largest of which was a tree-structured BBS called Magpie for Unix. Magpie was licensed to the NYC, Chicago, Detroit, Boston and Los Angeles boards of education/unified school districts as their core internal discussion software. I’m also sole or collaborating author of several freeware programs (xt, a Unix terminal program) and Drupal modules (Feedbuddy, an RSS aggregator used on sites like HomeOwnersLike.US, and WhosOn).
I was technical editor for IDG’s Linux for Dummies, 2nd Edition.
I’m an experienced woodworker and cabinetmaker, currently renovating an old house in Brooklyn, NY.
I built and was president of a commercial multitrack recording studio, Roxy Recorders, located in lower Manhattan from 1979-1989. Clients included The Ramones, Branford Marsalis, David Sanborn, Diane Keaton, Patty Smyth, Scandal, Kenny Burrell, Flo & Eddie, NPR, Ice Capades, Walt Disney’s “Tron”, Capitol Records, Warner-Reprise, Def Jam and several jingle production companies.
In 1993, two partners and I opened a French restaurant in Brooklyn Heights, La Bouillabaisse. In 1994, it was awarded #1 Top Rated Newcomer in the NYC Zagat Survey — a first for a non-Manhattan restaurant.