Candidates About

 

Wade Blackwell

 

 

Overview

·   Main focus areas are;

·   Business development and pre-sales

·   Executive and engineering management

·   Principle and Sr. Solutions Architect

 

Summary of Qualifications and Experience

·   Senior leadership of Ag-Tech startup

·   Plan roadmap(s) for personnel/team development

·   Plan roadmap(s) for 5 year infrastructure plan

·   Plan monetization model and gain strategic partners for current product set

·   Assess and mitigate business and technology risk on enterprise scale (government and commercial)

·   Accomplished, results-driven Senior Network/Virtualization Engineer & Project Manager with 20+ years’ experience supporting business-critical operations for major organizations, such as Cisco, Washington Mutual (Chase), Amazon, Citrix, EMC (Datadomain), Dept of Defense (DOD), VCE (Acadia) and the City and County of San Francisco, SFPD.

·   Design, implementation, management, security experience with “TMT” (Trusted Multi-Tenant) environments on “CI” (Converged infrastructure) platforms including SDN.

·   Broad experience leveraging Open Source platforms for messaging, voice/presence and application stacks (LAMP)

·   Broad expertise in system and network engineering, testing, troubleshooting and integration with most Unix/Linux, Windows and Cisco (bare metal and virtualized) LAN/WAN/Wi-Fi environments. 

·   In-depth knowledge of system interrelationships, service, application architecture and security.

·   Highly analytical leader with 50,000 foot view, and the ability to work with management, staff, vendors and customers to convert complex business requirements into actionable project plans and technical requirements.

·   Proficient at designing, implementing and maintaining enterprise-grade networking solutions (bare metal and SDN) that are stable, elegant, efficient and add bottom line to the organization.

·   Exceptional ability to communicate technical concepts to diverse audiences.

·   Consistently deliver projects on-time, on-budget and with minimal business/system impact.

·   Focus on business impact, that may affect revenue short and long term, with tactical and strategic decisions

·   Focus on service, primary objective is to intimately understand the business needs of the customer and serve them before anything else. In this way the reputation of organization I represent will be preserved and promoted.

·   Strong Technical Project management and Vendor management

 

Certifications

·   1^st person worldwide to pass Cisco CCIE Security written.

·   VMware Certified Professional 5 VCP5-DCV

·   Tintri Certified Systems Engineer

·   AWS Associate Solutions Architect **in process**

·   AWS Associate SysOps Administrator **in process**

·   AWS Associate Developer **in process**

 

 

                         

Chief Technology Officer                                                                                                                                                              07/2016 – Present

Agriworld Exchange - Paso Robles, CA

·   Build and maintain online perishables trading platform (CentOS7, Apache, Java in Hybrid cloud environment)

·   Build and maintain IP voice and presence environment (CentOS6, FreePBX, OpenFire)

·   Build and maintain Hybrid Cloud stack for IT and customer facing services (Vsphere6 & AWS)

·   Build and maintain infrastructure & service monitoring (Cisco Prime, OpenNMS, Zabbix & Nagios)

·   Penetration testing for internal/external environments (Kali Linux toolsets, list here)

·   Lift and shift legacy Java platform to Cloud native platform w/DevOps capability

·   Develop strategy to monetize platform

·   Develop strategic partnerships in adjacent industries

·   Develop Global IT direction and process for internal/external facing technology footprint (5 yr plan)

·   Lead migration of all legacy architecture to AWS/cloud

·   Develop strategy to mature & retain IT organization (mid-level leadership on down)

CEO / Principle Architect                                                                                                                                                            02/2017 – Present

Creston Hills Consulting – Central Coast, CA

Achievements:

·   Design & implemented Cisco’s DMVPN solution for multi-site secure branch connectivity (multi-hub/dual mesh)

·   Design & implemented L2 stretch “on the cheap” (IOS l2tpv3/xconnect)

·   Design and implement micro footprint SMB design using VMware stack, Microsoft, Qnap and Open Source

·   Multi-site BGP architect/implementation on Pfsense in software (Vsphere stack)

·   Site to Site VPN architect/implementation on FreeBSD based platform in software (Ovpn & IPsec on Vsphere6 stack)

·   Remote access VPN on FreeBSD based platform in software (Ovpn & IPsec on Vsphere6 stack)

·         Architect web application platform and shopping cart platforms (ZenCart, CentOS6/7 LAMP/Qcubed)

·   Architect IP phone system using Asterisk platform, multi-carrier, phone queues, intra-company trunks to vendor sites, voice-mail to email and full remote voice capability.

·   Content and Geo traffic filtering

·   Web caching for static content (Squid/CentOS7/FreeBSD)

·   Penetration testing for internal/external environments (Kali Linux toolsets, list here)

·   Samba/CIFS environment for centralized client document & data storage (CentOS4-7, Samba)

·   Automated data backups to local/remote locations

·   Responsible for Vendor Management - work with vendor engineers to diagnose, analyze and localize hardware/software problems.

·   Conduct site surveys and analyze environments to evaluate system operations, determine type of hardware/software needed, and develop equipment specifications to meet identified requirements.

·   Provide detailed analysis to support the preparation of Statements of Work, technical evaluations of vendor proposals and procurement documents.

·   Install and configure File Servers, Cisco Switches, fax servers, scanners and host and LAN printers.

·   Formulated and deployed standard operating procedures for field offices.

 

 

 

 

Professional Experience

Sr. Program/Project Manager                                                                                                                                                 03/2015 – 07/2016

PCM/En Pointe Technologies - Gardena, CA

·   Manage multi-discipline post sales engineering teams

·   Manage 3^rd party vendor: billing agent, outsourced technical resources

·    SOW review: scope adjustment/change management; set/reset expectations (scope creep)

·   Resource scheduling: pre-sales/post-sales resources

·   Project plan creation (Microsoft Project)

·   Validate that engineering resources are providing value add

·   Timeline management

·   Billing agent (milestone and T&M based projects)

·   Customer facing trusted advisor

 

Sr. Solutions Architect & Post Sales Engineering Manager                                                                                          03/2013 – 03/2015

PCM/En Pointe Technologies - Gardena, CA

Achievements:

·   Technical Project Management

·   Manage Cisco Post Sales Practice

·   Vendor management for large scale projects and new construction

·   Design/Implement/Test reference architectures for virtualized environments

·   Design/Implement/Test custom architectures for virtualized environments

·   Convert existing physical environments to virtual

·   Design and implement technical recovery for virtualized environments (SRM and others)

·   Implement next generation networks to support virtualization (Nexus, 7K, 5K, 2K, 1KV and UCS)

·   Pre-Sales engagements for virtualization opportunities

·   Develop assessment and training plan for team’s hard/soft skill development

 

Solutions Architect / Service Development                                                                                                                      04/2011 – 10/2012

VCE - Austin, Texas

Achievements:

·   Security service development for Professional Services organization

·   Professional Services Delivery Team lead

·   Vblock implementation / integration / delivery

·   Cisco Nexus 5548/7010

·   Cisco 1000V

·   Cisco MDS

·   Cisco UCS

·   VMware 4.x/5.x

Key Accomplishments:

·   Logical design review (pre-delivery)

·   Worked around client network design flaws to implement vBlock successfully

·   In some cases, designed an L2 strategy for the customer

·   Managed cabling designs to support 10/100/1000mb (cat5e/Cat6) Ethernet environments.

·   Validated and corrected problems with installation/configuration procedures prior to implementation, reducing installation mishaps.

                         

CEO / Principle Architect                                                                                                                                                         05/2008 – 04/2011

Earthsuit LLC - Atascadero, CA

Achievements:

·   Design and implement micro footprint SOHO design using VMware, Microsoft, Qnap and Open Source

·   Multi-site BGP architect/implementation on FreeBSD based platform in software (Vsphere6 stack)

·   Site to Site VPN architect/implementation on FreeBSD based platform in software (Ovpn & IPsec on Vsphere6 stack)

·   Remote access VPN on FreeBSD based platform in software (Ovpn & IPsec on Vsphere6 stack)

·   Architect web server and shopping cart platform using ZenCart, CentOS6 and Apache

·   Architect IP phone system using Asterisk platform, multi-carrier, phone queues, intra-company trunks to vendor sites, voice-mail to email and full remote voice capability.

·   Content filtering (DansGuardian on CentOS6)

·   Web caching for static content (Squid on CentOS6)

·   Penetration testing for internal/external environments (Kali Linux toolsets, list here)

·   Samba/CIFS environment for centralized client document & data storage (CentOS4, Samba)

·   Data backups to remote locations (rsync and other scripts)

·   Responsible for Vendor Management - work with vendor engineers to diagnose, analyze and localize hardware/software problems.

·   Designed Paso Robles fulfillment center

·   Employee training, online shipping methods, online tools (Google suite)

·   Conduct site surveys and analyze environments to evaluate system operations, determine type of hardware/software needed, and develop equipment specifications to meet identified requirements.

·   Provide detailed analysis to support the preparation of Statements of Work, technical evaluations of vendor proposals and procurement documents.

·   Install and configure File Servers, Cisco Switches, fax servers, modems, scanners and host and LAN printers.

Key Accomplishments:

·   Solved major IP telephony issue eluding resolution by Trixbox/FreePBX professionals, avoiding downtime during deployment.

·   Formulated and deployed standard operating procedures for field offices.

 

                         

Senior Network Architect/Engineer **Contract**                                                                                                           01/2011 - 04/2011

Department of Defense – Seaside, CA

Achievements:

·   Replaced antiquated remote access VPN architecture with Smartcard/LDAP/IPSec/SSL solution, leveraged Cisco ASA 5540 failover pairs at each head end.

·   Maintained Govt. inter-branch connectivity (site to site VPN) and service delivery

·   Mitigated DoD identified threats (IAVAs) on perimeter devices (VPN/Firewall)

·   Network troubleshooting and triage

 

                         

Senior Architect/Network Engineer                                                                                                                                    02/2010 – 12/2010

Datadomain (EMC) - Santa Clara, CA

Achievements:

·   Extensive platform troubleshooting of DD OS version 4.6 – 5.1 (Linux, various kernel version)

·   Link aggregation (LACP, RR and/or XOR)

·   Mitigate L2 issues (dev/test teams have root, has caused issues during load tests)

·   Raid troubleshooting and rebuilds (hw/software)

·   Design and operational responsibility of datacenter

·   Formalized network training program for junior engineers

·   Formalized policies and standards for:

·   Change Control

·   Network Device Naming

·   Network Device bring up procedure

·   Triage procedure

·   Standardized documentation

·   Upgraded core from IOS to NXOS**

·   Upgraded PVST to RSTP

·   Migrated from all client to client/server VTP (V2)

·   Implemented Virtual Switching environments within NXOS

·   Implemented SolarWinds Configuration management for all Cisco devices

·   Nagios and MRTG implementation for secondary and external monitoring (CentOS5)

·   Troubleshoot, determine root cause and mitigate network issues/failures

·   Capacity plan

·   Implement isolated test bed networks for various R&D teams

·   Keep rogue network equipment from causing outages (bridge loops)

·   Train junior engineers

·   Lab safety tours and instruction

·   Manage SNMP monitoring infrastructure (SolarWinds)

·   Cable moves, re-patch, physical layer troubleshooting

 

 

IT Security Specialist/Network Security Architect                                                                                                        06/2007 – 09/2008

Citrix Online, LLC - Paso Robles, CA Telecommute

Achievements:

·   Security incident response, mitigation and policy/procedure creation. Often involving multiple technology groups to ensure incident was contained and not impacting the production network.

·   Security posture assessment and vulnerability mitigation, ensuring security, design and technical continuity standards were upheld.

·   Mentoring in security disciplines and firewall administration

·   Responsible for Vendor Management - work with vendor engineers to diagnose, analyze and localize hardware/software problems, in addition to price negotiation.

·   SSL VPN design, maintenance and troubleshooting (Cisco ASA)

·   SOHO infrastructure design, maintenance and troubleshooting (Cisco ASA solution)

·   Firewall and router ACL maintenance / troubleshooting

·   Wireless infrastructure design, maintenance and troubleshooting

·   Captive Portal research

·   Content filtering, vendor selection, infrastructure design, maintenance and troubleshooting

·   Policy and procedure writing, management approval, evangelism and implementation

·   Network design documentation, Visio, dissemination

 

                         

Owner/Principal                                                                                                                                                                           08/2005 - 05/2007

Verve4te LLC - Seattle, WA

Achievements:

·   Manage multiple time sensitive projects with high visibility

·   Database and web application design

·   Thick client development for windows environment

·   Open source infrastructure development (network, server, remote access, firewall, VPN, load balancing)

 

 

System Security Professional / Network Architect/Engineer                                                                                     02/2002 - 06/2007

Washington Mutual Bank- Seattle, WA

Achievements:

·   Performed vulnerability assessments (red team) against Cisco IOS, PIXOS, Check Point, Windows NT4, Windows 2000, Windows 2003, Solaris 8, Solaris 9 and Linux using Open Source toolsets (RHEL4/CentOS4, Nessus, Nmap and more)

·   Validated OS and application security issues found on multiple server platforms

·   Worked with project teams and architects to implement secure architectures

·   Worked with project teams and architects to mitigate security issues found after implementation

·   Worked with business/system owners to ensure environments were GLBA and SOX compliant

·   Translate process and technology risk into business risk in an attempt to mitigate said risk and keep Washington Mutual off CNN

·   Reviewed and contributed security standards

·   Responsible for Vendor Management - work with vendor engineers to diagnose, analyze and localize hardware/software problems.

·   Business partner network design, implementation and troubleshooting, including legacy L2 encryption over x.25/Frame Relay Treasury Communication Network.

·   Perform structured and documented vendor evaluations for various technologies, with a high level of recorded detail to assist in purchasing and road map decisions

·   Design secure business partner connections using BGP and other routing protocols

·   Designed and implemented development environment for Wamu.com Online banking environment

·   Configured and maintained multi-vendor VPN connections

·   Performed traffic flow validation on environments to ensure least privilege was imposed

·   Developed and presented various security training modules

·   Developing routing protocol and other training for junior engineers

·   Design and implement load application acceleration on Juniper DX and F5 platforms

·   Write test methodology and process for new features and software into the environment

·   Design and implement business partner connectivity solutions

·   Manage lab environment for Network Engineering team

 

 

Senior Network Engineer / VPN Architect                                                                                                                          11/2000 - 11/2001

Amazon.com - Seattle, WA

Achievements:

·   Managed a large number of time sensitive projects with high visibility

·   Responsible for Vendor Management - worked with vendor engineers to diagnose, analyze and localize hardware/software problems.

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