Day job
IT Manager · Regional HVAC business
Apr 2011 – Oct 2022 · Charlotte, NC
Built and ran the entire IT stack for a 125-user, 3-location HVAC business across 11.5 years. The work spanned network and identity from a ground-up rebuild, three architectural eras of file storage, a three-layer observability stack, two full telephony migrations, custom apps and digital signage, plus the line-of-business platform work that moved field service from paper to iPads. No platform team to lean on at any point.
Ran concurrently as HVAC technical consultant on the operations side throughout the tenure; the mechanical-contractor background stayed useful.
Responsibilities
- Network design and administration: multi-vendor segmented topology (Meraki MX, Ubiquiti EdgeSwitch, Aruba Instant On) and site-to-site VPNs across 3 locations
- Active Directory from scratch: redundant DCs, SQL Server, Hyper-V; full rebuild executed twice (original site + office relocation)
- Microsoft 365 administration: Exchange Online, SharePoint, Teams, OneDrive (M365 launch 2014)
- File storage and backup: three architectural eras from P2P through Synology NAS to OneDrive/SharePoint + Backblaze
- Acowin HVAC service management platform: selection, rollout, schema maintenance, mobile provisioning, and ongoing administration
- Telephony: inherited Tadiran Coral PBX; migrated to OnSIP, then Zoom Phone
- Physical security: AxTraxNG access control, NVR camera systems, self-pulled and self-terminated Cat6 runs
- HVAC technical consulting: load calcs, duct design, building performance diagnostics, Energy Star accreditation
Accomplishments
Took field service from paper work orders to iPads: in-field credit card processing, real-time Acowin capture, and live dispatcher view. Eliminated the weekly cycle of techs returning to the office with stacks of paper for re-keying.
Migrated off ACOMARC running on SCO OpenServer Unix (self-taught Unix admin, no factory training). Owned vendor selection, cutover coordination, data validation, end-user training, and legacy decommission.
Read write-up →Inherited a Tadiran Coral PBX. Migrated to OnSIP (published as an OnSIP case study), then to Zoom Phone. 37% cost reduction across the full telephony program.
Pivoted file storage from Synology NAS + VPN to OneDrive/SharePoint + NAS-as-backup + Backblaze cloud tier under operational pressure during COVID. Executed while maintaining continuous user support.
PRTG as primary monitor, InfluxDB as time-series database, Grafana for dashboards, Influx Capacitor for Windows agents, custom bash scripts pulling SNMP from network and HVAC equipment. SRE-style practice at SMB scale.
Single-operator IT department across every layer of the stack: network, identity, file storage, telephony, line-of-business apps, custom tooling, physical security, and user support for a 125-user business with real seasonal demand swings.
Projects
Migrated off ACOMARC (Team Management Systems, SCO OpenServer Unix) to Acowin. Self-taught SCO OpenServer administration to keep the legacy system running first; then owned vendor selection, cutover coordination, data validation, training, legacy decommission, and over a decade of ongoing platform administration.
Moved field operations from paper work orders to iPad-based workflows with in-field credit card processing, real-time Acowin capture, and live dispatcher view. Included mobile device provisioning and ongoing in-field support for the full technician fleet.
Inherited a Tadiran Coral PBX. Migrated to OnSIP hosted VoIP (published as an OnSIP case study), then to Zoom Phone for full UCaaS integration. 37% cost reduction across the full program.
PRTG as primary network and server monitor, InfluxDB as time-series database, Grafana for dashboards, Influx Capacitor for Windows agents, and custom bash scripts pulling SNMP from network gear and HVAC equipment. Real-time company metrics on the office floor via custom digital signage.
Peer-to-peer chaos at the start. Synology NAS with folder redirection and VPN access for the middle era. OneDrive/SharePoint + NAS-as-backup + Backblaze cloud tier from the 2020 COVID cutover, executed under operational pressure.
Stood up Active Directory from scratch including redundant DCs, SQL Server, and Hyper-V. Multi-vendor segmented network: Cisco Meraki MX, Ubiquiti EdgeSwitch, Aruba Instant On APs, site-to-site VPNs. Full rebuild executed twice. Azure AD hybrid via AD Connect.
Mobile and web apps for field technicians and salespeople. LMS for staff training. PhishMe (Cofense) security-awareness program. AxTraxNG (Rosslare) physical access control from scratch. Two NVR camera systems across two buildings, including self-pulled Cat6. WordPress sites for the parent company and two acquired companies.