I'm currently a NOC Engineer at NetActuate in Raleigh, NC, where I started in July 2025. I manage and support global infrastructure across 40+ Points of Presence, working with bare metal servers, BGP peering at Internet Exchange points, and utilizing automation tools like Ansible and Puppet.
Before NetActuate, I worked at Segra as a NOC Analyst II and NOC Technician, where I supported transport, IP, and Ethernet networks, performed RFC 2544 tests, and created training documentation. I started my networking career at AT&T in December 2023 as a Network Engineer Tier 1, supporting managed services for government accounts.
I hold multiple networking certifications including CCNA (July 2024), Network+ (Jan 2024), JNCIA (Oct 2024), and FCA (Sep 2024). I'm currently studying for RHCSA certification to expand into Infrastructure Engineering and DevOps roles. I graduated from Riverside High School in Durham, NC in 2019.
In December 2024, I built VRHost Lab - an open-source, web-based platform for managing virtual network labs. It's designed for network engineers studying for certifications like JNCIS-SP, providing an alternative to EVE-NG with modern features.
The platform features interactive topology visualization with drag-and-drop network diagrams powered by Cytoscape.js, integrated web-based console access using ttyd (eliminating the need for separate SSH clients), and multi-lab management with one-click start/stop capabilities. The backend is built with Python and FastAPI, managing KVM/QEMU virtual machines through libvirt, while the frontend uses React with Tailwind CSS for a responsive, professional interface.
I developed a one-command installer script that handles all dependencies, systemd services, and networking configuration - making deployment straightforward on Ubuntu 22.04+. The entire project is available on GitHub and demonstrates my ability to build production-grade systems from scratch, combining network engineering knowledge with full-stack development skills.
I built and manage highheatforge.com, a complete custom e-commerce platform from scratch for my dad's bladesmithing and knife-making instruction business in Durham, North Carolina. The project gave me hands-on experience with full-stack Python/Django development, database design with PostgreSQL, payment gateway integration with Stripe, and Linux server administration.
The site features automated class booking systems integrated with Calendly API, professional email infrastructure using self-hosted mailcow server for transactional emails, shopping cart with dynamic tax and shipping calculations, and comprehensive order management dashboard. When customers purchase classes or products, the system automatically processes payments through Stripe, sends booking confirmations with scheduling links, and provides order tracking with shipping notifications - all with no manual intervention required.
I deployed the platform on my enterprise homelab infrastructure with Nginx reverse proxy, SSL encryption via Let's Encrypt, and designed a responsive dark-themed UI using Tailwind CSS. The entire stack runs on bare metal with comprehensive monitoring and automated backups.
My homelab is where networking and entrepreneurship intersect. What began as a learning environment evolved into VRHost - a game server hosting business built on Dell PowerEdge R730 and R320 servers, Juniper SRX firewalls, and a global anycast network spanning 8 NetActuate locations across 4 continents.
The infrastructure includes KVM virtualization with 14+ VMs, comprehensive monitoring with LibreNMS, Prometheus, and Grafana, automated provisioning systems integrated with WordPress/WooCommerce, and centralized logging with Graylog. I've built custom automation scripts for VM management (mkvm, vmcheck) and developed Infrastructure as Code approaches using Ansible for configuration management.
I'm a strong believer in documentation, monitoring, and automation. If I'm going to build something, it's going to be done right - with comprehensive documentation in BookStack, real-time metrics in Grafana, and automated provisioning that removes manual toil.
I approach problems systematically, whether I'm troubleshooting packet loss in transit networks or optimizing a web application's performance. I believe in:
I'm driven by the challenge of building systems that work flawlessly in production. Whether it's a global anycast network serving game servers across continents, a Django e-commerce platform processing real transactions, or a network lab platform helping engineers study for certifications - I want to see my systems running smoothly with minimal intervention because they were engineered correctly from the start.
I treat every project as an opportunity to learn something new and build something that actually solves a real problem. My goal is to transition into Infrastructure Engineering or DevOps roles where I can combine my network engineering expertise with systems automation and cloud infrastructure at scale.
Based in Cary/Durham, North Carolina