Professional Experience

Education

Computer Science: Central State University, Edmond Oklahoma, 1984-1988

Electronics and Telecommunications: Technical University of Kenya, formerly The Kenya Polytechnic, 1980-1982

Technical Skills

Cloud Computing: Proficient in foundational cloud concepts, including cloud architecture, deployment models, and service models, with hands-on experience through the AWS Educate platform.

Storage Solutions: Knowledgeable in various cloud storage solutions, including S3, EBS, and Glacier.

Compute Services: Intermediate experience in AWS compute services such as EC2, Lambda, and Elastic Beanstalk.

Networking: Familiar with cloud networking concepts, including VPC, subnets, routing, and security groups.

Databases: Proficient in cloud database management, including RDS, DynamoDB, and Aurora.

Cloud Operations: Experienced in monitoring, logging, and automating tasks using AWS CloudWatch, CloudFormation, and more.

Security: Strong understanding of AWS security best practices, including IAM, encryption, and compliance.

Serverless Architecture: Skills in building serverless applications using AWS Lambda, API Gateway, and DynamoDB.

Awards and Certifications

Introduction to Cloud 101: Comprehensive understanding of core cloud concepts.

Getting Started with Storage: Knowledge of cloud storage solutions.

Getting Started with Compute: Hands-on experience with AWS compute services.

Getting Started with Networking: Developed skills in cloud network architecture design.

Getting Started with Databases: I have built expertise in managing cloud databases, including RDS and NoSQL databases, with a focus on scalability and performance.

Getting Started with Cloud Ops: I have enhanced cloud operational skills, including monitoring, logging, and automating tasks within AWS environments.

Getting Started with Security: I have experience with AWS security services and best practices, including identity management, encryption, and compliance.

Getting Started with Serverless: Gained experience in developing serverless applications, focusing on AWS Lambda and API Gateway, with practical knowledge of deploying scalable, event-driven architectures.

Certified IBM x-Series Server Specialist, 2004: Working knowledge of operating systems (e.g., Microsoft Windows Server, Windows, Linux), Blade-Center technology, and networking with knowledge of the OSI sublayer. Successfully deployed and maintained 15 IBM x-Series servers, providing critical information to administrators to enable remote control of servers, reducing downtime by up to 75% through timely rectification of faults.

Bug Bounty Hunter: 2 years of experience finding vulnerabilities in web applications.

Management Experience: I have many years of formal management experience, having served as a workshop and technical manager for a number of institutions. Proficiency level: Advanced.

Other Notable Skills: Expert in written communication, computer networking, and intermediate-level technical writing.

Projects

1-Hosting a Static Website on AWS:

Objective: Host a static website by integrating a third-party domain with AWS Route 53 and leveraging Amazon S3 for scalable and cost-effective web hosting.

Key Responsibilities:

• Domain Integration: Integrated a third-party domain with AWS Route 53, ensuring seamless DNS management and global domain name resolution.
• Website Hosting: Utilized Amazon S3 to host the static website, taking advantage of its high availability, scalability, and security features to deliver content efficiently to end-users.
• DNS Configuration: Configured Route 53 to manage DNS records, including setting up the necessary A and CNAME records to point the domain to the S3 bucket hosting the website.
• Security and Optimization: Implemented appropriate bucket policies and configured S3 settings to ensure secure access and optimized content delivery.

Technologies Used: Amazon S3, Amazon Route 53.

Outcome: Successfully launched a functional, secure, and scalable static website.

2-AWS Web Server Set-up with Application Load Balancer (ALB):

Objective: Ensure a highly available, scalable, and secure solution for hosting web applications.

• Implemented Application Load Balancer (ALB) to distribute incoming traffic across multiple EC2 instances, improving fault tolerance and performance.
• Configured target groups for routing traffic to specific EC2 instances based on health checks.
• Implemented security best practices, including setting up security groups and VPC for network isolation and access control.

Technologies Used: Linux (OS for EC2 instances), Amazon EC2, Application Load Balancer (ALB), Target Group.

Outcome: Improved performance, optimized costs, and enhanced user experience.

3-AWS Cloud Resume Challenge:

Objective: Demonstrate cloud skills through a portfolio piece focusing on web hosting, serverless computing, CI/CD, and cloud security.

• Web Hosting: Deployed a static website using Amazon S3 and integrated CloudFront for CDN to ensure fast, reliable access to the site across the globe.
• Serverless Architecture: Built serverless backend using AWS Lambda to handle website visitor counter, and API Gateway to manage API requests.
• Database Management: Used DynamoDB as a NoSQL database to store visitor count with minimal latency and cost.
• CI/CD Pipeline: Automated deployment and updates using AWS CodePipeline, ensuring faster iterations with less manual intervention.
• Security Best Practices: Implemented IAM roles for fine-grained access control, ensuring only necessary permissions are granted.

Technologies Used: AWS S3, AWS CloudFront, AWS Route 53, AWS Lambda, AWS API Gateway, AWS DynamoDB, AWS IAM, AWS Certificate Manager (ACM), AWS CloudFormation, AWS CodePipeline.

Outcome: Gained hands-on experience with AWS services and reinforced knowledge in cloud architecture and serverless computing.