About me
Building resilient systems & intentional lives.
I'm Richard—a software engineer and DevOps consultant who believes the best technology is built with the same care you'd put into anything you want to last. I work across the full stack, from React frontends to .NET backends to Azure infrastructure, but what I really care about is making complex systems understandable and deployments boring.
Before I wrote my first line of production code, I was launching fighter jets off aircraft carriers. The Navy taught me that attention to detail isn't optional—it's how you keep people safe. That principle still drives how I approach every deployment, every pipeline, every system I touch.
My Journey
My path into tech wasn't linear. When I was young and unsure about direction, I decided that if I didn't know my path, the Navy would help me find one. I spent nearly seven years in uniform—first as an aircraft maintenance technician working on EA-18G Growlers, then as an office administrator, and finally as a database administrator managing maintenance systems and support equipment. The military gave me discipline, a bias toward ownership, and an understanding that systems only work when someone cares enough to maintain them.
When I left the service, COVID hit and many of my plans fell through. That's when I turned toward software development. The VA sent me to a coding bootcamp, and from there things moved fast: my first role building an eCommerce platform, then a position at Vizient working on healthcare applications, and eventually a consulting role at Plante Moran where I found my footing in DevOps and cloud infrastructure. Along the way, I've also been building FinTech software with Wealth Build as a contract engineer.
I'm deeply grateful for what the Veterans Affairs program made possible—the bootcamp, my bachelor's degree, certifications, and soon a master's. But the most important thing I gained wasn't a credential. It was the realization that I'm someone who builds. Whether it's deployment pipelines, church community infrastructure, or a loaf of sourdough, I want to make things that work well and serve the people around me.
Experience
15 entries
Skills & Tools
Languages
Frontend
Backend
Cloud & DevOps
Data
Practices
Beyond the Code
I live in Cape Girardeau, Missouri with my wife and our growing family. When I close the laptop, here's where you'll find me.
Faith & Community
Treasurer and council member at St. Justin's Orthodox Church. My faith shapes how I think about service, stewardship, and building things that last.
Strategy Games
Devoted Paradox player—Stellaris, CK3, Europa Universalis, Victoria 3—and Total War veteran. I also collect Fantasy Flight board games. These scratch the same itch as systems architecture: complex, interconnected problems with no single right answer.
Making Things
3D printing and baking. There's something grounding about working with your hands after a day of working with abstractions. The feedback loop is immediate and the results are tangible—sometimes delicious.
Continuous Learning
Currently pursuing a master's degree. Heavy Obsidian user for knowledge management. I read broadly—theology, economics (Georgism, specifically), systems thinking—because the best engineering decisions come from understanding context beyond the code.
Let's build something.
Whether you're looking for a collaborator, want to talk shop about DevOps and cloud architecture, or just want to argue about which Paradox game is best—I'd love to hear from you.