I am an experienced web engineer, with 25 years of general HTML/CSS/JS web development experience, 20 years of PHP development experience, and 15 years professional WordPress development experience. I have been a developer on over 120 WordPress projects, including 3 WordPress VIP projects, and have been the lead or sole developer on more than 40 WordPress projects.
Summary
- Experienced WordPress developer with 15 years of WordPress experience
- 25 years of general web development experience with HTML/CSS/JS
- 20 years of PHP development experience
- Well-versed in building custom WordPress solutions, plugins, WP-CLI commands, and themes
- Extensive knowledge of WordPress APIs, coding standards, and best practices
- Experienced with WordPress internationalization (
i18n) functions and tools for both PHP and JS - Highly knowledgeable of the WordPress ecosystem, including many high-profile plugins such as WooCommerce, Beaver Builder, Gravity Forms, and Advanced Custom Fields
- Experience developing for WordPress VIP clients, WP Engine clients, and Pantheon clients
- Gutenberg, React.js, Next.js, and associated tooling and packages
- Experienced with both Git and Subversion (SVN) version control systems
- Seasoned LAMP/LEMP developer, comfortable in a command line
- Experience in-taking, reviewing, and auditing existing website code
- Experienced with Jira, familiar with Trac, for bug / issue tracking
- Past experience with ExpressionEngine, Drupal, Joomla, Perl, and ColdFusion
Employment History
WPForms
Title: Senior Developer
Location: Remote
Duration: 5/2023 – 6/2024
CampingWorld
Title: Digital Developer
Location: Remote
Duration: 2/2022 – 4/2023
Job Duties:
- Backend PHP development for multiple WordPress websites
- Develop custom WordPress plugins and themes
- Work closely with Project Management, Design, Frontend engineers, and QA for an in-house WordPress development team
WebDevStudios
Title: Lead Engineer
Location: Remote
Duration: 8/2019 – 2/2022
Job Duties:
- Lead a team of engineers to build plugins, themes, and custom solutions for multiple high profile clients
- Develop public plugins distributed at WordPress.org
- Review pull requests for accuracy, standards adherence, and best practices
- Work closely with client stakeholders, project managers, and team to deliver on time and on budget
Nerdery
Title: WordPress Developer / Software Engineer
Location: Bloomington, MN
Duration: 11/2016 – 6/2019
Job Duties:
- Architect WordPress based solutions for major brands and agencies
- Develop custom WordPress plugins and themes
- Review project plans to identify potential risks, gaps in knowledge and approach
- Work closely with JavaScript engineers to integrate React and Vue components into projects
Rocket 55
Title: Development Manager
Location: Minneapolis, MN
Duration: 12/2015 – 11/2016
Job Duties:
- Train developers to use the command line, version control, Integrated Development Environments, code quality tools, and coding standards
- Document development department practices and workflows
- Develop custom WordPress solutions for Clients
The Nerdery
Title: WordPress Developer / Software Engineer II
Location: Bloomington, MN
Duration: 10/2012 – 11/2015
Job Duties:
- Architect WordPress based solutions for major brands and agencies
- Develop custom WordPress plugins and themes
- Provide Estimates to Solutions Engineers and Account Executives
- Provide Scope of Work documents to Project Managers
- Provide test plans to Quality Assurance Engineers
- Perform static and manual analysis, provide documented results and assessments for code intakes
- Perform security audits
Echo Press (A Forum Communications Newspaper)
Title: Web Developer / IT Specialist
Location: Alexandria, MN
Duration: 04/2009 – 10/2012
Job Duties:
- Webmaster for both the EchoPress.com and TheOsakisReview.com websites
- Create & maintain websites for clients in WordPress and ExpressionEngine
- Create & monitor internet ad campaigns for clients for use on Forum Communications sites
- Perform IT duties such as server administration, hardware & software installations, upgrades, maintenance, & troubleshooting on both Mac & Windows platforms
- Provide support to online readers & subscribers to EchoPress.com
- Act as liaison between Forum & Echo Press regarding IT and web matters
- Maintain Echo Press social media presence
Shortprinter.com
Title: Web Developer / Designer
Location: Fargo, ND
Duration: 10/2008 – 01/2009
Job Duties:
- Web development for Shortprinter.com and clientele
- HTML, CSS, PHP, and JavaScript programming
- MySQL and FileMaker Database administration for both web and in-house use
- XServe and Apache administration
- IT duties including administering users and groups, remote software installs, upgrades, and troubleshooting
Knight Printing
Title: Web Developer / Pre-press Technician / IT Backup / Graphic Designer
Location: Fargo, ND
Duration: 04/2004 – 10/2008
Job Duties:
- PHP, JavaScript, HTML, and CSS development for extranet, intranet, and client fulfillment sites
- Perl programming for batch processing customer provided data and lists
- AppleScript programming for automation and productivity of pre-press department
- MySQL and FileMaker Database administration for web and in-house use
- Apache web server administrator
- Responsible for all pre-press work and automation for the Premier Student Agenda Summer Project in which Knight Printing produced in excess of 2,000,000 spiral bound student planners for 5,500 to 6,000 schools throughout the U.S. during a three-month period
- Create and maintain the Knight Printing internet presence at knightprinting.com including programming the logic that drives the dynamic content in the client-only area, maintain security, fix bugs, administrate users and groups, and interface to the Xinet WebNative environment
- Perform pre-flight and pre-press duties
Knight Printing of Grand Forks / Century Creations Printing
Title: Graphics Department Head
Location: Grand Forks, ND
Duration: 09/2001 – 04/2004
Job Duties:
- Organize, coordinate and schedule graphics department activities for a wide range of commercial print, design, and service bureau projects for this commercial printer
- Provide on-the-job training for graphics employees; evaluate and document individual performance
- Assisted Knight Printing with successful merger of Century Creations Printing, Inc., via software recommendations, hardware installation, procedure implementation and setup of graphics department
Echelon Technologies
Title: Webmaster
Location: Grand Forks, ND
Duration: 12/2001 – 01/2003
Job Duties:
- Conceptualized and implemented website at the personal request of Echelon’s CEO
- Design work based on high-level meetings with Echelon management team to define the client’s needs and the look and feel of company’s flagship on internet
- Maintained site content; redesigned graphical content and iconography based on client requests
Lakes Area Recreation
Title: Independent Contract Webmaster
Location: Alexandria, MN
Duration: 03/2001 – 09/2001
Job Duties:
- Designed site from storyboard to finish with clean, concise and easy to navigate pages
- Created stylized representational graphics and iconography; scanned, retouched and optimized photographs
- Hand-coded web pages utilizing BBEdit
Herald-Register Publishing Co.
Title: Lead Graphic Designer
Location: Grinnell, IA
Duration: 08/1999 – 09/2000
Job Duties:
- Designed majority of single color, two color, and full color advertising and promotional materials for twice weekly newspaper and weekly tabloid publications
- Managed and directed 3 ad designers
Education
Major: Web Design Program (Evening Classes)
School: North Dakota State College of Science (NDSCS-Fargo)
Location: Fargo, ND Extension
Degree: None, Completed 1 year of 2-year program, Paid for by Knight Printing
Completion Date: 09/2004 – 05/2005
Courses: HTML, CSS, JavaScript, Java, Perl, MySQL, Flash
Major: Communication Art & Design
School: Alexandria Technical & Community College
Location: Alexandria, MN
Degree: Two-Year Degree
Completion Date: 09/1996 – 05/1998
Courses: HTML, Photoshop, QuarkXPress, FreeHand, Ad Design, Layout Design, Package Design, Logo Design, Storyboarding, Typography, Illustration, Color Theory, Life Drawing, Traditional Painting, Airbrushing, Pen and Ink
School: Jefferson Senior High School
Location: Alexandria, MN
Degree: Diploma
Completion Date: 05/1995
Courses: General high school studies with emphasis on art
Licenses / Certificates / Additional Training
Become a Better Coach for Your Team
12/22/2021
Linkedin Learning
Mailpiece Quality Control (MQC) Specialist
9/18/2006
United States Postal Service
Volunteer Experience & Causes
Overnight Website Challenge — April 2017
Team — BaconPress
Non-profit — Conflict Resolution Minnesota
Overnight Website Challenge — April 2014
Team — Raxacoricofallapatorius
Non-profit — Dispute Resolution Center
Overnight Website Challenge — March 2013
Team — ‘;DROP TABLE other_teams;
Non-profit — Phillips Neighborhood Clinic
Professional Honors
- MN Newspaper Association 2011-2012 Better Newspaper Contest — 1st Place — Website for weekly papers with > 5,000 subscribers
- MN Newspaper Association 2010-2011 Better Newspaper Contest — 1st Place — Website for weekly papers with > 5,000 subscribers
- MN Newspaper Association 2009-2010 Better Newspaper Contest — 1st Place — Website for weekly papers with > 5,000 subscribers
- IA Newspaper Association 2000 Better Newspaper Contest — 1st Place — “Best of Class Advertising” for “Elect Byron Worley” Ad
- IA Newspaper Association 2000 Better Newspaper Contest — 1st Place — “Best Ad Featuring Miscellaneous” for “Elect Byron Worley” Ad
Collegiate Honors
- Achieved President’s List 4/6 trimesters during college career
- Sno-Daze Design contest winner
- Member student intranet team
- Member Alex Tech Art Club (ATAC)
- Organized and promoted ATAC fund-raiser
- Maintained CAD Macintosh lab — installed software, performed upgrades at request of staff
- Student tutor for CAD