The GMW of GMWnet

An experienced IT professional, volunteer, husband, cat parent and aviation fanboy. Take a look around and explore a little bit about me and my experience, skills and life over the past decades.

Professional GMW

25+ years of customer focused team efforts as an IT manager, mentor, systems and applications administrator, and all-around technical generalist. 

Application Administrator DiBell Group/L3Harris, Melbourne, FL
September 2020 – September 2022
Technologies: Aegis FactoryLogix, Windows 2012, 2016, and 2019 server, Agile, Scrum, ServiceNow, Confluence, Jira, PowerShell, batch scripting

  • Manufacturing Execution Systems (MES) administration for large defense contractor L3Harris.
  • Many system upgrades, custom applications support and regression testing in concert with the development team using Agile methodologies.
  • Aegis FactoryLogix upgrades and migrations from other systems.
  • Assist security team with vulnerability mitigations.
  • Third level advanced application support and windows server troubleshooting

IT Director – TERRA Staffing Group, Everett WA
October 2018 – May 2020
Technologies: TrueNAS, Asterisk, Linux (ubuntu), VMWare, Active Directory, Windows server 2016, SQL server, Microsoft Exchange, Jira, vulnerability scanning, data center ops, VPN, firewalls

  • Manage, mentor and provide leadership to a team of 6 IT professionals
  • Oversee busy help desk with mostly remote user support
  • Maintain IT infrastructure, including data center, headquarters and 11 branch offices across 4 states
  • Planned successful data center move, and multiple branch office facility changes in one year
  • Oversee software development for private intranet tools and public facing employment website with mobile apps

System Administrator/IT Director – Applied Technical Services, Everett WA
March 2014 – October 2018
Technologies: Windows server 2008-2016, VMWare, Hyper-V, Active Directory, IIS, Microsoft Exchange, SQL Server, SharePoint, Jira, Group Policy (GPO), Oracle Agile PLM, Infor FourthShift, VLAN, VPN, SonicWall, server hardening, network segmentation and isolation

  • Promoted from Senior Systems Administrator (2015) and IT Manager (2018).
  • Manage, mentor and provide leadership to a team of 10 IT professionals across many disciplines in three factories and two countries.
  • Member of the Extended Leadership Team reporting to the Executive Team via Business Process Review (BPR) meetings weekly.
  • Major project management: On-time delivery of infrastructure for large new factory, company-wide cloud email migrations and MRP system updates.
  • Performance setting and goals: Achieved 99.5% helpdesk team positive response time and 98%+ positive completion of issues, well within our internal SLA.
  • Manage and support ERP, MES and PLM systems such as Oracle Agile, Aegis, FactoryLogix, Fourth Shift and others.
  • Intensive data integration focus between many different systems.
  • Employee of the year 2016.

Network Administrator/IT Manager – Capitol Hill Housing, Seattle WA
October 2010 – March 2014
Technologies: Windows server 2003-2012, Active Directory, Microsoft Exchange, IIS, SQL Server, SharePoint, Group Policy (GPO), VPN, SonicWall, public disclosure retention policies

  • Promoted from Network Administrator
  • Manage IT staff, equipment acquisition, installation, and maintenance of all computer and telecommunications systems in a multi-site network including main headquarters, data center, and 40+ remote offices
  • Major office moves, network subnet planning, and IP re-alignment with cross-forest Exchange and Active Directory migrations
  • Planning, documenting, and executing backup and disaster recovery operations, including successful yearly restoration drills and executive briefings
  • Member of cross-department Leadership Team focused on issues, events, and management of organization objectives including the planning for our new headquarters building in 2014

Network and Database Administrator – Herrera Environmental Consultants, Seattle, WA
February 2007 – August 2010
Technologies: Windows server 2003-2012, Active Directory, Microsoft Exchange, SQL Server, SharePoint, Group Policy (GPO), VPN, SAN, VMWare

  • Consolidated 30 percent of servers into virtual infrastructure using VMware and Hyper-V
  • Established helpdesk procedures, monitoring, and baseline performance figures
  • Championed path to enterprise-class applications such as SQL server and SAN hardware
  • Consolidated storage and introduced new automated network management operations
  • Integrated regional offices into the main headquarters network

Download my full resume here

Personal GMW

Most of this was taken from a biography I wrote fresh out of college. How cute, it was. Nonetheless, most points are still valid.

___________________

I was born Sunday May 7, 1972 in Everett, WA. I am a definite Taurus.

I grew up in Everett, WA and attended Emerson Elementary, Evergreen Middle and Cascade High School. I then took a year off to explore my interest areas and went back to school at Everett Community College. I graduated from EvCC with an associate degree in journalism and transferred to Central Washington University where I graduated from CWU with a BA in public relations.

My special interest in life is flying. My dad took me to my first air show when I was three and I believe ever since then I have been fascinated by flight (even though the jets scared me to death at the time!). I earned my private pilot license when I was 17. I then went on to earn my instrument rating the next year. Planning to continue on with the goal of becoming a commercial pilot, I flew more than 250 hours in the following year and a half. Unfortunately the pilot prospects for jobs was bleak at the time, and rather than spend huge sums of money on a prayer of getting a job, I chose to pursue my other talents and study communications.

Today I still consider aviation as my main interest. I have volunteered for many aviation oriented groups and associations, concentrating in youth aviation education. I find this appealing because it is great to work with kids and watch them explore and capture the same feelings I found when I was younger.

Flying may not be my livelihood, but it is very much my life.

Additional miscellany as of 2006 2013 2020:

Favorite color: Green

Favorite food: Mac-n-cheese Tator Tot casserole/hot dish (nostalgia is setting in)

Single Married

Worked 10 17 20 25+ years in IT, having spent less than 1 year in the field I studied in school 

Still an aviation nut — I’m a virtual pilot and virtual air traffic controller on game networks

ColdFusion is my rock star programming language (10 years ago)

Bought a house, sold a house, bought a condo, bought a new bathroom. Sold the Condo, moved to the burbs, bought huge house

Living Downtown — don’t think I’ll ever go back. You didn’t. You’re in the burbs now.

Worked in the SF Bay Area for a year

Living contentedly with 2 cats. Upgraded to plus one husband

Contact GMW

Please feel free to contact me:

Locale
Everett, WA 98203
Snohomish County

Phone
Four two-five 320-5823
garrett @at@ gmwnet .dot. com

Blog

THE BRITISH ARE…in McMinnville!

Fabulous time at the Oregon Airshow in McMinnville Video summary of a great Red Arrows performance in McMinnville at the Oregon Airshow. Very different and interesting! My favorite move was the “Goose” and favorite formation the “Concorde” (unfortunately both not captured…too busy watching!) No background music. But narration with a British accent always makes things …