Passionate about cyber, coding, learning, family, and faith.
Hubris and skilled in software engineering, cybersecurity, cloud, networking, project management, and leadership; with technical expertise to create impeccable applications and streamline architecture. Proven leader with an innate ability to develop, design, adapt, and maintain custom software while inspiring a team in an agile environment.
It’s just Jon, without the h.
Being a creator in the cyber realm and working with technology is what I always wanted to do but in order to get to where I am now, I had to walk through varying challenges first. Part of me would have loved to have a streamlined destination to this end zone that I’m at now. I could have saved myself a lot of headaches and pain. But looking back, I had to go through all my work experiences as it has made me a better developer, engineer, leader, and overall person in general. It may not make sense to everyone, it may not be the familiar path that most developers go down, but I went down this path for a reason. It made me stronger, smarter, and I grew in perseverance and resilience. I would do it a million times over because it ultimately led me to where I am now.
The quote from the late, and greatly missed, Steve Jobs has been something I have always related to and find myself fulfilling through all of life’s endeavors.
My journey is unlike any other. Growing up with my grandmother I was a quiet kid who followed directions and never had trouble with school. In high school I had many interests and thought my life could go in many different directions; engineer, entrepreneur, architect, chef, and the list goes on. Oh boy, I was right in the fact that my life would be unique.
I won the first full-tuition scholarship to attend Scottsdale Culinary Institute in a state-wide competition in Arizona. I graduated with my culinary degree. I was a chef and pastry chef at 4 star restaurants. But I was not satisfied and knew I was meant for more.
I went back to school for business. I attended nationally top ranked Entrepreneurship and Business Management programs at the University of Arizona where I graduated with double majors. I was a General Manager and things were good, but still not fulfilling. Again, I was not satisfied and knew I was meant for more.
God called me into the military and I enlisted in the U.S. Army as an Information Technology Specialist. I had always tinkered around with gadgets; like tube televisions, gameboys, pagers, POTS phones, and so on… I finally realized this was something that should be more than a hobby. I instantly excelled, lead soldiers, deployed, and gained many technical certifications in my pursuit of more. I switched from a soldier to an officer. I was selected to the Cyber Corps, and learned even more. Then, I became a developer and certified as a Cyberspace Capabilities Developer. That is where I finally felt I was doing what I was called to do all along.
Being in the cyber realm as a developer is a culmination of everything I enjoy doing and learning. I have found my passion on this earth and after being called to transition out of the military I took my talents to the civilian world to develop solutions to real world problems.
Now here I am, poised to “make a dent in the universe”.
My family is my heart and soul. I have a “way out of my league” wife whom we share five perfect children together. To round out our home we have three wild little Yorkies. We are a big family that has lots of love, support, and talents to share with others. We are firm in our faith and wish nothing more than to make a positive impact on the world on those whom we are blessed enough to encounter on this journey.
In closing, the Bible says it best as this is what I inspire to be:
