About Me

The site's author in front of a flat-topped mesa covered in snow

Hi there - I'm Dan, and I'm glad you've found your way here!

I'm an IT professional based in Portland, Oregon. I currently manage IT Infrastructure and Security for a small SaaS company. With over a decade of experience supporting, building, and safeguarding digital environments, I've developed expertise in a number of areas including Linux systems administration, network security, and cloud architecture (mostly AWS and GCP). I hold several current certifications including CompTIA A+, Network+, and Security+, and am currently working toward my CISSP certification.

How did I get here?

The site's author holding a bass guitar in front of a wall covered in graffiti

My path to IT wasn't exactly traditional. I started out with a BA in Creative Writing from San Francisco State University and spent years working in restaurants and retail while playing in local bands around the Bay Area. I was always interested in technology, having grown up building, fixing, and upgrading computers, and eventually ended up behind the Geek Squad counter at my local Best Buy. I caught my first big professional break when I landed a job as a Technical Support Engineer at a Silicon Valley software company, which opened the door to a transition into internal IT. From there, I've continued learning and taking on new challenges in order to grow my skill set and solve bigger and more complex technical problems.

I later moved to Portland, Oregon, a city I fell in love with many years ago. Fun fact: my maternal ancestors have lived in the Pacific Northwest for generations, having traveled westward across the country to Oregon before it was a state - one of them even founded a city (Tigard) that is part of the Portland metro today!

My interests

The site's author in front of the Snake River Gorge in Idaho

I would describe myself first and foremost as a curious person. I love learning new things and figuring out how the world works, whether that's exploring the latest in open source tech, poring over Wikipedia late into the night, or having a philosophical chat over a beer.

When I'm not wrangling servers and tweaking firewall rules, you'll find me exploring my other passions. I'm an avid reader and enjoy getting lost in everything from science fiction to philosophy. Music remains a huge part of my life, whether I'm listening to it, going to live shows, or creating it in my spare time. I love hitting the road for trips around the Pacific Northwest and beyond, and the Portland area's wealth of hiking trails keep me outdoors regularly. I'm also a writer, working on various personal projects that let me flex the creative muscles I developed in college.

This site

This site is a place for me to bring together all the different facets of who I am. You'll find posts about technology and professional insights, but also personal reflections, creative projects, and thoughts on whatever happens to capture my curiosity at the moment.

Thanks for stopping by, and feel free to reach out if you'd like to connect!