An experienced Software Engineering Leader passionate about Native issues, with language revitalization roots that grew into cultural identity and empowerment.
- President and Founder, Native American Peoples at Allstate
- President and Founder, Smalgyax-Files.org a 501(c)3 charity dedicated to the secure hosting, tagging, and sharing of Smalgyax Language Learning Documents.
- Manager, Software Engineering Team at Allstate
- Full-stack Engineer with a DevOps Flair
- Software Engineer with decades of experience, including: IT support, development, and leadership
- Formally trained in Systems/Network Administration
- Linux 🐧 is my jam 🎸
- Do Agile - follow the process without understanding it or adapting as needed
- Be Agile - use the process with understanding, and adapt as needed
- DevOps/Automation - improve speed, predictability, and reliability by removing manual steps
- Experimentation - mature teams experiment, measure, monitor, and improve continuously
Be Agile — use the process intentionally and adapt as needed
DevOps & Automation — remove manual steps, keep releases safe and predictable
Experimentation — once foundations are solid and releases are easy, experiment, measure, and improve
Foundations first.
You have to walk before you can run — or experiment.
Strong fundamentals make everything else possible.
Simplicity is understanding.
If I can’t explain it simply, I probably don’t understand it.
If a solution feels overly complicated, it’s usually the wrong solution.
Reliability beats elegance.
Late‑night production calls taught me that clever code fails loudly.
No one cares how elegant it is if it doesn’t work.
Clarity is respect.
Naming, structure, and commit messages shape how others experience a system.
“Code like the person behind you is a murderous psychopath who knows where you live.”
Clarity is an act of care for the next person who touches the code — including future‑you.
Teach what you know.
A rising tide lifts all boats. Knowledge only matters when it’s shared.
Platform work is stewardship.
My job is to remove friction, empower teams, and build systems that last.
Good platforms don’t demand cleverness;
they make the right thing the easy (hopefully obvious) thing.
For a more concrete example of my Engineering Philosophy in action,
see my Commit Style Guide.
Family.
My wife and kids come first — they’re the reason the work matters.
Family includes the people who raised me, the ones who shaped me, and the ones I’m raising.
Respect.
Honor people, relationships, and the communities you move through.
Respect includes listening to elders, learning from experience, and leading with humility.
Stewardship.
Care for what you inherit — systems, teams, culture, and the planet itself.
Build in a way that honors the next seven generations, not just the next release.
Empowerment.
Lift others up. A rising tide lifts all boats — in engineering, culture, and community.
Cultural responsibility.
Honor identity, language, and sovereignty. Technology should support people, not erase them.
Clarity and Simplicity.
Communicate with intention. Complexity isn’t a virtue; it’s a barrier. Simple is honest.
Long‑term thinking.
Optimize for durability, not shortcuts. Foundations endure; hacks decay.
Born and Raised in Alaska, it has shaped who I am today, and my outlook on the world.
You can take the man out of Alaska, but you can never take Alaska out of the man.
