Daniel Joseph Howard
1532 W Walton St.
Chicago, IL 60622 U.S.A.
Tel: +x xxx xxx xxxx
dannyman@toldme.com

Profile:

A Senior Unix Systems Administrator, with a friendly ethic of service, dedicated to providing Information Technology solutions to users in a wide variety of organizations. Able to function in a lead role, as a team contributor, as a mentor, and as a technical consultant for non-technical colleagues. Demonstrated record of identifying organization-appropriate solutions, implemented as robust services that ensure continuous availability and maximum user productivity.

Major Achievements:

• Implemented and maintained core Unix-based Information Services for a company that was doubling in size every three months, from twelve to 250 employees.
• Created a software package for e-mail list management, and an e-mail interface to Bugzilla to track help desk "trouble tickets" when available solutions proved inappropriate.
• Developed automated processes to audit and synchronize user account information between different systems, including Unix, LDAP, Human Resources, PBX, billing, and satellite organizations.
• Combine technical support experience, and relationships with support personnel, to ensure that technology solutions are appropriate to user needs.

Technology Profile:

While proud of my ability to rapidly learn and deploy a vast array of new technologies to serve my users, these are some of the specific technical skills that I already possess:

Experience:

Server Central Network provides network, datacenter, and web-hosting services.

• Ensure that technical support requests are fulfilled on a consistent basis by staff operating 24x7.
• Develop documentation, and deploy and monitor software knowledgebase systems for customers and staff.
• Manage daily operations of Cobalt and Plesk-based web and e-mail hosting services on FreeBSD and Linux.
• Manage internal systems for issue tracking, knowledgebase, and systems monitoring.
• Interface with service and software vendors to resolve issues.

Transmeta designs and markets a low-power microprocessor for consumer devices and embedded computing applications.

• Provided technical oversight to e-mail infrastructure upgrade, including changes to transport software, spam filtering, and directory-based routing.
• Audited discrepancies among human resource records, LDAP, and Unix account records.
• Compiled help desk documentation and feedback on proposed help desk, service level, triage and escalation policies.

Tellme provides an automated telephone-answering technology that improves service and reduces costs for high-volume call centers.

• Researched, implemented, and migrated users to improved technology solutions, emphasizing user-level transparency.
• Implemented flexible and scalable e-mail architecture that includes virus protection.
• Implemented and maintained original network, firewall, PBX, disaster-recovery, and monitoring technologies, transferring responsibilities to new teams, as they were staffed.
• Played key role in moving 200 employees into new office over one weekend, ensuring that all technology services were functioning properly come Monday morning.
• Researched, procured, deployed, supported and upgraded large-capacity file-storage services, serving NFS and AppleTalk.
• Collaborated on policy and created scripts to synchronize user account data with European subsidiary.
• Provided after-hours, on-call, overtime, and weekend support, while collaborating with management to develop service level guidelines and escalation policies.

EnterAct was a Chicago-area Internet Service Provider, that was highly-regarded for providing excellent customer support. EnterAct has since been acquired by RCN.

• Maintained back-end servers providing web hosting, e-mail, and Unix shell service for over 15,000 users.
• Developed tools to automate administrative tasks: DNS and subnet allocations.
• Wrote, documented, maintained, and audited support software and systems for employees and customers.
• Developed electronic commerce back-end systems for web-hosting client.
• Improved communications between Systems Administration and Technical Support teams.

The NCSA provides super-computing resources to support allied academic, scientific, and commercial research institutions.

• Assisted Network Development Group in managing NCSA network services for 500 employees, spread across six sites.
• Maintained Local Area Networks, supporting TCP/IP and AppleTalk protocols.
• Provided technical support for workstation, server, and supercomputer network services running a variety of different Operating Systems.
• Conducted Ethernet media conversion from CAT3/USOC to CAT5/TIA-568A for NCSA systems at Beckman Institute.
• Participated in first thorough audit of all network-connected equipment.
• Developed web-based support applications.

• Provided technical support via e-mail and telephone to users at all skill levels.
• Gained thorough knowledge of Windows Dial-Up Networking, modem technology, and Internet client applications on multiple platforms.
• Authored user-level technical support web pages.
• Performed routine Unix administration tasks.

Education:

B.A. in English Rhetoric: Professional Writing
Computer Science Minor and Concentration in Linguistics
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

International Baccalaureate and High School Diploma
Lincoln Park High School

Personal Details:

Date of Birth: 18th January 1976
Nationality: United States Citizen
Sex: Male
Marital status: Single
Children: None
Languages: Fluent in English. Limited competency in French and Spanish
Veteran Status: United States Army 6 weeks Active Duty: Administrative Discharge

Interests/Hobbies:

International affairs and travel: I have visited many E.U. countries, several states in the U.S. as well as Japan, Jordan, and Thailand.
Reading, writing, and linguistics.
Working customer service jobs (Waiter, Barista) between technology bubbles.