About Jesse
I’m an advocate for devops, front end ops, and practicing agile and lean process. I am committed to usability and accessibility of web applications while constantly pushing for best practices and standards. I consider myself a user interface engineer first and foremost, but I’m full stack and future friendly.
As lead performance engineer at Cox Media Group, I’m responsible for driving best practices, tools, automation, development process, and monitoring related to performance optimization. I work 100% remote and love it. Prior to my current role, I was solutions architect for our newspaper group and prior to that the manager of an awesome bunch of front end developers for a while.
Throughout my career in web development, I’ve focused heavily on technical leadership, front end operations, architecture, process improvements, development tools & work flow, application performance, and user experience. While I’m not working, I spend time with my family, adventure outdoors, shoot photography and videography, or play table top and video games.
I have spent some of my spare time working on small personal projects such as photograff.it, which was an attempt to archive and geographically tag graffiti and street art over time. I also founded and co-hosted Build Guild Atlanta and Build Guild Morgantown, a monthly technology agnostic meet up group meant to bring together tech, web, and maker minded folks in Morgantown and the surrounding area! Our community has spawned a technology community Slack called tech304.io. Join us!
I have some additional long-term goals in inception phases (in no specific priority order):
- establish a non-profit community oriented technology cooperative hub and maker space to bring technology leaders in our region together in a communal space, provide technical education in software and hardware, collaboration on technical projects, and advocate for continuing eduction in technology for learners of all ages and experience levels
- develop and organize regular multi-track conference(s) focused on technology, advocacy, and education in computer sciences, software development, design & usability, performance engineering, security, operations, and other sub-fields technology
- collaborate with K-12 schools and public learning institutions in STEAM education through space advocacy speaking, hands on learning of software and hardware, and installation of Raspberry Pi based ISSAbove devices in schools, libraries, and science oriented locations in our region
- establish a non-profit mural & public art organization focusing on public art and artist advocacy, fund raising, community collaboration, and mural projects (working title Rural Mural)
- organize annual (yearly and/or quarterly) mural conference(s) to include community executed public art projects over the course of 1-2 weeks
- develop roster/database of artists in greater regional West Virginia and establish regular invitational and call for submissions of murals
- build website with geotagged, mapped, and photographed graffiti, murals, and other public art for posterity and preservation
- develop and present plan to establish formal city arts board which advises the city, advocates for public art, and develops ordinances to protect public art
- develop a plan for community-based, organized and executed bicycle and foot traffic public events mirroring larger cities like Atlanta and Pittsburgh to include:
- daytime, multi-part community rotating street festival that encourages foot traffic and bicycling with vendors and businesses on city streets and neighborhoods
- evening time bicycle course with emphasis on community interaction, connection of neighborhoods, artistic expression and movement, and light-based decoration of bicycles
- writing a short-medium biographical e-book about my great aunt Bonnie G. Holmes, space race era secretary to Dr. Wernher von Braun
I’m currently available for consulting.
Say hi to me Twitter!