About

I graduated from Ohio University with a BS in Mathematics and Computer Science and started my career a few weeks later at Texas Instruments in McKenney, then Plano, then Carrollton TX.  As a Software Design Engineer, I helped implement digital signal processing algorithms (like the Kalman-Busy Filter) for GPS Navstar, developed a runtime library of transcendental math functions for an Ada compiler, and built a system to measure performance benchmarks (sizing and timing) for standard benchmarks (Whetstone, Drystone) as well as DoD image processing software (Moore-Penrose passive ranging algorithm).

I joined The MITRE Corporation (Bedford, MA) to work with automated theorem proving systems and was fortunate to learn about computer security - primarily from the perspective of exploiting vulnerabilities - from a highly skilled group of black hat research engineers.  I taught a course on covert channels at the NSA and finished my masters degree in computer science at Northeastern University in Boston.

I was approached by Underwriters Laboratories to help create a software safety research group in RTP, NC where we would be asked to investigate risks in many different products including medical devices an work on research grant projects funded by LLNL and NASA.  We ultimately created a standard to help industry identify, avoid, reduce, mitigate and remediate software-related risks. This work naturally led to my participation on national (ANSI) and international (IEC/ISO) standards committees. In parallel with the standards and program development work, I was responsible for investigating "New or Unusual Product Evaluations" a category reserved for appliances that did not fit squarely into other known categories. 

In 2007, I started my own regulatory compliance consulting company called Compliance House, Inc., specializing in conformity assessment and advising companies on how to meet FDA regulations such as Title 21 CFR Part 11.  The work – mostly focused on FDA compliance, system security, data integrity, quality assurances, software validation and systems engineering – has taken me throughout the US, Europe, and Central America.  This is still my day job today, however, I slowly gravitating toward a state of quasi-retirement where I can focus my time and energy on helping others with their designs and solutions.

So, I am sure that is FAR more than you wanted to know, but I thought it would be useful to share highlights from my journey.  I won't lie to you: some of what I've achieved was pure luck, but mostly I did my homework and planned a good portion of things.  

This next part of my life, which I am calling "ACT III", will be spent in The Thinkatorium. In my journey, I will continue to work hard, learn new things, and share my knowledge of what has worked for me and what has not.  I don't pretend to know everything, but I normally know people I can call to find out.

Throughout my professional career (and graduate school) I have been fortunate to be surrounded the best, most patient, and talented engineers, scientists, designers, builders, and educators a person could ask for. I might add, I had great teachers at home too. The benefits of having parental support and encouragement cannot be understated. 

Many of my mentors have said that they took the time to explain things to me because I seemed genuinely interested and asked questions. (With a nod to my high school math teacher, Mr. Bill Queen: A word to the wise should be sufficient).