I am a Software Engineering Manager in Huntsville, Alabama who spent most of his career as a Software Developer. I have a B.S. in Electrical & Computer Engineering from UAH. Recently I began pursuing a second degree in Communication Studies. I have excellent communication skills and I enjoy using them. It lets me blend my technical and non-technical skills and give back by sharing what I have learned in my career and studies.
I approach every presentation I create as if it were a TED talk. Just presenting information is not enough. The information is useless to the audience unless it is presented clearly. And for any learning to occur, the audience must be paying attention. To get the information across to the listeners, I make may presentations interesting. I do this with what I say, but also with how I say it: voice, gestures, humor, stories, props, etc. My presentation slides are also designed to clearly present information and keep the audience interested. I use contemporary presentation techniques such as those taught by Nancy Duarte in _Slideology_ and Garr Reynolds in _Presentation Zen_.
__ Manager__ As a manager, I manage projects and developers. I like managing projects, but on the technical side, not just the “update task list progress†side. As part of my job as a project manager, I improved my projects process by including version control, bug tracking, continuous integration, coding standards and other software engineering techniques. I also learned and practiced leadership in Toastmasters International as a club officer and as the District Public Relations Manager for 2015-2016.
__Developer__ I have 35 years of development experience in a variety of languages, development platforms and technical areas. I have experience in object-oriented analysis, design, and programming in C++, C♯ and about a dozen other languages. My experience includes embedded software, algorithm development, hardware interfaces, motion control, TCP/IP, desktop & web applications and databases
__Speaker__ I also have training and experience in communication and leadership. In 2009, I joined SAIC Toastmasters as a charter member. Through Toastmasters I have learned and practiced public speaking. I have competed in many speech contests including the semifinals of the 2013 Toastmasters World Championship of Public Speaking (WCPS).
I have combined my technical knowledge, experiences as a manager and skills as a public speaker to create and give presentations to various groups. I have spoken on Software Engineering, Communication, Leadership and Career topics. Because of my diverse background, I particularly enjoy teaching “soft skills†such as communication and leadership to technical people.
I do not have videos of my past conference presentations. I plan to create one at my next conference presentation in June. The only presentation I have video of is me competing in the semi-finals of the 2012 Toastmasters World Championship of Public Speaking. It is an inspirational/motivation speech, so it may not seem applicable But, no matter the topic or type of speech, I work to keep my audience’s attention and to motivate them, even if it is just to apply what I’m teaching. https://youtu.be/y0R969QI3NQ
Some presentations I have given:
* _Leadership Lessons from Your Brain_, Devspace, October 2017
* _Leadership Lessons from Your Brain_, Youth Leadership Conference, October 2013
* _Leadership Lessons from Your Brain_, Youth Leadership Conference, October 2013
* _How to Create a Resume That Will Get You an Interview and What to Say When You Get It_, Music City Code, June 2017 (upcoming)
* _Commencement Address_, ITT Technical Institute, March 2012
* _A Practical Approach to Software Engineering_, BizTech: Hack U, April 2015
* _A Practical Approach to Software Engineering_, North Alabama Web Developers, June 2015
* _Leadership Lessons from Your Brain_, Toastmasters District 77 Conference, October 2012
* _How to Construct a Speech_, Toastmasters District 77 Conference, October 2015
* _How to Create An Effective Resume¬_, Madison Job Networking Club, April 2013
* _The Five Keys to a Successful Job Interview_¬, Madison Job Networking Club, January 2015
* _How to Make the Best Impression_¬, Madison Job Networking Club, March 2016