Updated January 27, 2026
I work full-time as a full-stack software developer at Parker University in Dallas, TX. I'm living my best life with a four-day remote schedule and a once-a-week (Tuesday) hour-plus drive into the office. It's a balance that works surprisingly well.
I'm deep in planning mode for our annual Parker Seminars - Las Vegas event - a world-class production that brings together roughly 5,000 dedicated professionals each year. I genuinely enjoy the full lifecycle: setup, execution, and teardown. Last year I also had the opportunity to assist with seminars in Las Vegas, Dallas, and Miami.
I attended Jenzabar's Annual Meeting (JAM 2025) in Nashville, TN, where I expanded my understanding of Jenzabar and Salesforce while connecting with like-minded folks focused on higher education and student success.
I flew my family into Miami on the final day of Parker Seminars - Miami, rented a BMW X6, and drove straight to Disney World. We stayed at Animal Kingdom Lodge and hit Animal Kingdom, Magic Kingdom, and EPCOT - equal parts chaos, magic, and core memories.
After years of deliberately avoiding AI-assisted coding out of fear of dulling my own skills, Anthropic's Claude Code has slowly crept into my workflow. I finally gave in - cautiously - and it's been a net positive. I mostly use it for wireframing ideas and quickly diagnosing issues like mismatched arrays or malformed JSON. Full-on "vibe coding" is still discouraged (for me), but the power is undeniable - and ignoring it entirely feels riskier than learning to use it well.
I have several side projects in motion, including this portfolio. My most significant project right now is Roadtrip Beaver, followed by Navarro County, and then Clan Compass. Each scratches a different itch and keeps me building outside of work.
I genuinely love the work I do at Parker University and the people I work with on the marketing team. My favorite project has been integrating SearchStax into Parker's Multi-site Search, building modal-based, asynchronous instant search for a smoother user experience. A close second is the Career Pathways application, which helps prospective students explore where their education can take them. Third - and arguably most impactful - is the Parker Student Application, which integrates Salesforce Communities directly into the site and has significantly improved both user experience and enrollment numbers.
Despite a busy year, I using a greenhouse frame connected to an insulated metal building. I added an Omlet automatic door (chosen specifically for its exposed API, which I still haven't explored). Seasonal tweaks include dark plastic roofing for winter heat absorption and a white tarp in summer to reflect sunlight. We now have a dozen chickens, including one rooster.
I'm also nearly finished , and I've had a great time designing and building a : 24V, 1180W of 25% high-efficiency panels, and a 200Ah LiFePO4 battery. I'm already eyeing a battery upgrade - ideally doubling or tripling capacity. Eventually, this system will power the playhouse along with fans and lighting for the chicken coop.