Todd Russell - Experience

Contact Info Here / See my LinkedIn profile

Positions held

• Director of IT for Saint Joseph Seminary College - 2008 to present
  • Manage campus network - Nortel and Avaya routers and switches using four VLANs, Astaro Security Gateway, Smoothwall UTM, Mitel IP phones, Aerohive and Ubiquiti wireless access points
  • Build, install, configure, and manage Astaro Security Gateway server and Smoothwall UTM server
  • Manage campus phone system - IP-based Mitel 3300 supporting over 200 phones
  • Manage server infrastructure - Linux, FreeNAS, Windows 2003, Windows 2008, Microsoft SQL 2008, VMWare Server, Quickbooks, AccPac, Raiser's Edge, Mandarin Library Server
  • Design and implement redundant rsync-based backup system for all campus systems and servers
  • Set up and manage Google Apps for Education account supporting over 200 users
  • Manage all aspects of campus computers
  • Coordinate support for faculty, staff, and student end users
  • Support multiple variants of desktop Linux, Macintosh OS X, and Windows 2000 through Windows 8, as well as all mobile operating systems
  • Create policies and documentation required for SACS accreditation reviews
  • Budgeting and strategic planning
  • All other technology related items
• Webmaster for Saint Joseph Seminary College - 2007 to present
  • Manage webservers - internal server (Macintosh OS X, then Ubuntu Linux, then Debian Linux) and a CentOS "Linux Virtual Private Server" from Liquid Web
  • Manage DNS Zones for all domain names
  • Collaborate on redesign of five institutional websites from 2007 to 2008
  • Hand-code all five new websites in HTML, CSS, and Javascript with occasional php and MySQL for database and advanced needs
  • Redesign and rewrite the login, registration, and management segments for the Abbey Youth Fest website using php, MySQL, HTML, CSS, and Javascript
  • Handle all site update requests
  • Collaborate on redesign and restructuring of the Abbey and Seminary's entire web presences from 2010 to 2011
  • Architect and code file-based website templating system for the redesign from 2010 to 2011
  • Hand-code the HTML, CSS, Javascript, php, and MySQL for the new websites from 2010 to 2011
  • Implement social networking strategy for the new websites in 2011
  • All other web technology related items
• Assistant to the Director of IT for Saint Joseph Seminary College - 2005 to 2007
  • Maintain campus network and assist in the migration to the new Nortel infrastructure
  • Maintain campus phone system (Vodavi) and assist in the migration to the new Mitel system
  • Maintain Windows servers and related services - Server 2003, AccPac, Quickbooks, Raiser's Edge, Mandarin Library Server, Active Directory, DNS, print server, IPSwitch mail server
  • Migrate Windows servers to VMWare
  • Set up and configure Moodle on Ubuntu Linux server
  • Install and configure Apache, MySQL, php, and phpMyAdmin on Ubuntu Linux for internal sites and databases
  • Hardware support on every level including building machines
  • Operating system and software support on servers and client machines
  • Assist faculty, staff, and students with their individual technology issues
• Web Developer and Application Programmer for Bertucci Incorporated - 2003 to 2005, 2007
  • Web development of eCommerce and membership sites using HTML, CSS, Javascript, php, and MySQL
  • Linux server management
  • Domain and DNS management for client hosting
  • Hardware, software, networking, and OS support for clients
  • Windows application programming using Pascal in Delphi
• Part-time Self Employment - 2002 to present
  • Computer repairs, upgrades, troubleshooting, installs, etc...
  • Computer tutoring
  • Videography
  • Video format transferrals
• St. Peter Catholic Church - 2000 to 2003
  1. Positions
     • Full-time Coordinator of Youth Ministry, Jr. High CCD, High School CCD, and Confirmation programs (2001 to 2003)
     • Part-time Jr. High CCD Coordinator (2000 to 2001)
  2. IT Related Experience
     • Set up, upgrades, repairs, and maintenance of Ministry Center computers
     • Install a network in the Ministry Center
     • Microsoft Access and FileMaker Pro databases for RCIA, CCD, and Confirmation programs
  3. Management
     • Coordinate Youth Ministry, Jr. High CCD, High School CCD, and Confirmation programs
     • Budget for Youth Ministry, Jr. High CCD, High School CCD, and Confirmation programs
     • Followed through from vision to proposal to completion of the parish's purchase of a nearby house to use as the parish Youth House
     • Coordinate volunteers for the above mentioned programs

Education

• Foley High School in Foley, AL
  Advanced Diploma (1992 to 1996)
• Faulkner State Community College in Bay Minette, AL
  Associate in Science for Computer Science (1992 to 1994)
• Troy State University in Troy, AL (now Troy University)
  Bachelor of Science in Computer Science, Cum Laude (1994 to 1996)
• Saint Joseph Seminary College in Saint Benedict, LA (also listed as Covington, LA)
  1.5 years of the Pre-Theologate Program (1998 to 1999)

Most valuable skills from experience

• Static web development - I started teaching myself HTML and CSS in 2002, then got a job doing it every day in 2003. I have been hand-coding in both since then, for small and large sites. This includes HTML 4, CSS2, and I am now getting familiar with HTML5 and CSS3. WYSIWYG "development tools" are evil.
• Dynamic web development - I began learning php and MySQL on the job in 2003 and have been coding in both since. At that job, I pushed for including more Javascript in the sites we were building, so I taught myself Javascript on the job and have been using it ever since where possible. I got the company interested in AJAX, but have not needed to use it for the stuff I have done in the last several years and would need a quick refresher to get up-to-date with current AJAX best practices. My most ambitious project using these tools was a multi-page balance sheet reporting tool for oil industry clients, which used php and MySQL on the backend and Javascript on each page to provide spreadsheet-like cell-updating and error-checking on the pages of the balance sheet.
• Apache and Linux server management - I learned this on the job starting in 2003 and have continued to use it through the years. I currently manage a custom-built Linux Apache server for our internal sites, and a Linux Virtual Private Server at Liquid Web for our external sites.
• End-user support expert - Troubleshooting problems is a skill inherent to anyone who deals with computers, but I have a broad range of experience in this regard as I have handled end-user support as a side job, then professionally since 2001. This has covered every version of Windows since 3.1, every version of Macintosh since 7.1, multiple distros of Linux, every mobile OS from a dizzying array of PDAs and phones, and more pieces of software than I care to count. I have skills in general logic which are way above average, which helps me to solve problems that others with similar timeframes of experience fail to solve. Some of the people I have served have marvelled after seeing me solve problems that their previous IT Professional could not figure out.
• Broad knowledge of available technology - I spend hours per week keeping up with relevant sites and podcasts in order to stay on top of the new technologies coming out in the consumer realm. For this reason, I have a large following of people who tend to check with me first before buying a new computer or gadget. For business technologies, I only stay aware of what is new for the few areas that I am responsible for in my current position.
• Clear writing style - I have been writing creatively since 1992, and professionally since 2008. Most of my creative writing consists of poetry and short stories, but includes my short book about my journey through Ireland. I have written opinion pieces, religious reflections, reviews, and critiques. Professionally, I have written reports and tutorials for my current position. You can find a collection of my writing here at my site (links in the left sidebar).
• Additional skills - I have many other skills I have developed over the years, which can be discussed as needed.