# Skills: James D. McMillian

Canonical page: https://mcmillian.llc/skills

All 217 skills in 15 groups, with the evidence behind each.

## Tool Stacks

### Languages

- **Java**: Every major version since Java 5. Shipped 6 SE and 6 EE, 8, 11 and 21 in production, and tracked the release train through 25. Twenty-plus years across trading engines, telecom microservices and multi-tenant SaaS.
- **C/C++**: Designed and built VVFS in C/C++, using a dynamic function-based directory structure to control, parse, and extract non-database big data on demand.
- **C#**: Built a multi-user CompUSA repair-center database client in C# and VB.NET, tracking thousands of re-imaging discs and rolling out to all company repair centers.
- **VB.NET**: Built forex indicators and expert systems in VB.NET; also used it for the CompUSA repair-center database client, rolled out to all company repair centers.
- **Visual Basic**: Built in-house Visual Basic utilities at GenStar and an accounting and asset-tracking system using customer profiles at Killeen PC.
- **JavaScript**: Used JavaScript in First Orion's STIR/SHAKEN DLT proof of concept, X-Coin, Minna no Torihikijo, FunTrip, Locarise, and GetAbby interfaces.
- **TypeScript**: Built CRSTBL retail-platform services and a Nuxt 3 MCP server in TypeScript, exposing 127 CrafterCMS tools across 19 categories for agent-driven content operations.
- **Node.js**: Built Locarise's hybrid Node.js and Java backend for a Neo4J retail recommendation engine, using news and store proximity to predict high-profit days for distributed subscribers.
- **Python**: General-purpose language for scripting, data processing, and application development.
- **Scala**: Used Scala with Play and Akka on a geographically distributed cryptocurrency exchange and the FunTrip Japan hospitality platform.
- **PHP**: Used PHP with Java, Play, Spring, Scala, React, and October CMS on FunTrip, a Japan hospitality service recovered through reverse engineering and brought to 78.3% unit test coverage.
- **HTML**: Built and maintained client websites from domain setup through design and content updates, including a credit union site and ISP user pages at GenStar Communications.
- **SQL**: Designed multi-master MySQL and PostgreSQL environments for a distributed trading system; used relational databases in telecom, hospitality, and multi-tenant retail software.
- **Bash / BSH / SH**: Used Bash in Linux infrastructure and SMS-Coin mining operations, automating netboot and diskless provisioning across machines while removing crypto keys from USB media.
- **Batch**: Command-line scripts for automating repetitive tasks.
- **x86 Assembly**: Low-level programming for direct control of processor instructions and memory.
- **LUA**: Built custom indicators and expert-agent systems for FXTradeStation 2 using the forex toolchain, which also connected the platform to an online-learning neural network.
- **MQL:3/4/5**: Created 200+ custom indicators and 50+ expert-agent systems for MetaQuotes and FXTradeStation; integrated MetaQuotes Language modules with external systems.
- **ASP**: Built and maintained client websites with ASP on Windows NT and IIS at GenStar, including a credit union site managed from domain setup through ongoing content updates.

### Frameworks and Libraries

- **Spring**: Used Spring in FunTrip and GetAbby's Java 6 EE IoT framework; Spring Boot is also in the framework mix, and a First Orion director cited deep Spring knowledge.
- **Spring:Boot**
- **Play**: Used Play in a 100,000-transaction-per-second cryptocurrency exchange and the FunTrip hospitality platform, alongside Akka, Scala, and Java.
- **Vert.x**: Built CRSTBL's Java 21 conversational backend with Vert.x; earlier used Vert.x in First Orion's framework for migrating a monolith to EKS microservices.
- **AKKA**: Used Akka in a cryptocurrency exchange and Japan hospitality platform, pairing Scala and Play with distributed services and a centralized matching engine processing 100,000 transactions per second.
- **Rapidoid**: Java web framework for building HTTP services and web applications.
- **React**: Built React interfaces for CRSTBL's multi-tenant retail platform and earlier exchange, hospitality, and microservice migration projects.
- **Vue:3**: Used Vue 3 in the CrafterCMS MCP server, exposing content-management, publishing, and site-administration tools to AI agents across 19 categories.
- **Nuxt:3**: Built a Nuxt 3 and TypeScript MCP server with HTTP, stdio, and installable-bundle deployment modes, exposing 127 CrafterCMS tools across 19 categories.
- **jQuery**: Built jQuery interfaces for the FunTrip hospitality platform and used it in Java-based IoT framework work with standardized internationalized messages and cross-layer tests.
- **JavaFX**: Built AvatarEcho as a Java desktop application with a JavaFX GUI, Lanterna terminal interface, embedded SQLite storage, and automated transcript delivery through Brevo.
- **Lanterna**: Built AvatarEcho with a terminal interface in Lanterna alongside its JavaFX desktop UI, sharing transcript access and embedded SQLite persistence for session data.
- **picocli**: Configured AvatarEcho with picocli and dual JavaFX or Lanterna interfaces, managing HeyGen Live Avatar transcripts from desktop or terminal with embedded SQLite storage.
- **Zod**: Used Zod in CRSTBL's Nuxt 3 and TypeScript MCP server, exposing 127 CrafterCMS tools across content management, publishing, and administration.
- **JUnit:3/4/5**: Raised FunTrip from zero to 78.3% unit test coverage and shipped the X-Coin Java backend at 100%; GetAbby added end-to-end and MVC-layer tests.
- **JMH (Java Microbenchmarking Harness)**: Measured about 6x throughput on good-key verification with JMH: 4,946 ops/s using BouncyCastle versus 803 ops/s with the JDK default provider.

### Servers and Middleware

- **Nginx**: Used Nginx in SMS-Coin's netboot mining stack, FunTrip's hospitality platform, and Locarise's retail recommendation service.
- **Apache**: Used Apache in GetAbby's IoT framework and FunTrip's Japan hospitality platform.
- **Traefik**: Deployed Traefik as the reverse proxy for CRSTBL's CrafterCMS hosting, with automatic Let's Encrypt TLS and S3-backed backups.
- **Kafka**: Owned First Orion's real-time Kafka pipeline, streaming telecom metrics and events to the data science team for downstream analysis.
- **Kamailio**: Configured Kamailio switching servers for First Orion cloud call routing and spam protection, alongside Titan and Asterisk in telecom call flows.
- **Titan**: Configured Titan call-switching servers for First Orion's cloud spam and scam routing services, alongside Kamailio and Asterisk.
- **Asterisk / PBX / ARI**: Configured Asterisk and other switching servers for First Orion cloud call routing and scam protection across telecom networks.
- **Jitsi**: Used Jitsi softphones in a First Orion proof of concept for real-time caller attestation across insecure telephone networks.
- **Softphones**: Used softphones in a First Orion caller-attestation proof of concept, testing real-time verification across insecure telephone networks.

### Cloud and Infrastructure

- **AWS**: Full stack at First Orion across three regions, and a five-account organisation at CRSTBL with OIDC CI/CD and no long-lived credentials. Fargate, Lambda, X-Ray, EKS, ECR, EFS, S3, IAM and ELB/NLB in production.
- **AWS:Fargate**
- **AWS:X-Ray**
- **AWS:Lambda**
- **Kubernetes:EKS**
- **ECR**: Built CRSTBL's ECR image-promotion pipeline for the gateway deployment, with a manually gated production stage, Helm release, AWS Network Load Balancer, and EFS-backed assets.
- **EFS**: Integrated EFS-backed static assets into CRSTBL's gateway production deployment, alongside a Helm chart, AWS Network Load Balancer, gated production promotion, and automated TLS certificates.
- **S3**: Configured S3-backed daily, weekly, and monthly backups for CRSTBL's CMS hosting stack, protected by a dedicated IAM policy and supported by a from-zero restore runbook.
- **IAM**: Configured OIDC-based GitLab CI/CD across CRSTBL's five-account AWS organization with no long-lived credentials; secured S3 backups under dedicated IAM policy and remote-state controls.
- **OIDC**: Configured OIDC-based GitLab CI/CD access across CRSTBL's five-account AWS organization, eliminating long-lived credentials from Terraform-managed deployment workflows and production release.
- **ELB / NLB**: Built CRSTBL's gateway around an AWS Network Load Balancer, Helm deployment, EFS-backed assets, automated certificates, and an ECR image-promotion pipeline with gated production release.
- **GCP**: Built CRSTBL multi-cloud infrastructure across AWS, GCP, and Azure; First Orion technical acumen also covered GCP.
- **Azure**: Built CRSTBL multi-cloud infrastructure across AWS, GCP, and Azure; First Orion technical acumen also covered Azure.
- **OCI / Oracle Cloud Infrastructure**: Oracle Cloud Infrastructure, alongside multi-cloud work on AWS, GCP, and Azure.
- **Kubernetes**: Built the framework that moved a monolith onto 27 services in a cluster with zero downtime as a hard requirement, then an EKS platform with automated destroy-time cleanup that sequences teardown to prevent orphaned cloud resources.
- **Docker**: Packaged CRSTBL microservices in Docker and built the production image pipeline; also shipped X-Coin as a standalone OpenJDK and Docker system with 100% unit test coverage.
- **Terraform**: Managed CRSTBL's five-account AWS organization and EKS platform with Terraform, including automated destroy-time cleanup that sequences teardown to prevent orphaned resources.
- **Ansible**: Built CRSTBL infrastructure across AWS, GCP, and Azure with Terraform and Ansible-based infrastructure as code, supporting a five-account AWS organization, EKS, and CI/CD.
- **Helm**: Built a Helm chart for CRSTBL's gateway production deployment, integrating automated ACME certificates, an AWS Network Load Balancer, EFS assets, and ECR image promotion.
- **Let's Encrypt / ACME**: Automated Let's Encrypt certificates for CRSTBL's gateway Helm release and Traefik-hosted CMS, across the production deployment stack.

### Databases and Storage

- **PostgreSQL**: Designed PostgreSQL into a multi-master trading platform; also used it in FunTrip and as CRSTA's database.
- **MySQL**: Designed multi-master, multi-slave MySQL environments for a distributed trading platform; also used MySQL in telecom migration and the FunTrip hospitality service.
- **MSSQL**: Built and maintained GenStar client websites on Windows NT and IIS with MSSQL, including a credit union site managed from domain and DNS setup through content updates.
- **MongoDB / DocumentDB**: Used MongoDB for telecom metrics and analytics fed through Kafka in real time, and for retrieval in CRSTBL's conversational backend grounding responses in retail data.
- **DynamoDB**: Used DynamoDB in First Orion's migration framework alongside MySQL, Kubernetes, and Terraform, automating deployment of a monolith transition onto AWS EKS.
- **Cassandra**: Distributed wide-column database technology for handling large datasets across multiple nodes.
- **Neo4J**: Built a Neo4J graph-based retail recommendation engine combining news signals and store proximity to forecast high-profit days for geographically distributed subscribers.
- **Redis**: Built CRSTBL infrastructure with Redis-backed networking; Redis also supports the CRSTA marketing and conversational products.
- **Memcache**: In-memory caching technology for keeping frequently requested data readily available.
- **Elasticsearch**: Built CRSTBL retrieval-augmented generation over Elasticsearch and MongoDB, supplying relevant retail records to conversational AI before response generation and MCP tool calls.
- **OpenSearch**: Deployed OpenSearch in CRSTBL's CrafterCMS hosting stack, alongside Traefik, S3-backed scheduled backups, dedicated IAM controls, and a from-zero restore runbook.
- **SQLite**: Built AvatarEcho's embedded SQLite persistence in WAL mode with five tables for configuration, sessions, transcripts, templates, and tracked email delivery.
- **MS Access**: Built a Microsoft Access database tracking thousands of CompUSA repair-center discs, then added a multi-user client and rolled it out to all company repair centers.

### DevOps and Tooling

- **Git**: Version-control work includes Git and self-hosted GitLab CI/CD, supporting infrastructure and software delivery across CRSTBL's five-account AWS organization.
- **SVN**: Used SVN at GetAbby for Java IoT framework development, with continuous integration, automated tests, and cross-layer validation.
- **GitLab**: Deployed self-hosted GitLab with an integrated Docker registry; diagnosed 138GB registry bloat and built a cron-driven garbage-collection runbook.
- **GitLab:CI/CD**
- **Jenkins**: Introduced Jenkins-based continuous integration at GetAbby, adding automated tests across Java MVC layers and verifying data-object consistency; also used Jenkins with CircleCI.
- **CircleCI**: Introduced continuous integration at GetAbby with Jenkins and CircleCI, adding unit and end-to-end tests across Java MVC layers and validating consistent data objects.
- **Maven**: Java build automation for dependency management, compilation, testing, and packaging.
- **Gradle**: Used Gradle in First Orion's migration framework to automate EKS deployment and CI/CD integration for the monolith-to-microservices transition.
- **SBT**: Scala build automation for dependency management, compilation, testing, and packaging.
- **GCC / Make**: Native build tools for compiling C/C++ applications and automating repeatable builds.
- **Eclipse**: IDE for Java development across telecom services, retail software, and desktop applications.
- **Visual Studio**: IDE for building and debugging C++, C#, and VB.NET applications.
- **VI / VIM / Nano**: Terminal editors for changing source files and administering Linux systems.
- **JProfiler**: Java profiling for investigating application performance and locating runtime bottlenecks.
- **ANTS Profiler**: ANTS Profiler alongside C# and VB.NET work spanning forex indicators, expert systems, and a multi-user repair database.
- **Artifactory**: Implemented an in-house Artifactory at First Orion, strengthening the software delivery toolchain and improving client satisfaction.
- **CI/CD**: Built GitLab CI/CD for a five-account AWS organization using OIDC instead of long-lived credentials, with Terraform infrastructure, image promotion, and gated production release.
- **Infrastructure as Code**: Built CRSTBL's five-account AWS organization and EKS infrastructure with Terraform and Ansible, OIDC-based CI/CD, and automated cleanup to prevent orphaned resources.
- **Datadog**: Instrumented CRSTBL's multi-tenant platform with Datadog, Prometheus, and Grafana for metrics, alerting, and system-health monitoring across its services.
- **Prometheus**: Instrumented CRSTBL's multi-tenant services with Prometheus and Grafana dashboards for metrics and alerts, alongside Datadog monitoring and platform health checks.
- **Grafana**: Instrumented CRSTBL services with Grafana dashboards alongside Datadog and Prometheus, monitoring metrics, alerting, and system health across the multi-tenant platform.
- **Loki**: Used at First Orion alongside the TIG stack (Telegraf, InfluxDB, Grafana), Prometheus, and Datadog.
- **Telegraf**: Used at First Orion as part of the TIG stack (Telegraf, InfluxDB, Grafana), alongside Prometheus and Datadog.
- **InfluxDB**: Used at First Orion as part of the TIG stack (Telegraf, InfluxDB, Grafana), alongside Prometheus and Datadog.

### Protocols and Formats

- **IP / Internet Protocol**: Internet Protocol for packet addressing and routing across networked systems.
- **TCP / Transmission Control Protocol**: Reliable, connection-oriented transport for web services, ISP infrastructure, and distributed applications.
- **UDP / User Datagram Protocol**: Connectionless transport suited to time-sensitive voice and signaling traffic.
- **HTTP/HTTPS**: Built a hardened CrafterCMS HTTP client with dual authentication, automatic 401 retry, Spring Security XSRF behavior, and binary-safe streamed file transfer.
- **WebSocket**: Built a real-time WebSocket layer carrying text chat and live binary audio, with topic-routed dispatch and Deepgram speech integration.
- **FTP**: File transfer between networked systems.
- **DNS**: Purchased and configured DNS for the Heart O' Texas credit union website, handling domain setup, site design, and ongoing FAQ and content maintenance.
- **TLS/SSL**: Automated Let's Encrypt certificates for CRSTBL's gateway and Traefik-hosted CMS, securing public-facing web services with managed TLS.
- **JSON**: Structured data exchange between applications and HTTP services.
- **XML**: Structured markup for documents and data exchange between applications.
- **Protobuf**: Used Protobuf in the geographically distributed Minna no Torihikijo exchange, alongside mobile clients, a centralized matching engine, and an arbitrage agent.
- **REST / RESTful**: Migrated OANDA's currency price feed from sockets to a progressive REST stream that grew with server load; telecom microservices also communicated through REST endpoints.
- **OAuth**: Integrated OAuth social login for the Minna no Torihikijo cryptocurrency exchange, supporting secure access to its centralized matching and arbitrage services.
- **FIX Protocol**: Adopted FIX early for OANDA's currency trading engine while migrating its price feed from sockets to a progressive REST stream that grew with server load.
- **Streamable HTTP**: Implemented Streamable HTTP for AvatarEcho's MCP server, exposing transcript data through agent-callable tools alongside legacy SSE transport.
- **Load Balancing**: Built distributed telecom services and exchange infrastructure; CRSTBL's production gateway uses a network load balancer with EFS-backed assets and gated image promotion.
- **STIR/SHAKEN**: Built caller-attestation and verification supporting 260M+ subscribers and 2B+ calls daily across 36 data centres, with end-to-end verification under 200ms.
- **SIP**: Designed scam-call routing and caller-attestation systems using telecom signaling; configured Kamailio, Titan, and Asterisk switching servers for production call flows.
- **VoIP**: Designed cloud and on-device call-routing solutions for scam protection, reducing scam callers by 87% through telecom network services.
- **RSocket**: Implemented RSocket and WebSocket communication patterns for CRSTBL's decentralized multi-tenant platform and AI services.
- **Server-Sent Events**: Built AvatarEcho's MCP server with legacy Server-Sent Events and Streamable HTTP transports, exposing transcript data through agent-callable tools.

### Blockchain and Distributed Ledger

- **Blockchain**: Built X-Coin, a standalone ICO backend integrating Ethereum, Bitcoin, and Ripple, plus a separate proof of concept for real-time caller attestation using distributed ledger technology.
- **Distributed Ledger Technology**: Built a First Orion proof of concept for real-time caller attestation across insecure telephone networks, using distributed ledger technology with Tangle and HyperLedger Fabric.
- **Tangle**: Used Tangle in a First Orion STIR/SHAKEN proof of concept for real-time caller attestation across insecure telephone networks, alongside a HyperLedger Fabric integration.
- **HyperLedger Fabric**: Applied HyperLedger Fabric to a First Orion STIR/SHAKEN proof of concept for real-time caller attestation, verifying caller information across insecure telephone networks.
- **Ethereum**: Added Ethereum integration to X-Coin's standalone ICO backend, which avoids third-party server runtimes and shipped with 100% unit coverage.
- **Bitcoin**: Integrated Bitcoin into X-Coin, a standalone ICO backend on vanilla OpenJDK and Docker, built as a secure foundation for ICO websites.
- **Ripple**: Connected Ripple to X-Coin's standalone Java ICO backend alongside Bitcoin and Ethereum, supporting a self-contained deployment model.
- **Cryptocurrency**: Moved a cryptocurrency mining operation from USB boot to netboot and diskless provisioning, removing keys from physical media while reducing hardware cost and simplifying fleet updates.

### Platforms and Operating Systems

- **Linux**: Production Linux since the CompUSA repair centre in 2005, including a Linux From Scratch build underneath the high-frequency trading platform and a netboot and diskless migration for a mining operation.
- **Linux:From Scratch**
- **FUSE**: Built VVFS as a mountable FUSE file system to process 10TB+ files with negligible overhead across an exabyte research dataset shared by 13 campuses and 5 research centres.
- **macOS**: Apple desktop operating system, used alongside Linux and Windows.
- **Windows**: Supported Windows NT and IIS websites at GenStar, a Windows 95 accounting system at Killeen PC, and Windows-based repair-center tools at CompUSA.
- **Windows:NT Server**
- **IIS**: Hosted GenStar client websites on Windows NT and IIS, including a credit union site managed end to end from DNS setup and design through content updates.
- **Android**: Worked with First Orion's mobile team on security and encryption for caller-protection services, integrating mobile clients with real-time attestation and call routing.
- **iOS**: Worked with First Orion's mobile team on security and encryption for caller-protection services supporting iOS and Android clients.
- **Netboot / Diskless Provisioning**: Migrated SMS-Coin mining machines to netboot and diskless provisioning, removing crypto keys from USB media, cutting hardware cost, and enabling fast updates and rollback across thousands of machines.

### Integrations and Services

- **Google API**: Integrated Google's Translation API with NLP and chat systems for real-time multilingual support in FunTrip.
- **GMO Payment Gateway**: Payment integration with GMO Payment Gateway, the Japanese card and payment processing service.
- **Brevo API**: Integrated Brevo transactional email into AvatarEcho for transcript delivery and into CRSTBL's gateway-server production deployment.
- **HeyGen API**: Built a paginated HeyGen Live Avatar API client in AvatarEcho to capture session and transcript data for desktop, terminal, and MCP access.
- **CrafterCMS**: Built a standalone MCP server exposing 127 CrafterCMS Studio tools across 19 categories, with dual authentication and HTTP, stdio, and installable-bundle deployment modes.
- **October CMS**: Used October CMS in FunTrip's Japan hospitality platform alongside Java, Play, Spring, Akka, React, PHP, MySQL, and PostgreSQL.
- **Slack**: Introduced company-wide Slack communication across all departments.

## Foundations

### Architecture and Engineering

- **Software Systems Architecture**: Architected CRSTA's multi-tenant retail platform and First Orion's distributed telecom systems, working from system design and security controls through deployment and operations.
- **Software Systems Engineering**: Final technical authority for CRSTBL code releases and system designs; earlier estimated project completion within 5% and led 100% code review across a 14-person New Art team.
- **Microservice Architecture**: At First Orion, optimized a microservice system for a 2,000% memory-efficiency gain, cutting servers from 1,000 to 50 and saving $1.1M annually; also led cloud call-routing services across regions.
- **Monolith-to-Microservice Migration**: Designed First Orion's migration framework to move a monolith into 27 Kubernetes services, integrating CI/CD and automated AWS EKS deployment with zero downtime as a hard requirement.
- **Distributed Systems**: Built a trading platform deployed across thousands of machines and a geographically distributed exchange matching 100,000 transactions per second; telecom call verification spanned 36 data centres and 3 AWS regions.
- **Decentralized Systems**: Built CRSTBL's multi-tenant platform with RSocket and WebSocket communication between services, combining decentralized communication patterns with role-based access and zero-trust controls.
- **Event-Driven Architecture**: Built Locarise's event-driven retail recommendation engine on Neo4J, using news and store-proximity signals to predict high-profit days; at First Orion, streamed telecom events through Kafka in real time.
- **Publish / Subscribe**: Owned First Orion's real-time Kafka pipeline, publishing telecom events and metrics for the data science team to subscribe to for downstream analysis over live telecom networks.
- **Multi-Tenant SaaS**: Architected CRSTA, a multi-tenant SaaS platform for brands, distributors, retailers, and agencies, with multi-location product intelligence, role-based access, and retail data for AI discovery.
- **Zero-Downtime Deployment**: Designed First Orion's migration framework with zero downtime as a hard requirement, automating EKS deployment for a monolith-to-microservices transition.
- **High Performance Computing**: At Pittsburgh Supercomputing Center, built a mountable virtual file system to process 10TB+ files with a zero-byte processing footprint over an exabyte dataset shared across 13 campuses and 5 research centres.
- **Algorithm Design**: From University of Pittsburgh algorithm-design coursework to a proprietary genetic algorithm for live trading, evolving feature inputs on a high-frequency platform deployed across thousands of machines.
- **Protocol Development**: Built a custom binary protocol and topic-routed dispatch for CRSTBL's real-time WebSocket layer, carrying text chat and live audio between conversational AI clients and services.
- **Network Communications**: Configured Kamailio, Titan, and Asterisk switching servers for cloud call routing and scam protection; built real-time caller attestation across 36 data centres and 3 AWS regions.
- **Database Administration**: Designed multi-master, multi-slave MySQL and PostgreSQL environments for a distributed trading platform; also used MongoDB for telecom metrics and analytics fed by Kafka.
- **Systems Deployment**: Built CRSTBL's five-account AWS organization and EKS platform with Terraform, OIDC-based CI/CD, production image promotion, and automated teardown cleanup to prevent orphaned resources.
- **Web Development**: Built and maintained client websites at GenStar from domain purchase and DNS through design and content; later led React-based web products, including hospitality and SaaS platforms.
- **Data Lake Architecture**: Designed and implemented a First Orion data lake for extensive, loosely defined data aggregation and retrieval, alongside telecom event and metrics pipelines for downstream analysis.
- **Caching Systems**: Redesigned a high-traffic First Orion cache, cutting memory footprint 10x without loss of functionality or data integrity; JMH benchmarks on the related signing and verification library measured about 6x verification throughput.
- **API Design**: Extended and improved GetAbby's API framework; later designed CRSTBL backend APIs and typed tool-calling interfaces exposing retail data and product services to AI agents.

### Data and Machine Learning

- **Artificial Intelligence**: Applied AI across 20+ years of systems work, from trading and retail recommendations to CRSTBL's agentic platform making structured brand and retail data discoverable to LLMs.
- **Machine Learning**: Built an unsupervised candidate-to-role matching engine with NLP, improving resume categorization to 95.3% accuracy and one-year placement retention by 7.4%.
- **Deep Learning**: Deep learning, alongside 20+ years of applied AI/ML work and a University of Pittsburgh concentration in AI and high-performance computing.
- **Artificial Neural Networks**: Built a proprietary neural-network analyzer for high-frequency trading, deployed across thousands of machines; its NEAT-derived model evolved after going live within the distributed platform.
- **Support Vector Machines**: Support Vector Machines, alongside 20+ years of applied AI/ML work and a University of Pittsburgh concentration in AI and high-performance computing.
- **Bayesian Networks**: At Locarise, estimated staffing needs with a Bayesian network using graph data and real-time events; at FunTrip, combined Bayesian networks, neural networks, and SOMs for pricing that raised occupancy 15%.
- **Evolutionary Algorithms**: Developed a live high-frequency trading analyzer around a NEAT-derived neural network that evolved online, while the wider platform ran distributed across thousands of machines.
- **Genetic Algorithms**: Designed a proprietary genetic algorithm to evolve feature inputs for an automated high-frequency trading system, separate from its live-evolving NEAT neural-network analyzer.
- **NEAT**: Built a high-frequency trading analyzer around a proprietary NEAT-derived neural network that evolved once live across a multi-threaded system deployed on thousands of machines.
- **Unsupervised Learning**: Built an unsupervised candidate-to-role matching engine using job descriptions and visual feedback, raising resume categorization accuracy to 95.3% and one-year placement retention by 7.4%.
- **Natural Language Processing**: Applied NLP to monitor retail news for future events and predict high-profit days; also used it for candidate matching, raising resume categorization accuracy to 95.3%.
- **Retrieval-Augmented Generation**: Built CRSTBL retrieval-augmented generation over Elasticsearch and MongoDB, grounding conversational AI responses in relevant retail and brand records before model generation.
- **Large Language Models**: Built CRSTA to make structured retail data discoverable to LLMs; its conversational backend grounds responses through retrieval over Elasticsearch and MongoDB and MCP tool calls.
- **Agentic AI**: Built a turn-based agentic conversation engine with layered context assembly, output-validation gates, retrieval over retail data, and MCP-connected tool calling for multi-turn interactions.
- **Recommendation Systems**: Built customer-profile recommendations at Killeen PC, a SOM-based FunTrip system matching guests to similar rooms by preference, and Locarise retail forecasts of high-profit days.
- **Model Context Protocol**: Built MCP tooling across CRSTBL products, including a CrafterCMS server exposing 127 tools in 19 categories, with HTTP, stdio, and installable-bundle deployment modes.
- **OpenAI API**: Built CRSTBL's conversational engine on the OpenAI API, grounding responses in retail data retrieved from Elasticsearch and MongoDB, with typed backend tool calls through MCP.
- **Deepgram**: Integrated Deepgram for speech-to-text and text-to-speech in CRSTBL's conversational backend, streaming live audio and text through a real-time WebSocket layer with binary audio support.

### Security and Compliance

- **Zero-Trust Architecture**: Implemented CRSTBL's zero-trust security model with jCasbin access controls and OIDC-based CI/CD without long-lived credentials.
- **Role-Based Access Control**: Implemented role-based access for CRSTBL's multi-tenant retail platform, using jCasbin within a zero-trust security model.
- **jCasbin**: Implemented jCasbin role-based access controls in CRSTBL's zero-trust security model for a multi-tenant platform serving brands, retailers, and agencies.
- **XSRF / CSRF Protection**: Matched CrafterCMS's Spring Security XSRF behavior in a hardened HTTP client with dual authentication, stale-token handling, and binary-safe file transfer.
- **Encryption**: Guided First Orion's mobile team on security and encryption; removed crypto keys from USB media at SMS-Coin; JMH measured about 6x good-key verification throughput with BouncyCastle versus the JDK default provider.
- **ISO-27001**: Owned New Art Technology's ISO-27001 process and compliance documentation, completing certification within 12 months.
- **Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery**: Authored First Orion's inaugural BCDR documentation as part of ISO-27001, alongside policy control systems and traffic management; a First Orion security engineer cited the Disaster Recovery documentation.
- **Security Review and Hardening**: Led a company-wide security review at New Art and hardened CRSTBL's CrafterCMS client with dual authentication, retry controls, and XSRF handling.

### Methodologies and Practice

- **Agile**: Introduced Agile methods and daily stand-ups at Centerfire Digital, while managing delivery across teams ranging from solo contributors to 30 people.
- **Scrum**: Introduced daily stand-ups with scrum masters at Centerfire Digital and led planning, prioritization, and delivery across software development teams.
- **Waterfall**: Sequential development from requirements and design through implementation and verification.
- **Spiral**: Risk-driven development cycles that revisit planning, design, implementation, and evaluation.
- **Rapid Prototyping**: Led First Orion proof-of-concept work for caller attestation and monolith migration, then took CRSTBL AI and MCP products from initial design through deployment.
- **Object-Oriented Programming**: Worked across Java, C#, and VB.NET applications, from telecom services and retail platforms to repair-center database software.
- **Object-Oriented Design**: Designed systems from concept through deployment, including a Java IoT framework, a multi-tenant retail SaaS platform, and telecom call-protection services.
- **Design Patterns**: Applied design patterns across trading, telecom, and SaaS systems; a First Orion VP cited design-pattern knowledge and the ability to work from system design to implementation detail.
- **Unit Testing**: Raised FunTrip unit coverage from 0% to 78.3% and reduced regression defects by 72%; X-Coin shipped at 100% unit test coverage.
- **Code Review**: Reviewed 100% of New Art Technology submissions before merge; also served as final technical authority for CRSTBL code releases and system designs.
- **Pair Programming**: Introduced pair programming at New Art to speed developer onboarding, share knowledge, and strengthen collaboration across an international engineering team.
- **Continuous Testing**: Introduced continuous testing and deployment at New Art; GetAbby added Java IoT cross-layer tests, while FunTrip coverage rose from zero to 78.3%.
- **Project Management**: Led international project teams of 14 and managed development groups up to 30, overseeing scope, budgets, schedules, risks, and delivery.

### Domain Expertise

- **Computational Finance**: Migrated OANDA's currency price feed from sockets to a progressive REST stream that grows with server load; adopted FIX early for the trading engine.
- **Algorithmic Trading**: Built 200+ custom trading indicators and 50 expert agent systems for MetaQuotes and FXTradeStation, connecting both platforms to an online-learning neural network.
- **High-Frequency Trading**: Designed an automated trading platform with a NEAT-derived neural network that evolved live, supported by multi-threaded execution and a Linux From Scratch base.
- **Simulation Systems**: Simulation systems with computational finance; forex trading work included 200+ indicators and 50 expert-agent systems.
- **Statistical Analysis**: Analyzed FunTrip guest feedback with sentiment analysis, producing actionable insights and a 30% increase in positive reviews; Locarise predicted high-profit days from news and store proximity.
- **Telecommunications**: Reduced scam callers by 87% through call routing; caller-attestation services also supported 260M+ subscribers and 2B+ calls daily under 200ms end to end.
- **Retail and E-Commerce**: Built retail recommendation technology forecasting high-profit days from news and store proximity; now architecting multi-tenant SaaS for brand and retail data discovery.
- **Answer Engine Optimization**: Building CRSTA AI to make verified, localized brand and retail data discoverable to LLMs, helping consumer queries return accurate product and store information.
- **Data Recovery and Forensics**: Founded a data recovery service that recovered more than 2,500 drives; expanded into forensic recovery and expert testimony for financial and legal partners.
- **Cryptocurrency Exchange**: Led a centralized cryptocurrency matching engine processing 100,000 transactions per second, with geographically distributed microservices and an arbitrage agent balancing market prices.
- **Mining Operations**: Moved SMS-Coin mining machines to netboot and diskless provisioning, removing crypto keys from USB drives, lowering hardware costs, and enabling rapid fleet updates and rollback.