Solutions Architect | Systems Integration & Automation | Infrastructure & AIOps
I'm a results-driven technology professional combining 15+ years of telecommunications infrastructure experience with proven web development and systems administration expertise. I founded multiple technology businesses including Apex Webcrafters and Steinmetz Printing, both operating under Steinmetz Ventures LLC.
My expertise spans full-stack WordPress development, containerized application deployment with Docker Swarm, network infrastructure design, and AI integration. I run a personal homelab with 15+ production services, architect solutions for small businesses, and build custom WordPress plugins that power real-world operations from tournament management to e-commerce.
I'm a strong technical problem-solver with a track record of translating complex concepts for diverse audiences — from configuring fiber optic terminals to designing AI-powered product design studios. Whether it's deploying infrastructure, writing code, or consulting on network design, I bring the same hands-on, security-first approach to everything I build.
What I can build, fix, or take off your plate — for small businesses, organizations, and local government in Herrin, Marion, Carbondale, and across Southern Illinois.
A website that looks good on every phone, loads quickly, and that you can update yourself without calling me every time your hours change.
Sell online with checkout, payments, and invoicing that just work, including custom products your customers can design themselves.
When off-the-shelf software doesn’t fit how your business actually runs, I build a tool that does, on the web and on your crew’s phones.
I keep your site online, backed up, and protected, so it’s one less thing on your plate.
Hand the repetitive work to software. I set up tools that write first drafts, fill in the busywork, and move information between the systems you already use.
Years of hands-on telecom work, from fiber installs to wireless planning. I help businesses and towns get reliable coverage where they need it.
Notes from the workbench — deep dives into the projects, problems, and occasional rabbit holes I find worth writing down.
No spam, just an email when a new post goes up.
Apex Webcrafters / Herrin, IL
Apex Webcrafters / Herrin, IL
Steinmetz Printing / Herrin, IL
Steinmetz Printing / Herrin, IL
Futiva / Marion, IL
Futiva / Marion, IL
Galaxy One Marketing / West Frankfort, IL
Galaxy One Marketing / West Frankfort, IL
Mediacom Communications / Southern IL / Western KY
Mediacom Communications / Southern IL / Western KY
Pizza Mike's / Herrin, IL
Pizza Mike's / Herrin, IL
Want the story behind these? Case Studies →
Wrote a Linux kernel driver from scratch for a USB ATSC TV tuner that ships only x86 binary blobs — bringing free over-the-air TV to a Raspberry Pi 5. Custom dvb-usb glue for the Cypress FX2 bridge over an MN88436 demod, DKMS-packaged to survive kernel upgrades. Open-sourced (GPL-2.0).
Tournament management system for 3 Rivers BCA. 6-table billiards room management with chip engine auto-queuing, single/double/modified elimination brackets, Calcutta auctions, player self-scoring, and full WooCommerce payment integration.
Real-time player dashboard integrating Steinmetz TMS and Pool Ratings Engine. Features Elo ratings, skill level tracking, match history, and AI coaching scaffolding. React SPA consuming WordPress REST API with role-based access control.
Augmentative and Alternative Communication app helping non-verbal users communicate. Multi-tenant SaaS with organization management, subscription plans, and usage logging.
Full-service business management platform with headless WordPress API backend and React frontend. Membership tiers via PMPro with Stripe payment processing.
Fundraising management platform built on WordPress with React-powered pages. Campaign creation, donation tracking, and donor management hosted on local infrastructure.
Elo-based rating system (100-900 range) with performance scoring, Fargo/APA import blending, dynamic race calculation, and chart-based lookups. WordPress plugin consumed by TMS and LeagueMaster.
Docker Swarm cluster running 15+ containerized services with high availability. Traefik reverse proxy, automated Let's Encrypt SSL, RPi 5 hosting 5 WordPress sites, centralized monitoring.
Real-time infrastructure monitoring dashboard for Docker Swarm stacks and external sites. Auto-refreshing with health checks across 13+ services and 6 external domains.
Automated daily security scanning, Docker health checks, WordPress maintenance, ClamAV integration, and email reporting. Auto-updates WP plugins with backup and rollback.
Model Context Protocol server providing AI assistants with WordPress development documentation, hook validation, and block API search capabilities.
Trophy and awards e-commerce site with custom WooCommerce theme, product catalog, and online ordering for a local trophy shop.
Portfolio and e-commerce site for leather goods artisan. Product showcase with WooCommerce integration and custom design.
Restaurant and bar website featuring events calendar, booking system, menu management, and responsive mobile-first design.
Billiards club association site with tournament management integration, member portal, and WooCommerce for tournament entry fees.
Self-hosted workflow automation platform with custom business process workflows, API integrations, and automated task pipelines.
Cross-platform household task app — recurring chores generate independent instances so skipping one day doesn't cascade to the next. Gamified with points, streaks, and achievements, plus a native Android home-screen widget.
Self-hosted Canva-style design editor for product customization. Real-time Fabric.js canvas, embeddable in third-party sites as a web component via API keys and short-lived HMAC tokens, with NextAuth credential auth and a Postgres-backed project store.
Unified WooCommerce plugin for product personalization — built-in drag/drop design canvas plus an optional Steinmetz Studio embed mode, with an OAuth-style 'Connect to Studio' flow. Single codebase auto-deployed to multiple production stores via GitHub + Git Updater.
WooCommerce plugin that turns an admin-built order into a native PayPal invoice, sidestepping email deliverability issues by having PayPal send it directly. AES-256 encrypted API credentials, signature-verified webhooks, and penny-exact order-to-invoice reconciliation.
Multi-tenant cloud fax platform — WordPress REST API backend with per-tenant data isolation and JWT auth via httpOnly cookies, paired with a Next.js dashboard. Integrates a VoIP carrier API for inbound/outbound faxing with webhook-driven delivery.
9 technologies
I'm currently open to new opportunities — whether it's a full-time role, contract work, or a consulting engagement. Let's build something together.