Two reasons. First, I was given the chance to build our information security organization and take it to an even higher level. Second, Even though my undergraduate and graduate degrees were in aerospace engineering, I had started working towards a Ph.D. in molecular biology. Joining Emmes was an amazing opportunity that lets me put my information security experience to work for a company specializing in clinical research for new therapies and drugs. What we do is meaningful – our work makes a difference in people’s lives.

I started my career in aerospace engineering, working for NASA Galileo Space Project in the early 90s. Even though my day-to-day job involved a lot of calculations – relating to trajectories to reach our target – I was also doing a lot of software development for the Jet Propulsion Lab. Later, working as a network administrator for the physics department at the University of Texas, our mail server was compromised, and I had to fix it. This meant securing the department’s servers and that was my entry point into network security.

I’ve held a number of different information security positions for companies spanning a variety of industry sectors. These include Cisco Systems, ATT, Microsoft, Itron, and Wells Fargo, where I was a group vice president. Before joining Emmes, I worked for Rally Health, part of United Health Group, as a product security advisor.

At Wells Fargo, I led a team involved in a three-year project to create an enterprise application security program. It was a massive effort involving thousands of developers and engineers. Launching that program was the proudest moment of my career.

I run four times a week and enjoy competing in races ranging from 5K to marathons. For relaxation, my wife and I are interested in organic gardening. I am a beekeeper as well, but I don’t harvest honey; we use the bees as pollinators for the vegetables we grow. I’m also an avid reader – especially history and fantasy/science fiction. The Longest Day and the Lord of the Rings trilogy are two of my favorites.

M.S., aerospace engineering, University of Texas
B.S., aerospace engineering, University of Texas

11th Hour Security+
Cisco SAFE implementation Exam Certification Guide, Second Edition
CompTIA Security+ Certification Guide
Firewall Fundamentals
Stealing The Network