Kevin Clark

I worked on the network projects team, as well as the tickets team, handling network related issues. I was responsible for code upgrades, vulnerability remediation, diagrams, end-of-life replacement, port open requests, and every day troubleshooting of network and security related issues in a Cisco/Juniper environment. My projects included switch replacements, dropping in Cisco Nexus switches to replace EoL Juniper gear, diagramming the LAN/WAN network, and coordinating new Ansible playbooks to save time and money by utilizing automated process to remove ips and objects from decommissioned circuits and equipment.

Tasked with helping to oversee the mission to develop and implement JRSS/JIE in order to homogenize & secure US network end points. I work with the many stakeholders across all branches of the military and other critical government communities to provide Network and Security experience in building the framework that will eventually govern how hand-offs are negotiated. Other sub-projects include deploying IPv6, advising on core and edge network protocols (BGP, OSPF, MPLS), layers 1-4 consultation, and guidance on network security best practices.

Evaluate and leverage new technologies to increase US defense readiness, enhance cybersecurity, overcome adversarial capabilities, and augment existing strategic advantage. This included technical vetting of vendors and potential products, scoping new technology initiatives, plan and oversee projects from conception & budgeting to implementation & instantiation, and make recommendations at all functional stages of product lifecycle.

Write and edit 101, 401, and comprehensive primers on technical deployments, upgrades & enhancements, policy MOA/SOPs, and network & security developments or issues. Prepare & deliver briefings and slide-deck presentations to all levels of organizational stakeholders, tailoring to rank, technical acumen, and departmental interest.

Supervise and evaluate all 3rd party contractual fulfillment in implementation & operations, ensuring that CLINS are accurate in terms of aspiration, language, pricing, and expectation. Maintain awareness during all phases of deployment, and making final situation reports to handover to internal Operations team.

Projects included: JIE | JRSS, Infrastructure, Data Center Closure and Realignment, Mobile LAN/WAN Deployment Kits, Technical Refresh, and Security briefings on Emergent Threats.

Responsible for routers, switches, firewalls, load balancers, and all facets of data center network operations in an extremely high security/availability environment, for the FDIC. Hands-on, from racking and stacking to the level of granularity required for troubleshooting protocol, security, and config issues in a cutting-edge multi-vendor organization. Work across functional boundaries with server administrators, NOC/SOC personnel, physical security, federal agents, duty officers, various levels of user, and other engineering staff to solve problems, mitigate issues introduced by new technologies, expand services, and perform the necessary upkeep needed to maintain vital records, and information.

Cloud, Network, and Security Consulting.

Consulting on a wide variety of security, cloud, and network pain-points:

Solve customer network issues involving OSPF, MPLS, BGP, DNS, routing, switching, and operations, including troubleshooting.

Configuration and implementation of Cisco, Juniper, Nokia, BTI, Palo Alto, in vendor-agnostic environments. Emphasis on Cisco ASA, GSR, 2k-7500s & Juniper Netscreen / 480 / 960/ MX2020.

Provide VOIP, IT and SNMP / IP monitoring & network management platform support, as well as Network security (SIEM, threat management, and penetration testing).

AWS / Azure cloud issues involving cost, automation, and migration.

Designing and implementing hybrid cloud solutions, phased server migrations, network / IT installation, optimization, and management.

Evaluating and consulting on ICS ( DCS / PLC / SCADA ) security & operations for hydro-electric industry. Contracted to recommend IT / system improvements and provide insight into commercial & open source solutions. Instantiate new technologies to upgrade infrastructure, cut overhead, simplify operations, improve security, and develop new products and services. Deliver in-depth security presentations to c-level executives, IT Managers, and stakeholders at all levels.

Called upon to identify and evaluate new IT methodologies, virtual solutions (VMware, Virtual Box), as well as hardware/software products to mitigate challenges involving network architecture, hybrid cloud environments, and transition planning for migrating to AWS (Amazon Web Services) / Microsoft Azure, including cloud automation, encryption and security; such as Puppet, Chef, Cloud Fogger, Cloud Sherpa, and CloudCrypt.

Contracted to the FAA's NDP (Defense Program) to implement security and network related services for the various federal agencies (CIA, FBI, Secret Service, Air Marshals, etc) who receive flight data feeds from the FAA's radar installations. Also a key member assigned to Operation Skywatch, tasked with ensuring secure delivery of data used to protect the airspace over POTUS, 24x7x365.

Responsibilities:

Firewall and Router configuration and management, including patching and mitigating threats from Petya, WannaCry, and other malware.

Updating access to network and systems, via Blue Coat & RSA

Disaster Recovery planning and instantiating DR plans for mission critical systems.

Network and security posture evaluations.

Planning and budgeting, hardware acquisition, configuration, and implementation of IP backbone & edge upgrades and network buildouts in a mostly Juniper/Cisco network relying on MPLS / ISIS & BGP to deliver data in a 43000km fiber network, which covers 200 points of presence in 59 countries in Europe, North America and Asia.

Developing business & departmental insight through custom salesforce.com dashboards and reports that detail workflow, productivity, trends, and growth. Meeting and working with global stakeholders in IP and Optical ( WDM / DWDM ) transport to plan future projects to alleviate congested routes, plan for organic growth, and ensure seamless transitions to new product technologies in Europe's largest & fastest-growing wholesale IP backbone (AS1299), the 10th-largest global mobile group by consolidated customers, and what has become the second largest tier 1 carrier in the world in 2014.

Physical field implementation of planned projects at various NAPs, POPs, and data centers in the United States. Inception to acquisition to production, I handle router, switch, and firewall upgrades, to cycle out end-of-life gear, upgrade existing network infrastructure, and instantiate new routes to diversify and mitigate bottlenecks. When working remotely, I schedule Smart-Hands requests and work closely with vendors, third parties, and other carriers to ensure timely delivery of completed projects with minimal disruption to our network and our customers.

Technologies and gear: Juniper MX104 / MX240 / MX480 / MX960, including PEMs, cards, optics, & trays. Cisco ASR9000 & Catalyst switches, Infinera, Cloud Core, mixed optical / SFPs. Regular visits to Salesforce.com, Coresite, Equinix, and 360 data centers.

November 2011, the company won "Best Pan-European Wholesale Offering" at the annual Capacity Awards, and "Best Wholesale Carrier" at the World Communication Awards WCA.

Responsible for up to 28 direct reports worldwide, providing high-touch service to major financial firms, providers, and residential customers over 72,800 route miles, 271 markets across 7 countries and 45 states, 11,100 buildings, 2,500 on-net cell towers, and 200,000 square feet of colocation space.

Creating IP policy, process, and procedure governing operations across a diverse vendor-agnostic global network.

Developed a cloud based repository for network documentation, cogently organizing 5 formerly separate corporation's technical records & diagrams into a central location.

Successfully reducing average MTTR by more than 25% by enhancing & repurposing a cloud-based tool to route tickets to engineers specializing in the technical issue, thereby enhancing department efficiency and improving speed to resolution.

Oversaw a more than 50% reduction in operational overhead by mitigating attrition via improved processes and tooling.

Established a clear technical path to promotion for employees, improving both morale and the customer experience.

24/7/365 on-call, level IV and last technical escalation POC before Tier III/TAC. Averaging 90+ hours a week, spread out over 24 hours each day.

Handled staffing, scheduling, and performance reviews. Evaluated team members and made bonus determinations, conducting all reviews and initiating performance improvement counseling when necessary. Led both technical and professional interviews for open contract and permanent positions, nationwide. Recruiting talent via contacts, Linked-In, locally, and through recruiters/staffing firms, utilizing non-traditional compensation/perks to attract top talent.

Creating more than 100 weekly custom auto-generating reports and integrated charts of department metrics using Salesforce.com. Reporting covering ticket flow, MTTR, employee performance, employing issue & solution matrices to reveal systemic issues and provide value across segmented teams and business silos.

Lighting design and direction for over 700 shows.

Directing, planning, design, real time cue-calling, and executing productions for large concerts, raves, club dance nights, theater pieces, political events, movies, music videos, MMA/boxing matches, and corporate events.

Designing intricate plots for complicated pieces and then working with the artists and their managers to achieve their ideal vision of the production look.

Managing crews of up to 12 people for multiple weekly large shows and a staff of 3-4 full time assistants and stagehands for regular maintenance and resident productions.

Hiring, scheduling, and managing the regular performance reviews of lighting technicians, stagehands, and production staff.

Repairing high end equipment, as well as procuring and/or contracting needed gear from local vendors.

Attending weekly management meetings with the general manager, production manager, and head of security to solve problems, identify challenges, and discuss issues regarding current and upcoming productions.

Light electrical work, construction, decor, laser deployment, and other related tasks.

The artists/public figures/celebrities I have worked with include Prince, Jay-Z, OutKast, Ozzy Osbourne, Pink, Avril Lavigne, Sister Solja, MC Hammer, Grandmaster Flash, 311, Insane Clown Posse, Hillary Clinton, Jesse Jackson, Ariana Huffington, and hundreds of others.

Handled the scheduling, implementation, and troubleshooting of International and domestic T1/E1, T3/E3, Ethernet, MLFR, and OC circuits. Configured Juniper and Cisco core and edge routers, CSU/DSUs, and provided assistance in configuring many different makes of customer equipment.

Conducted remote site survey, assisted in defining design criteria and providing guidance for customer networks, as well as handling administrative needs regarding DNS, ip addressing, and last minute order modifications.

Coordinated with customer engineers to achieve/set client expectations relating to installation dates, technical requirements, and mitigate any potential issues that might arise.

Resolved billing disputes and interfaced with LEC and IXC reps to address provisioning and circuit design issues. Required on many occasions to attend or initiate conference calls with as many as 8 other technicians, customer executive management, and vendors.

Configured and shipped all customer equipment, assigned IPs, completed SWIPs, Implemented shadow, diverse, and multihop BGP configurations, and conducted circuit testing, monitoring, and trouble shooting. Engaged Field Operations when necessary to provide guidance in trouble and fault identification, order dispatches, replace faulty hardware, and perform remote configurations via console.

Responsible for the idea, development, and final implementation of the Disconnect and Port Recovery project. Designed a new process-flow across multiple groups to expedite the disconnection of non-paying, terminated, or never-utilized DS1-3, OCx, and Ethernet circuits that saved the company hundreds of thousands in port charges.

Business Services Engineer
Shift lead for midnight support and problem resolution pertaining to ISDN, T1, and T3 circuits as well as DNS, mail aliasing, and light HTML.

Installation Engineer

Managed new circuit installations for North America. Configured CPE and hub routers, worked with Telco, Project Management, and customer techs to bring up circuits, and performed network maintenance, both remotely in the NOC and as a field engineer at various sites on the east coast.

Configured customer ordered firewall equipment as well as doing custom router configs complete with access list statements. Responsible for backbone escalations, maintenance at various POP locations up and down the east coast, physical Cisco and Catalyst installation and configuration, and remote-hands troubleshooting.


Network Engineer

Promoted to the Routing Group responsible for all IP operations, troubleshooting, field dispatches for IP gear. Worked with the Network Architect to configure and deploy routers at various POPs across the eastern seaboard.