Finding elegant solutions to complex problems
I cheat, but I cheat fair.
After 28 years building and rescuing enterprise systems, I've learned that the best solutions aren't always the obvious ones—they're the elegant shortcuts that work properly.
Forensic reverse-engineering of "black box" systems. Making undocumented legacy systems work when documentation doesn't exist.
Building bridges between systems that weren't designed to talk. SCORM, xAPI, AICC protocol expertise.
Thoughtful AI/LLM application. Understanding when to use generative AI vs. structured data for production systems.
Building foundational systems that harmonize—like the diapason register that gives a pipe organ its character.
Energy utilities needed cross-domain SCORM delivery before browsers or LMS vendors supported it. Same-origin policy blocked the obvious solutions.
Engineered cross-domain communication using EasyXDM. Built SCORM API proxy for transparent AICC/SCORM protocol translation. Created automated package generation tooling.
System served FPL, Exelon, NRG Energy, BP, Calpine, Colorado Springs Utilities, and Puget Sound Energy. Remained in production 10+ years.
Inherited undocumented courseware CMS on Macromedia JRun platform when original developer left. No documentation, no source code access, production system serving clients.
Decompiled Java/JSP packages to understand system behavior. Built JavaScript workarounds where server-side refactoring wasn't practical. Maintained critical system beyond expected EOL.
System remained operational 10+ years. Enabled company to continue serving clients while planning proper migration path.
Needed AI instructor agent in Copilot Studio. Prompt engineering alone couldn't establish reliable guardrails for progress tracking and navigation.
Built data pipeline converting Articulate Rise materials into structured JSON. Used AI code interpreter for content transformation, structured data for deterministic control. Created adaptive cards for navigation and assessments.
Reliable course navigation and progress tracking. Demonstrated hybrid AI/structured data architecture pattern.
Like a tuning fork finds the right frequency, I find the optimal solution—but always within the rules.