About
I tend trust — and the things that try to break it.
I'm a cybersecurity engineer with six-plus years across healthcare, financial services, lottery, and logistics — everywhere the stakes are high and the regulations are higher still. I specialize in LLM-powered cyber deception operations and behavior-science-driven security awareness, and I've built and led security programs as both an individual contributor and a manager.
The through-line of my work is simple: security succeeds when people are empowered, not threatened. I design programs, research, and talks around that premise, and I translate complex adversary behavior into actionable strategy for both technical teams and executives.
I live in Des Moines, Iowa. I serve on the board of the Des Moines Queer Youth Resource Center, where I provide pro bono technology support and digital security consulting. I was part of the 2024 Iowa Tech Connect Program with the Technology Association of Iowa.
Competencies
What I work on.
- AI-Powered Cyber Deception
- Cloud Security
- Application Security
- SIEM/SOAR
- Threat Hunting
- Vulnerability Management
- Python
- PowerShell
- Terraform
- CloudFormation
- Docker
- Kubernetes
- LangChain & LangGraph
- Security Awareness
- SOC 2 & HIPAA Compliance
- Team & Program Leadership
Experience
Where I've been.
- Dec 2024 Present
Security Engineer Revology
Des Moines, Iowa
- Security engineer for an AWS-native healthcare revenue cycle management startup — owning application security, cloud security, endpoint.
- Architect application security across the SDLC, integrating DAST, SAST, and DLP into CI/CD.
- Facilitate SOC 2 Type II — evidence collection, control implementation, auditor liaison.
- Design quarterly “Hacky Hour” security awareness sessions grounded in behavior science — replacing fear-based compliance training with trust-based engagement that drives measurable change.
- Conduct STRIDE threat modeling across product architecture
- Jul 2023 Dec 2024
Systems Security Manager West Bank
West Des Moines, Iowa
- Led the security team responsible for the integrity, confidentiality, and availability of enterprise information systems in a regulated financial services environment.
- Developed and implemented security policies, procedures, and standards; maintained continuous alignment with evolving regulatory requirements.
- Primary liaison with external auditors, regulators, and law enforcement on cybersecurity matters.
- Jan 2022 May 2023
Information Security Analyst Multi-State Lottery Association
Johnston, Iowa
- Reduced MTTR on SIEM escalations by 5 days through process optimization and triage improvements.
- Designed and launched a security internship program, building a pipeline of job-ready analysts.
- Primary escalation point for physical and technical incident response.
- Conducted original research on security culture and behavioral influence, maturing the awareness program.
- Founded the MUSL Culture Committee.
- Sep 2020 Dec 2021
Telecom Specialist Wright Service Corp
Des Moines, Iowa
- Managed Cisco Meraki and JAMF Pro MDM environments supporting 6,000+ iOS devices across US, Canada, and Puerto Rico.
- Led proof-of-value testing integrating Cisco Duo and Umbrella with MDM across 500+ devices.
- Mobile device project lead; built vendor relationships and produced cost-benefit analyses.
- Jan 2020 Sep 2020
IT Consultant QCI, Inc (Wright Service Corp)
Des Moines, Iowa
- Configured, deployed, and managed 6,000+ iOS devices for remote employees across US and Canada.
- Advocated for mobile endpoint security hardening and access control improvements.
Credentials
The paperwork.
- Associate of (ISC)² — 2022–2023
- Iowa Tech Connect, Technology Association of Iowa -- 2024