Chris Underwood
Atlanta,GA
Summary
Dynamic IT leader with over 15 years of experience managing teams, spearheading infrastructure projects, and delivering innovative virtualization and cloud solutions. Proven ability to oversee complex implementations, reduce operational costs, and enhance system performance through strategic planning and team leadership. Currently pursuing Microsoft Azure certifications to expand expertise in cloud technologies, complementing extensive VMware and networking proficiency. Analytical professional with technical knowledge and critical thinking skills to thrive in data-driven environments. Tackles challenges with positivity and drive to overcome. Works great alone or with others and consistently exceeds expectations.
Overview
19
19
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification
Work History
Independent Contractor
Atlanta, GA
08.2011 - Current
- Directed multiple concurrent projects for commercial and government clients, managing budgets, timelines, and cross-functional teams to deliver customized VMware and cloud solutions
- Orchestrated client engagements, leading consultations and coordinating with stakeholders to align infrastructure designs with business goals, resulting in high client satisfaction and repeat contracts
- Supervised contractors and collaborators, ensuring seamless execution of disaster recovery and virtualization initiatives across diverse environments
- Architected VMware vSphere solutions, migrating 150+ servers from physical to virtual platforms, improving performance and scalability for Fortune 500 clients
- Designed and implemented vCloud Director 5.1 for a software service provider, automating application deployments with VMware Orchestrator and establishing organization vDCs
- Led Active Directory migrations and Office 365 integrations, enhancing security and cloud capabilities for enterprise clients
Network Manager/Engineer
City of Griffin
Griffin, GA
05.2007 - 08.2011
- Managed a team of 5+ IT professionals, overseeing the virtualization of a 150+ server data center, achieving a 30% reduction in hardware costs and boosting system scalability
- Led strategic planning for network and server infrastructure, supervising upgrades to Windows Servers (2003, 2008, 2008R2) and ensuring uninterrupted service for critical city operations
- Directed the rollout of VMware View for 275 desktops and 500+ users, training staff and managing deployment to enhance productivity and reduce support overhead
- Architected a fully virtualized environment supporting Exchange, SQL, and SharePoint, leveraging vSAN and EMC CLARiiON SAN for optimized storage and high availability
- Implemented vCenter SRM and Veeam for automated disaster recovery to a hot site, reducing recovery time objectives (RTO) by 40%
- Deployed vRealize Automation, streamlining resource provisioning and improving operational efficiency across virtualized workloads
Systems Engineer
INTERACT Public Safety Systems
Decatur, GA
09.2005 - 02.2007
- Led field installation teams for public safety systems, coordinating hardware and software deployments across multiple client sites and ensuring project completion ahead of schedule
- Managed client relationships, troubleshooting issues and guiding technical teams to deliver reliable solutions under tight deadlines
- Executed Active Directory migrations from Windows 2000 to 2003, enhancing domain security and functionality for public safety clients
- Designed clustered SQL Server environments, ensuring high availability and disaster recovery for mission-critical applications
Education
Some College (No Degree) - Computer Science
Coastal College of Georgia
Some College (No Degree) - Computer Science
Capella University
Some College (No Degree) - Computer Science
Gordon State
GeorgiaSkills
- Strategic Team Guidance
- Project management
- Operations oversight
- Resources allocation
- Contract bidding
- Equipment Repair
- Workload management
- Cost control strategies
- Project Management
- Budget Oversight
- Stakeholder Engagement
- vSphere and vCloud Suite Expertise
- Citrix (XenApp, XenDesktop)
- Cloud Computing Expertise
- Network Protocol Expertise
- Virtual Private Network Management
- Firewall Security Management
- Cisco Solutions Implementation
- Foundry Operations Management
- SCCM Configuration Management
- PowerShell Scripting
- EMC CLARiiON Management
- SQL Server Management
- MySQL Query Development
- Veeam Data Management Skills
- Proficient in Python
- VBScript Programming
- Material and equipment procurement
- Cross-functional coordination
Certification
- VCP6
- MCSE
- Azure Certified Solutions Architect (in progress)
- AZ-104 and AZ-305
Affiliations
- 2-Time City of Griffin Employee of the Month, and Employee of the Year Candidate.
- Most Valueable Team member for Migration of West Georgia Health Infrastructure project.
References
References available upon request.
Timeline
Independent Contractor
08.2011 - Current
Network Manager/Engineer
City of Griffin
05.2007 - 08.2011
Systems Engineer
INTERACT Public Safety Systems
09.2005 - 02.2007
Some College (No Degree) - Computer Science
Coastal College of Georgia
Some College (No Degree) - Computer Science
Capella University
Some College (No Degree) - Computer Science
Gordon State
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