Leon Owens
Orlando,FL
Summary
Accomplished and results-driven Sr. Network Engineer with over 20 years experience in network, server, and security systems. Highly skilled problem identifier and troubleshooter comfortable managing networks, systems, projects, and teams while thriving in the most challenging environments. Deeply knowledgeable in every stage of network installation, upgrade, optimization and management.
Overview
35
35
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification
Work History
Senior Network Engineer/Architect II
University of Central Florida
01.2019 - Current
- Designed and implemented new architecture on all edge and core devices including new VRFs, MPLS, IS-IS and MP-BGP enabling pseudowires/L2VPNs throughout campus reducing spanned layer 2 networks across core switches and providing capability for future L3VPN implementations.
- Designed and implemented fully redundant eBGP configurations at all campuses and the datacenter providing complete access to internet, commodity, and research routing tables totaling over 1.25 million prefixes on each ASR-9906 and ASR1002-HX router.
- Implemented redundant Cisco ASR1001-X route reflectors for iBGP connectivity providing connectivity for equipment supporting both the MPLS underlay network and the external routing VRF.
- Configured and tested edge/border and core equipment for inaugural downtown campus architecture including Cisco ASR1002-HX, Cisco C9500-32C and Cisco C9500-48Y4C.
- Configured and managed 16 IPsec tunnels on 2 Cisco ASR1001-X routers providing secure and reliable connections to multiple Azure data centers utilizing eBGP peerings and redistribution into on-prem routing tables for full connectivity to VNETs.
- Planned and implemented two fully redundant AWS Direct Connect circuits utilizing eBGP and redistribution into on-prem routing tables for full connectivity to VPCs.
- Redesigned and implemented new spanning tree architecture on the edge network for vendor networks due to a hardware limitation with older switches. Migrated from Rapid per VLAN Spanning Tree (Rapid PVST+) to Multiple Spanning Tree (MST) which eliminated all restrictions for new client L2VPN circuits.
- Upgraded main campus enterprise border routers from Cisco 6509 devices to service provider class ASR-9906 routers and reengineered the edge architectures at each campus for full redundancy and maximum throughput.
- Established L2VPN pseudowires through service provider mpls circuits to provide full iBGP, OSPF, and IS-IS connectivity between all campuses and the main datacenter.
- Consolidated 21 remote campus circuits into a fully redundant architecture using primary and secondary Cisco ASR-903 service provider class routers reducing complexity and improving resiliency.
- Monitored network capacity and performance to diagnose and resolve complex network problems.
- Liaised with dispatch personnel to optimize skill distribution and minimize service lag times through careful engineering triage.
- Collaborated with vendors to identify best options for optimizing network performance.
- Planned maintenance using well-defined change control process including formal communication, pre- and post-verifications, archive and back-out planning, quality control, and peer reviews.
- Established and monitored key performance metrics to verify consistent compliance with important networking standards.
Network Engineer
BBA Aviation USA (Vaco Orlando Contractor)
09.2018 - 12.2018
- Configured and Installed redundant Cisco ASR 1001-X routers, Cisco 4516 Layer 3 aggregation switches with VSS, 16 Cisco 2960-X switches with StackWise connectivity, and 18 Meraki WAPs spanning three floors of the new corporate HQ building; established connectivity with BGP enterprise network using DMVPN tunnels and route-maps.
- Established backup DMVPN tunnels to the Orlando Datacenter for all single-homed bases, and worked with the network team on escalated infrastructure and VoIP tickets in support of over 200 bases in the US and Europe.
- Provided network support services for devices such as hubs, bridges, routers and other hardware.
- Managed, tracked and coordinated problem resolution and escalation processes.
- Troubleshot complex multi-vendor network service provider issues.
Infrastructure Manager / Senior Network Administrator
Everything But Water Corporate Office
06.2016 - 09.2018
- Solely responsible for the management and engineering of a highly available, scalable LAN/WAN infrastructure.
- Architected WAN migration of 100 store networks and 3 corporate datacenters from MPLS over Frame Relay to Cisco Meraki firewalls, and updated BGP, OSFP, EIGRP, route redistribution, route maps and policies.
- Collaborated with stakeholders and Manhattan Associates engineers to address technical issues and develop effective resolutions during the inaugural, first ever cloud implementation of Manhattan’s Active Omni Suite.
- Implemented multiple VPNs and configured routing between Amazon Web Services (AWS) Virtual Private Clouds (VPCs) and on-prem Cisco devices in support of Manhattan Active Omni solutions .
- Engineered network and systems architecture in support of Manhattan Scale Warehouse Management System, including clustered Microsoft SQL 2016 servers and a fully redundant and available Microsoft Remote Desktop Services architecture.
- Collaborated with Trellist and Rackspace to migrate enterprise E-Commerce architecture from a physical presence to Microsoft Azure.
- Provided enterprise security with clustered Cisco ASA 5515s and SourceFire/FireSight at each provider edge, and updated Firewall policies to improve security and efficiency throughout the organization.
- Designed and deployed High Availability server systems using Microsoft NLB and Clustering technologies within VMWare VSphere 5.5 and 6.0.
- Designed, optimized and implemented EMC and NetApp iSCSI SAN and NFS/CIFS NAS storage solutions.
- Recommended key updates to server infrastructure based on inspections and application of technical knowledge.
- Managed ADFS and AzureAD Single Sign-On (SSO) for credential management between O365 and Active Directory.
- Evaluated current state and presented future state recommendations of IT assets for annual budgetary planning based on HR staffing projections, license renewal requirements, and asset end-of-life considerations.
- Resolved network performance issues, analyzed network traffic, and provided capacity planning solutions.
- Managed device alerts, syslog, netflow, and resource utilization using PRTG to maintain a proactive approach and stay ahead of possible failures.
- Worked extensively with vendors to acquire hardware, software, and licenses to meet organizational requirements while remaining within organization's budget.
- Kept abreast of regulatory requirements, to include accrediting bodies, federal, state and local requirements.
- Planned, coordinated, and implemented various logical and physical redesigns of the network infrastructure retrofits to better support current and future business needs.
- Lead contributor toward the advancement of the IT strategic vision and the driving force for key department and corporate objectives.
Senior Systems Administrator
Hard Rock International Corporate Office
10.2015 - 06.2016
- Remotely reconfigured 79 Cisco 2900 series routers at Hard Rock Cafe locations throughout the United States and Europe; updated IOS, implemented zone-based security, and configured IP SLA across all interfaces for effortless high availability and visibility.
- Administered Cisco UCS solution including Nexus 5k switches/2K fabric extenders and NetApp storage.
- Administered F5 and A10 Load Balancers.
- Took ownership of all escalated service tickets for both the systems and networking infrastructures including cafe router outages, switch configuration issues, Exchange, and Active Directory related issues.
- Revamped Solarwinds alerting, adding key equipment while freeing up over 100 licenses.
- Delivered Tier 1 and Tier 2 support for problem identification, diagnosis and issue resolution.
Network Administrator
Dataline Systems, Inc.
08.2015 - 10.2015
- Administered, maintained and ensured maximum availability of corporate IT infrastructure including Windows Server 2008 R2, OpenBSD/Unix servers, VMware VSphere 5.5, and Fortinet UTM Firewalls.
- Ensured network compliance with the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) across the organization and with all partners.
- Selected, thoroughly tested, and implemented an SFTP/AS2 Managed File Transfer solution for all critical partner communications, providing automation, security, and reliability enhancements which resulted in a reduction of total man hours by over 60%.
- Implemented network security measures to minimize data loss.
- Verified continuity of computer and telephone system services for users.
Network Manager / Helpdesk Manager
US Navy, USS Mount Whitney
05.2007 - 06.2011
- Managed, trained and developed over 70 Sailors in network security and administration as Leading Chief.
- Instrumental in the installation of ISNS Gig-E Mod AN/USQ-153D(V)1 ship-wide gigabit Ethernet backbone upgrade, providing technical expertise and project management leadership throughout the life cycle of the installation from initial planning to final testing.
- Maintained high availability of resources utilizing VMware 3.5/4.0 virtualization to administer and configure over 60 virtual servers on IBM blade technology, shared storage, and an offsite SAN.
- Managed the resolution of over 2,000 trouble calls across multiple network enclaves on multiple platforms (Windows, Unix, Sun/Solaris, classified systems, etc.).
- Streamlined domain account and resource management for multiple NATO and 6th Fleet embarks consisting of over 600 personnel each.
- Ensured all systems were fully protected and up-to-date utilizing best security practices and WSUS for domain servers and computers.
- Directed acquisition, installation and testing of network hardware.
- Managed aspects of network operations center (NOC) operations.
- Held change management meetings to inform impacted staff of forthcoming network downtimes and alterations.
Instructor/Network Course Manager
US Navy
04.2004 - 05.2007
- Managed all U.S. Navy IT network training courses offered at 17 learning sites worldwide with a throughput of over 2,400 students annually.
- Coordinated, planned, and executed curriculum updates including Microsoft MCSE and Cisco CCNA course material to meet Department of Defense standards.
- Tested and evaluated student progress to determine effectiveness and impact of teaching methods, materials and projects.
- Certified Master Training Specialist (MTS) designation.
- Awarded Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal for tour of duty accomplishments.
Lead Network Engineer
US Navy, USS Emory S. Land
06.2000 - 04.2004
- Planned, engineered, and configured a fiber optic network equipment and infrastructure upgrade project replacing Cabletron half-duplex 10BaseT hubs resulting in over 2,000% increase in bandwidth and resiliency
- Upgraded Windows NT Server domain and Exchange Server 5.5 to Windows 2000 Server Active Directory domain and Exchange 2000 and migrated over 1800 domain resources/objects/users to Active Directory
- Sacrificed over 100 off-duty hours working alongside a civilian contractor in the establishment of the INMARSAT-B system providing the first ever underway email/IP connectivity
- Provided network support services for devices such as hubs, bridges, routers and other hardware.
- Spearheaded the development of a trouble call database which reorganized workflow and resulted in a 30% reduction in man-hours on over 2,000 trouble calls and multiple system upgrades
- Awarded 2 impact Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medals for tour of duty accomplishments
Computer Programmer
US Navy
04.1994 - 06.2000
- Designed US Navy manning application in Visual Basic 4.0 used for personnel management on every ship and shore command around the world, and the 32 bit version was still being used 10 years after development
- Key team member replacing over 250,000 lines of code to prepare for the year 2000
- Implemented innovative modular COBOL code to replace antiquated spaghetti code to streamline upgrades and troubleshooting
- Created, tested, and deployed scalable and highly available software products throughout the department of defense
- Provided technical support using knowledge of complex technology to solve problems and support new projects
- Authored code fixes and enhancements for inclusion in future code releases and patches
- Updated documentation with project deviations to capture changes
LAN and Mainframe Computer Administrator
US Navy, USS Theodore Roosevelt
03.1991 - 04.1994
- Administered HP-UX Unix mainframe systems and internal network connectivity between squadrons.
- Performed software installations and upgrades to UNIX operating systems.
- As day shift supervisor mentored employees and offered constructive feedback for performance improvement.
- Supported day-to-day operations, monitoring and resolving client/server and connectivity issues.
- Provided comprehensive training to internal and off-site users to optimize systems maintenance and resolve recurring issues.
Education
Bachelor of Science - Information Systems Technology
Seminole State College
Sanford2014
Skills
- Wide Area Networking (WAN) Engineering
- Local Area Network (LAN) Engineering
- Network Design
Certification
Network: Cisco IOS-XE/IOS-XR/CATOS/NX-OS, Meraki, MP-BGP, IS-IS, OSPF, MPLS,L3VPN,L2VPN/Pseudowires, IPSec VPNs
Systems: VMWare VSphere, Windows Server, Load Balancing, Failover Clustering, Group Policy, WSUS, Office 365, Exchange Server, DNS, DHCP, Microsoft Office Suite, Disaster Recovery/Business Continuity
Timeline
Senior Network Engineer/Architect II
University of Central Florida
01.2019 - Current
Network Engineer
BBA Aviation USA (Vaco Orlando Contractor)
09.2018 - 12.2018
Infrastructure Manager / Senior Network Administrator
Everything But Water Corporate Office
06.2016 - 09.2018
Senior Systems Administrator
Hard Rock International Corporate Office
10.2015 - 06.2016
Network Administrator
Dataline Systems, Inc.
08.2015 - 10.2015
Network Manager / Helpdesk Manager
US Navy, USS Mount Whitney
05.2007 - 06.2011
Instructor/Network Course Manager
US Navy
04.2004 - 05.2007
Lead Network Engineer
US Navy, USS Emory S. Land
06.2000 - 04.2004
Computer Programmer
US Navy
04.1994 - 06.2000
LAN and Mainframe Computer Administrator
US Navy, USS Theodore Roosevelt
03.1991 - 04.1994
Bachelor of Science - Information Systems Technology
Seminole State College