About
Hi, I'm Chris.
I'm a cloud architect and Lead FinOps Engineer in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Since 2018 I've worked at KBR on the USGS Landsat program, one of the longest-running Earth observation missions in the world. I started as a software engineer and grew through systems engineering, cloud DevOps, data science, and data management into leading FinOps.
That path matters to me because it means I can follow a problem through every layer: the code, the infrastructure, the data, the cost, and the people who need a decision. I'm at my best translating between engineering, finance, and leadership.
Outside work, I build. I've designed, built, and launched eight products of my own, from an insurance platform with AI document analysis to a private memorial service built on database-level security. Running real products keeps my engineering honest: I'm the architect, the on-call engineer, the security team, and the person paying the AWS bill.
I also care about the community I learned in. I'm a founding member of DAMA South Dakota, I mentor youth through LSS, and I've volunteered on web work for Children's Rescue International.
How I work
- Measure first. Classify the cost, the risk, or the bottleneck before changing anything.
- Make it boring. Proven stacks, infrastructure as code, and automation over heroics.
- Security in the foundation. Least privilege and database-level rules, not hidden buttons.
- Explain it plainly. A recommendation nobody understands isn't a recommendation.
Credentials
- FinOps Certified Practitioner (FOCP), FinOps Foundation
- Certified Data Management Professional (CDMP), DAMA International
- B.S. Computer Science & Software Engineering and B.S. Computer Information Systems, Augustana University
Speaking & podcasts
I'm glad to talk about FinOps, cloud cost optimization, data management and governance, and shipping products as a solo builder.
Community
- DAMA South Dakota, Founding Member
- Children's Rescue International, Volunteer Contributor
- LSS Mentoring, Community Mentor
Hiring for cloud, FinOps, or data & AI?
I bring enterprise-scale AWS and FinOps experience, plus the habits of someone who ships and runs his own products. Let's talk.