PROFILE

Website developer with eight years of remote work experience managing the lifecycles of responsive and interactive WordPress websites: Building, hosting, maintenance, migration, and WCAG compliance. Conceptualization and management of targeted SEO strategies to produce top search engine results.

- “Derek continues to maintain an outstanding performance level. He is supportive and understanding of his peers and can be counted on to contribute ideas relative to increasing productivity and decreasing costs..”
- “Derek has been a very reliable anchor in our team."
- “...you've been a godsend."
Employee evaluations

WEBSITE DEVELOPMENT

Buzzworthy Marketing Anchorage, AK Jul 2021 - Current
Jul 2021 - Current

Webmaster | IT Director     Create and manage the lifecycles of custom WordPress websites: Development, hosting, security, and maintenance; SEO; Website migration; DNS, webmail, cPanel, DirectAdmin; Expertise with Divi, Elementor, Beaver Builder, and WP Bakery builders; Custom JavaScript, HTML, CSS, and PHP enhancements. Write and update SOPs. Work remotely.

OpenClassrooms Paris, France Feb 2018 - - Dec 2024
Jan 2018 - Dec 2024

Mentor—Web Developer Program     Mentor students in the Web Developer program as they work toward a Bachelor's-level degree. Students Analyze projects and choose technical solutions; Design technical architectures using UML diagrams; Create web apps with JavaScript and databases that use and store information; Use tools to simplify front-end code; Implement unit and integration tests; Write project documentation; Optimize performance; Create responsive interfaces. Work remotely.

Dedicated Web Design Berea, KY Jan 2021 - Jan 2022
Jan 2021 - Jan 2022

Website Project Manager    Maintained custom WordPress themes and layouts using Elementor and CSS; Performed website audits and resolved technical issues; Oversaw the work of the Web Designer; Developed custom JavaScript for ADA/WCAG compliance; Managed SEO, plugins, and client support. Worked remotely.

AcuPerfect Websites Bellingham, WA Aug 2020 - Nov 2020
(Laid off due to COVID impact on business)

Aug 2020 - Nov 2020
(Laid off due to COVID impact on business)

Website Designer    Created and updated custom WordPress themes and layouts in Elementor; Set up websites for clients and provided customer support, content updates requests, troubleshooting, and website optimization. Created WordPress tutorials for clients. Worked remotely.

Cascadia Eye Mount Vernon, WA Feb 2018 - Mar 2020
(Laid off due to COVID impact on business)

Feb 2018 - Mar 2020 (Laid off due to COVID impact on business)

Webmaster    Created optimized component structures, content layout, custom design, and SEO for the following websites: Cascadia Eye — ncascade.com (WordPress), Cascadia Eyewear— cascadiaeyewear.com (Weebly), and Eyewitness Missions— eyewitnessmissions.com (WordPress). Successfully converted an older WP theme to a responsive layout with custom CSS; Redesigned the medical website to accomplish WCAG compliance for user accessibility; Created custom templates, regionally-centric pages, custom product catalog, site search, site speed performance enhancement; Effective SEO raised SERPs of ncascade.com from third page to first place. Worked remotely.

SB&C, Ltd. Mount Vernon, WA Apr - Jun 2017
Apr - Jun 2017

Website Designer    Designed and hand-coded a new business website. Consulted with client to fulfill site requirements. Researched business environment and effectively integrated SEO to sustain the site’s first-place search results. Worked remotely.
See sbcltd.com

Private Client Sumner, WA Dec 2016
Dec 2017

Website Designer    Four projects with this client: 1) A hand-coded personal and professional web portfolio. 2) A PHP/MySQL database and JavaScript interface for a gaming website. 3) SEO. 4) Contributed to a LaTeX documentation project for the client's Master's degree program.
See contemporaryanalyist.com

Boyd Chiropractic Bellingham, WA Jan 2016
Dec 2016

Website Designer    Consulted with client and convinced them of the need for a website. Designed and hand-coded the business' first website. Researched the regional business environment and effectively deployed SEO to initiate site at number seven in Google's search results.
See boydchiropractic.us

Solution Bioremediation Kailua-Kona, HI Jun 2014 - Sept 2015
Jun 2014 - Sept 2015

Website Designer  and co-founder of this early (1994) pioneering exploration into microbial bioremediation. Developed research and demonstration projects, and produced the company website
See solutionearth.com

ADMINISTRATIVE


Conservation Northwest    Bellingham, WA 2000 - 2005
2000 - 2005

Volunteer Coordinator    Coordinated, trained, and led teams for the first five seasons of the North Cascades Rare Carnivore Remote Camera Research Project to photo-document the presence of rare carnivores in the North Cascades in conjunction with the Washington State Dept. of Fish and Wildlife. Conducted trail head user surveys as part of the successful effort to protect Blanchard Mountain. Pieced together disparate, authoritative data on Pacific Northwest biological diversity to compile comprehensive spreadsheets which have been used by multiple agencies as a tool to coordinate efforts to preserve and connect habitat corridors spanning British Columbia through California.
   “2001 V.I.P. (Volunteer Instrumental in Progress) of the Year”   

USDA Forest Service    Carson Ranger District, Carson City, NV 1996 - 1997
1996 - 1997

Recreation Officer    Concessionaire Permit Administrator. Supervised 31 campground managers overseeing 24 developed campground operations for two Forest Service Ranger Districts in the Sierra mountain range. Coordinated restoration projects according to standards and procedures. Worked unsupervised.

Whatcom County Public Defender    Bellingham, WA 1994 - 1996
1994 - 1996

Archive Files Clerk    Oversight and administration of the entire file system for all case history information. Assigned and recorded case reference data, converted file status, prepared records for statutory processing.

The Olympia-Tumwater Foundation    Tumwater, WA 1989 - 1994
1989 - 1994

Assistant Caretaker  Tumwater Falls Park and The Schmidt House. Worked unsupervised.

SKILLS

Custom HTML / CSS

WordPress, Weebly

Web Hosting/DNS

SEO

JavaScript & jQuery

UX Design

Google Analytics

WCAG/ADA/Section 508

Adobe CC

PHP
Custom HTML / CSS

WordPress, Weebly

Web Hosting/DNS

Search Engine Optimization

JavaScript & jQuery

UX Design

Google Analytics

WCAG/ADA/Section 508

Adobe CC

PHP for WordPress and Apps

Core Competencies

WordPress; SEO (Audits, Semrush, Google Search Console, Certified in Google Analytics), JSON-LD structured data; HTML5, CSS3, Bootstrap, JavaScript, PHP, XHTML, XML; Web hosting, server administration, cPanel, DirectAdmin, DNS, htaccess; Photoshop, Gimp; Responsive UX patterns; ADA, WCAG, Section 508; Experience with SQL and MS Access; Demonstrated ability to function at a high level while working remotely.


Highlights

  • Converted old, unresponsive WordPress themes into fully responsive layouts.
  • Effective SEO achieved SERPs from beyond third page to top placement.
  • Integrated custom Javascript for ADA/WCAG/508 website compliance.
  • Utilized AJAX for consistent audio media players on WordPress podcast websites.
  • PHP application coding updates from versions 7 to 8.
  • Developed Javascript solutions to add micro-data and defer-script attributes for websites built in Weebly.

EDUCATION

Certificate   Web Development | Skagit Valley College, Mount Vernon, WA 2017
75 credits | 4.0 GPA | Multimedia IT Department Student of the Year

B.A.  Cultural Anthropology/Biology | The Evergreen State College, Olympia, WA 1993



CERTIFICATION

Advanced Google Analytics | Google Analytics Academy June 2017

VOLUNTEER WORK

Conservation Northwest – North Cascades Rare Carnivore Remote Camera Research Project; Save Blanchard Mountain: Surveys of economic benefits to habitat preservation; Biological diversity analysis; General office support

South Puget Environmental Education Clearing House (SPEECH) – Participated in critical habitat conservation efforts within the Olympia, WA region: Featuring the successful preservation of Woodard Bay and Grass Lake