Hi, I'm Mike.
I'm an IT professional in Charlotte who likes to understand, build, improve, and secure systems. I spent four years in IT help desk support and four more running web development and server administration for a 600+ site network, and I keep learning in a home lab of my own. I'm open to new roles in the Charlotte area.
Certifications
- CompTIA CySA+ Cybersecurity Analyst
- CompTIA Security+ Security
- CompTIA Network+ Networking
- CompTIA A+ IT Support
- Microsoft AZ-900 Azure Fundamentals
- Microsoft MS-900 Microsoft 365 Fundamentals
In progress: Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA)
About
Builder of systems.
Student of technology.
Lifelong learner.
I got into technology by building a computer on my own for a high school senior project. The research behind it is what set my direction: it led to my degree in Business Management Information Systems at Liberty University, and it showed me I could learn something hard without anyone walking me through it.
Since 2018 I have worked my way from Tier I and II help desk support to running the hosting, certificates, and code behind a 600+ site network. Along the way I picked up security work and certifications, wrote automation that saves real hours, and trained the people who came after me.
The people I work with tend to describe me as kind, reserved, and good at explaining things. I like finding something manual and tedious, fixing it, and moving on. Outside of IT I run a small wedding photography business and serve in my church community.
Experience
- 2022 to present
Web Developer and Publisher
Abbey Carpet Co., Inc., Charlotte, NC
Promoted from the help desk role as the company phased help desk work out of the position.
- Hosting. Maintain 600+ production websites on Sitecore CMS and administer the IIS hosting environment as the escalation point for complex site and application issues.
- Certificates. Manage the SSL/TLS certificate lifecycle across all 600+ sites with WinAcme and Certify The Web.
- Development. Built a custom CSS framework that cut development time by 30% and standardized deployments. Write and modify JavaScript and backend code, and handle the custom coding requests other publishers bring to me.
- Application security. Run input validation and injection testing to reduce XSS and SQL injection risk, and give remediation guidance.
- Features. Tested and shipped a redesigned navigation menu, lead generation forms, video backgrounds, parallax effects, and full-width components. Delivered financing integrations with Synchrony and Wells Fargo, plus SEO, UX, and compliance updates.
- Onboarding. Set up new store sites in Google Analytics and SQL databases.
- People. Trained four web publishers and one help desk employee. Represent the web team at the annual company convention, meeting with members about the site changes they need.
- 2018 to 2022
IT Help Desk, Tier I and II, and Web Publisher
Abbey Carpet Co., Inc., Charlotte, NC
- End-user support. Supported desktops, printers (inkjet, laser, and plotter), Apple and Android devices, and end-user systems across three sites on a two-person IT team.
- Infrastructure. Helped deploy a Windows file server, IIS web server, Remote Desktop Services, and Hyper-V virtualization company-wide.
- Active Directory. Handled user provisioning, group management, and access control across all three sites.
- Deployment. Designed a secure baseline for new thin clients, wrote the setup guide, and ran the phased rollout across two locations, retiring the old desktops along the way. Kept IT asset records current.
- Incident response. First responder when someone clicked a suspicious link or downloaded something malicious: assessed exposure, checked for compromise, reset passwords, and isolated and scanned machines before reconnecting them.
- Email and endpoint security. Analyzed phishing, spoofed domains, and malicious payloads in Mimecast; tested suspicious files in a sandbox; checked reputations in VirusTotal; maintained Symantec Endpoint Protection.
- Automation. Wrote PowerShell for IIS migrations and a recurring 28k+ file dataset, saving a coworker 2+ weeks a year and finding 10k+ unused Sitecore assets. Built a Python automation that saves 30+ minutes a week.
- Convention IT. Ran IT logistics for the annual convention: inventoried, scanned, updated, and stress-tested every device, packed and shipped it, and set up and tore down all equipment on-site.
- 2025 to present
Owner and Wedding Photographer
Loerop Photography, Charlotte, NC
- Business. Run a one-person wedding photography business alongside full-time work, including its website at photography.loerop.com.
- 2026 to present
Front of House Team Member
Chick-fil-A
- Guest service. Take orders at the front counter and in the drive-thru, and process payments on the mobile cash cart.
- Order accuracy. Make drinks and hand-spun milkshakes, bag orders, and expedite, checking each order before it goes to the guest.
- Recognition. Earned two awards for outstanding performance. Recognized by managers and trainers for learning multiple front-of-house stations quickly and going beyond assigned duties.
Earlier Experience
- 2012 to 2014
Cashier
Backyard Burger, Raleigh, NC
Front counter and drive-through. Trained four employees, including a new manager.
- 2012
Cashier and Bagger
Harris Teeter, Raleigh, NC
Checked out and bagged for customers and kept the front of the store in order.
Home Lab Projects
- 01
Proxmox virtualization lab
A Proxmox VE environment running multiple virtual machines and self-hosted services, including NextCloud, for infrastructure and security practice. The long-term goal is a small enterprise at home: servers, clients, DNS, DHCP, and domain controllers.
- 02
Self-hosted NAS
A fault-tolerant photo backup and management server built on Ubuntu Linux, Docker, and Immich.
- 03
Splunk SIEM lab
In progress. Splunk ingesting logs from Windows and Kali Linux hosts, used to build detections for common attack patterns.
- 04
OpenSSH log analysis
Reviewed authentication logs by hand and found a brute-force pattern that had ended in a successful unauthorized login, before any SIEM was in place.
Skills and Education
- Systems administration
- Windows Server, IIS, Active Directory, Remote Desktop Services, Hyper-V, thin client deployment, OS hardening and secure baselines.
- Security
- Email threat analysis in Mimecast, sandbox malware analysis, VirusTotal reputation checks, SHA-256 verification, Symantec Endpoint Protection, application security testing, SSL/TLS certificate management, Splunk.
- Networking
- Network+ certified. DNS, Wi-Fi and wired troubleshooting, Cat5 cabling, OpenSSH log analysis. Studying for the Cisco CCNA.
- Virtualization and self-hosting
- Proxmox VE, Docker, Ubuntu Linux, NextCloud, Immich, Kali Linux.
- Scripting and development
- PowerShell, Python, JavaScript, SQL, HTML, and CSS. Sitecore CMS administration and Google Analytics.
- Cloud
- Azure Fundamentals and Microsoft 365 Fundamentals certified; foundational knowledge.
- Design and media
- Figma, Adobe XD, Photoshop, Lightroom, and Premiere.
- Education
- BS, Business Management Information Systems, Liberty University. Specializations in Web Development and Application Development.
Community Service
- 2025 to present
Event Photographer
Weddington Methodist Church, Weddington, NC
Photograph church events, including Trunk n' Treat and the Christmas service.
- 2020 to 2022
AV Production Team and Photographer
Compass Church, Naples, FL
Set up and tore down production equipment, ran the soundboard, managed slides for worship and the sermon, and photographed church events.
- 2020 to 2021
Shuttle Driver
First Baptist Church, Naples, FL
Drove guests from the parking lot to where they needed to go and directed traffic.
- 2016
Event Photographer and Videographer
Corner Stone Church, Connecticut
Photographed and filmed Vacation Bible School, then edited a video of the week in Adobe Premiere that was shown to the congregation.
- 2014 to 2018
IT Technician
Parkview Community Mission, Lynchburg, VA
Ran new Cat5 cable, designed graphics for an exterior sign, and collected, unloaded, and organized donations from around town.
- 2014
IT Technician
Neuse Christian Academy
Ran new Cat5 cable, laid the groundwork for a new computer lab, and installed IP cameras.
Contact Me
I'm always glad to talk about IT, systems, and security work in the Charlotte area.