Greater Chicago Area
IT Ops Network Engineer III
IT Ops Network Engineer III
gwesselhoff@yahoo.com
Over twenty years experience in various fields in Information Technology all centered around Network Management.
Strengths:
• Writing ability: Technical, Business, and Creative.
• An understanding of business-Not just the world from an IT perspective, but the big picture.
• An aptitude for public speaking.
• Responsibility / Accountability
• The ability to work well with a team.
• Initiative.
• An inquisitive mind.
• Team Player
• Refined Soft Skills
• The ability to get a point across ("geek speak" or plain English..).
• A willingness to take risks.
Specialties
802.11 b/g wireless expert, Network Forensic Specialist, Packet Trace Top Gun, Project Management, Leadership.
Experience
IT Ops Network Technical Engineer III at Ace Hardware
July 1999 -Present (9 years)
- In the position I provide management, guidance, and direction in regards to Network Management, Problem Solving, and Technical Engineering challenges.
- I am a packet trace guru, and a Network Forensic top gun, often sent on site to rapidly resolve a complex problem.
- I keep pace with technological advances, and have an innately inquisitive nature which helps keep my skills and abilities finely honed.
Sr. Network Analyst at IBM Global Services
November 1996 -July 1999 (2 years 9 months)
- Advanced Technical Support.
- Wrote a 300 page OPs Manual that I later converted to an HTML Browser Based document.
- Provided project management on IBM/Customer initiatives.
Network Analyst at Advantis Corporation
1994 -1996 (2 years)
- Team Lead to Hoffman Group.
- Provided Leadership, Metrics, and Guidance to my team.
- Technical Specialist Servicing the Network between IBM and Sears.
- Project Manager to several high-profile projects.
Network Analyst at Ace Hardware Corporation
October 1987 -June 1994 (6 years 9 months)
- Network Ops, Distributed Ops between Corporate Hub and a network of warehouses, paint plants, a 5000 store dealer network, and freight consolidation terminals.
Education
Governors State University
B.A., Management for Information Sciences, 1998 -2000
Moraine Valley Community College
A.A.S, Information Technology, 1994 -1996
Activities and Societies: LRC (Learning Resource Center) Network Technician.
Southern Illinois University, Carbondale
Liberal Arts, 1975 -1977
Moraine Valley Community College
Programming, Management IT Certifications., Liberal Arts and Sciences, 1972 -1974
Activities and Societies: Vice President Program Board 1974, Wilderness Club, Large Concert Stage Manager
Global Knowledge, Leaning Tree International, Gigawave
Wireless Networking, WiFi, 802.11b, 802.11x, 802.11n, Security
Activities and Societies: Many Specialized Technical Courses, Seminars, Classes, and Break Out Sessions including AirMagnet Academy, Cisco Unified Wireless Networking, and others.
Technical Training Seminars
Management, Project Management 1 and 2
Honors and Awards
- 1996 Ace Hardware Commitment to Quality Award
- 1997 Advantis Achievement Award
- 1998 IBM Outstanding Performance Award
- 2002 Ace Hardware Special Teamwork Award
- 2004 Ace Hardware David O'donnell Award for Excellence in Performance
Interests
- 802.11 Radio Networking, Network Forensics, Tweaking and Tuning Networks.
- I like to catch the bad guys trying to break into the networks or wreak havoc.
- I like documenting, passing knowledge, presenting, and helping people.
- In addition to formal education, I have attended countless technical classes, courses, and technical seminars (including webinars of late). This happens on an ongoing basis as it is the best way to stay current with technological advances.
Recommendations, from teamwork and vendors.
"Gary is a great teammate to work with who adds value to any team by being a very seasoned IT infrastructure expert with a broad portfolio of experience and deep analytical problem solving skills. The combination of skills that Gary brings to the table are difficult to find but extremely high in demand in today's complex distributed systems."
— Ryan Bagnulo, IT Architect, IBM, worked directly with Gary at IBM Global Services
"Gary's a tremendous asset to our Network team at Ace Hardware. He has vast knowledge and experience that he willingly shares with his peers. Being a senior staff member hasn't stopped his inquisitive mind though. Gary's always learning new things and better serving the organization. More than anything though, Gary's a thoughtful and kind person that I'm fortunate to have as a co-worker."
— Andrea Welch, Software Engineering Analyst II, Ace Hardware Corporation, worked with Gary at Ace Hardware
"Gary is very talented and impressive in designing, implementing, and supporting the complex, high-performance communication systems for our company. His work is essential to the success of the many in-house fastpath projects. Not only is he always very hardworking, he also takes time to help other team members. I learned quite a lot from Gary and it is a true pleasure working with him."
— Karen Svoboda, Support Center Team Leader, Ace Hardware, worked with Gary at Ace
Hardware
"Gary Wesselhoff and I worked together on a large scale National Network printing/barcode integration project. His expertise and superior skills made what could have been a very tough project very successful. I have dealt with thousands of clients over the past two decades, and will always remember Gary for his willingness to do whatever it takes to get the job down on time, on budget and with superior results. He has such a broad understanding of Networks, Printing and Barcoding, we were able to mitigate the risk of implementation across the entire Enterprise. It is not very often you find talented technical people who have such effective communication skills!!"
— Denise Neumann, Senior Account Manager, Peak Technologies, was a consultant or contractor to Gary at Ace Hardware Corporation
"Gary is able to take on the complex task of surveying 802.11b wireless network for performance, reliability, and security. Few people know how to do this well. On top of that, he takes ownership of the entire development process, making sure one can easily and monitor, and support the infrastructure. This makes the entire ops team more productive."
— Milind Shah, System Engineer, Ace Hardware, was a consultant or contractor to Gary at Ace Hardware
"Gary is a wealth of knowlege that he has accumulated through on the job experience. He is always ready to help out at a moments notice concened about the big picture of an efficient network not just with what is on his job description."
— Jeff Nason, System Engineer I, Ace Hardware Corporation, worked with Gary at Ace Hardware
"Gary, is a pleasure to work with on any team. When we worked together he mentored me both
technically and professionally. Gary is positive, responsive and dependable. Gary works
independently and acts with a sense of urgency to deliver uncommon results to customers."
— Eric Fladeland, Network Analyst, Advantis, worked directly with Gary at Advantis Corporation
"Gary ROCKS!!!!"
— Bob Barker, Sr. Network Analyst, Ace Hardware, worked directly with Gary at Ace Hardware
"Gary is great. Always, and I mean ALWAYS, he followed through on assignments and exceded expetations. Gary is a true gem who no doubt would quickly contribute his tallents to ANY organization, public or private. Gary's strong work ethic and comitment to responsibility is quite unique in today's job market. Mike Vonder Heide -2 / 08"
— Mike Vonder Heide, Network Manager, Ace Hardware Corporation, managed Gary at Ace
Hardware
“Gary provided technical leadership for several departments working in concert on a large and highly visible nation-wide project. He made it easy for us to achieve what we needed in that he was generous with his expertise and patient with the various degrees of inexperience different team members had. The project, as a result, was not only successful but came in on time and under budget partially due to a reduced learning curve--Gary always seemed to have the answer to any question be it technical or strategic. Outstanding work ethic, and great attitude!”
--Richard Baldwin, System Engineer, Ace Hardware
