DadOfTheClan
Moving Forward
2025 took everything from us. Now we're asking for a chance to rebuild.
The Year That Broke Us
On June 14th, 2025, our daughter Alicia Mae was born. Perfectly healthy, bright blue eyes that defied genetics, a smile that never stopped. She was our fifth child—Mommy's "little goose," the baby who loved mornings and Barney with her big sister Bean. She was named after her great-grandmother, my grandmother Alicia.
One week after Alicia Mae was born, my grandmother—the woman she was named after—passed away on June 24th, 2025.
I was fired without cause after the birth of my daughter and the death of my grandmother.
On November 2nd, 2025, I found Alicia Mae unresponsive in our bedroom. CPR on the kitchen floor. My father arriving while I was on the phone with 911. The ambulance to Sparrow Hospital in Lansing where they brought her heart back. The life flight to Mott's Children's Hospital in Ann Arbor. Two days of watching EEG flatlines and knowing she was already gone while waiting for organ donation matching.
I worked that entire week while she was in the hospital. Between shifts watching my daughter on life support, I answered tickets. I troubleshot systems. I showed up because that's what you do when you're committed to an organization—you don't abandon your responsibilities even when your world is ending.
On November 5th at 2:06 PM, at four months old, Alicia Mae left this world—saving others through the gift of her organs.
I worked hours after she died. Still in shock, still processing what just happened, I logged in. Because dedication doesn't stop when tragedy hits. Because I believed showing up mattered. Because I thought loyalty went both ways.
One week later, I was fired without cause. She hasn't even been laid to rest yet.
I gave everything. I showed up while my daughter was dying. I worked the same day she passed. I demonstrated the kind of dedication most organizations claim they want. And in return? Termination without cause while we're still planning how to lay our daughter to rest.
Twice this year, in the moments when my family needed stability most, I lost my income. Once after welcoming new life and losing the great woman she was named for. Once after losing our daughter before we could even begin to process the grief. Both times without cause. Both times after demonstrating the kind of dedication most organizations only dream about—working while my daughter was dying, working hours after she passed. Both times, the message was clear: your family circumstances are inconvenient, and your dedication means nothing.
Now it's December 2025, heading into 2026. We have four children who need us present and whole. We have grief that doesn't follow a timeline. We have bills that don't care about tragedy. And we have a question that shouldn't need asking: does someone's value as an employee disappear when life hits them hardest?
If you've driven the Capital Area, headed north to the Mackinac Bridge on US-127, or traveled the roads of Mid-Michigan—in a quiet way, I was there with you.
I didn't pour the concrete, but I poured long hours and time away from my own family into the County Road Commission systems that keep those roads safe. I stood behind the crews, maintaining the critical technology that ensured you reached your destination.
I was part of your journey then. Now, I'm asking you to be part of ours.
Help us pave a road to tomorrow. Guide us home.
The roads we built together
What I'm Actually Looking For
I'm not looking for sympathy. I'm looking for an organization that understands that life doesn't pause for work—and that the best employees are whole humans who've been through fire and came out stronger, not broken.
An Organization That Values Humanity
When someone says "my daughter died" or "my child was just born," the response shouldn't be termination. It should be support. I'm looking for a place that treats employees like humans first, resources second. Where tragedy is met with compassion, not a pink slip.
Long-Term Stability
I spent nearly 8 years at Celink. That's who I am—loyal, committed, someone who builds institutional knowledge and grows with an organization. I'm not looking for a job. I'm looking for a home where I can contribute strategically for years to come while knowing my family won't lose everything the next time life happens.
Work-Life Integration That's Real
Not "work-life balance" as a recruiting buzzword. Real flexibility. Understanding that sometimes a dad needs to leave at 3 PM for a school event. That grief doesn't clock out at 5 PM. That being present for four living children while honoring one watching from above isn't a liability—it's what makes someone a better leader, colleague, and human.
A Mission Worth Fighting For
After watching your daughter save lives through organ donation, you understand what meaningful work looks like. I want to build something that matters. Infrastructure that keeps critical systems running. Solutions that help organizations serve their communities. Work that, at the end of the day, makes a difference.
What I Bring to the Table
Grief doesn't erase a decade of excellence. Loss doesn't delete institutional knowledge. Tragedy doesn't diminish technical expertise. If anything, it sharpens what matters.
10+ Years of Expertise
Primary technical lead for 30+ organizations across healthcare, government, manufacturing, and professional services. Near-zero downtime on mission-critical migrations.
Proven Leadership
Led teams of up to 10 engineers. Nearly 8 years of progressive advancement at Celink. Someone who mentors, builds culture, and earns loyalty through respect, not mandate.
Business Impact
Generated $70K+ in consulting revenue by early 2025 with relationships projected to exceed $100K. Strategic thinker who translates technical solutions to business outcomes.
Technical Depth Across:
The Perspective Loss Brings
When you've performed CPR on your daughter on the kitchen floor, you understand what "critical systems" actually means. When you've watched organ donation save other families from your tragedy, you know what meaningful impact looks like. When you've worked through the week your daughter was on life support and logged in hours after she died—then been fired without cause a week later—you recognize the organizations that prioritize humanity versus those that see employees as disposable, no matter how much dedication you show.
This perspective makes me a better engineer, not a liability:
I understand what truly matters. Not uptime for uptime's sake, but infrastructure that enables healthcare providers to save lives, government systems to serve communities, and businesses to support families.
I lead with empathy. When a team member says they're struggling, I don't see weakness—I see someone brave enough to be honest. That creates trust and loyalty money can't buy.
I don't sweat the small stuff. Server crashes can be fixed. Data can be recovered. What can't be recovered is time with the people who matter. That clarity prevents burnout and brings focus to what actually moves the needle.
I value stability. When you've lost everything twice in six months, you don't job-hop for a 10% raise. You commit to organizations that commit to you. That's 8 years at Celink. That's the loyalty I bring.
"The same person who built enterprise infrastructure for 30+ organizations across 8 sectors didn't suddenly forget how to engineer systems. But now I also understand what it means to build something worth building—for organizations that understand people aren't machines."
The Ask
I'm not asking for charity. I'm asking for a chance. A chance to prove that someone who's been through hell doesn't come back broken—they come back knowing exactly what's worth fighting for.
I'm asking for an organization that sees value in an employee who:
Has 10+ years of proven technical excellence across critical industries
Led teams and mentored engineers while maintaining hands-on technical depth
Generated measurable business impact ($70K+ revenue, 30+ primary client relationships)
Stayed nearly 8 years at one organization because loyalty matters
Understands that work serves life, not the other way around
Brings both strategic vision and empathetic leadership
Knows what it means to show up even when everything hurts
If you're an organization that values people over profit margins, long-term relationships over quarterly results, and technical excellence paired with human decency—I'm here. Ready to work. Ready to contribute. Ready to build something meaningful with people who understand that the best teams are built on trust, respect, and the recognition that we're all whole humans trying to do good work while living full lives.
For Alicia Mae: Every project I take on, every system I build, every team I lead—it's all in her memory. She saved lives at four months old. The least I can do is make sure my work matters too.
We lost our daughter. We lost income twice. We didn't lose our drive, our expertise, or our belief that there are still organizations out there that do the right thing.
Are you one of them?
Note: I realize this is personal for a professional portfolio. That is by design. I believe that real resilience is forged in life, not just in server rooms. The empathy and strength I’ve gained from my journey make me a better problem solver and a more dedicated teammate. I’m looking for an organization that values the whole human behind the code - because that is where the real value lies.
