Paul Ryburn
Paul.Ryburn@gmail.com
Career Objective
To obtain a position that not only takes advantage of my
ASP.NET and/or PHP programming skills, but also incorporates my excellent
communication, creativity, flexibility, and familiarity with Web 2.0 tools.
Professional
Experience
Developer, Verified Person, Memphis, TN, November
2007-October 2008.
- Developed
ASP.NET/SQL Server solutions to import files from various criminal
jurisdictions into company’s data warehouse. Converted legacy VB.NET code to C#; wrote stored procedures,
transformation XML, and C# code to map data to company database tables.
- Working
on a team with another developer, led effort to create a prototype person
search/criminal history check program in C#/SQL Server, to demo to the Board
of Directors as a possible future revenue stream. Worked with a third party provider to
get data; worked under a very tight deadline.
- Wrote
an employment application management tool using PHP and MySQL. Used the PHP Zend Framework, and also
used the Prototype Javascript framework and explored jQuery for possible
use. Assisted another PHP
developer working on a verification tool when needed.
Independent website developer and affiliate marketer,
ongoing for the past 4 years. Used
blogging, Web 2.0/social media tools, and PHP-based software to drive traffic
and produce sales.
- Developed
a consumer review site called Saving Consumers Time, which used search
engine optimization and sales and marketing techniques to get people to
follow Amazon affiliate links and make purchases. Modified an existing WordPress template
using PHP and CSS to produce a customized, professional-looking site.
- Created
over a dozen Amazon affiliate stores using PHP-based tool
Associate-o-Matic. Used SEO to
select titles, headers, menu links.
Modified PHP and CSS files to customize stores. Altogether, the stores now earn several
hundred dollars a month in affiliate commissions.
- Created
a happy hour search engine with PHP/MySQL to drive traffic to one of the
stores. Users have the ability to
add and edit listings. The program
can detect users trying to sabotage the system and lock them out. Search engine currently lists over
1,000 happy hours.
- Used
Twitter to post a local bar’s daily special to a blog, in order to drive
regular traffic there.
- Created
Squidoo pages to drive traffic to Amazon affiliate stores.
- Joined
numerous Commission Junction affiliate programs, with Restaurant.com
(discount restaurant gift certificates) producing the most success to
date.
Senior Applications Programmer, Memphis City Schools,
April 2006-June 2007. Hired on a
contract basis, later converted to full-time.
Developed web applications to be used on district-wide Intranet.
- Developed
ASP.NET/VB.NET applications using Visual Studio, hitting a SQL Server 2000
database. Was the first programmer
in the department to deploy an ASP.NET 2.0 application to production.
- Developed
an asset inventory application which allowed the schools to track which
items were eligible for federal assistance for maintenance contracts,
saving MCS thousands of dollars.
- Created
a system for potential volunteers to fill out applications online. System saved MCS money that was being
wasted on duplicate background checks under the old, paper-driven method.
- Conducted
meetings and demos with non-technical clients to extract their business
processes and to train them on the use of the final product.
Programmer/Analyst, Advertising Checking Bureau, Memphis, TN, October 2004-April 2006. Developed websites for large corporations
with rebate programs.
- Development consisted of complete
ASP.NET sites and some hybrid ASP.NET/Classic ASP sites. Coding included VB.NET, VBScript, HTML,
CSS stylesheets, and some Javascript.
- Data store was SQL Server for large
rebate programs and Microsoft Access for smaller ones. Worked extensively with T-SQL, stored
procedures. Used Data
Transformation Services (DTS) to move data from Access to SQL Server, to
schedule automated nightly updates of data, and to dump data to Excel
spreadsheets for reporting.
- Used XSLT transformations to format XML
data for the Web.
- In meetings with clients, discussed
business processes, worked with them to extract business rules to be
translated into code. Clients
included Bryant, York, Panasonic, Samsung, Xerox, and Shell.
Information Technology Specialist, Whitmor
Manufacturing/Earle Industries, Earle, AR, June 2001-December 2003.
- Developed
Visual Basic 6 programs that used Automation to control Office
applications. Created custom
financial statements in which Access data was delivered on-demand to Excel
worksheets. Created a Bill of
Lading form which read store data from Excel worksheets and sent the data
to Word to create attractive printed output.
- Set up
a Web order tracking system using Active Server Pages (ASP). Developed web-based login system with
different roles for salespeople, managers, and administrators. ASP code created SQL queries on the fly
to deliver data from an Access database.
- Wrote
and updated Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) programs in Visual Basic 6
using SQL to query an Access backend.
The EDI programs allowed company to interface with large customers
including Target, Bed Bath & Beyond, and Wal-Mart.
- Trained
employees on use of Windows, Microsoft Office, and custom applications
used to manage the factory.
- Worked
with ADO Recordset, Connection, and Command objects, and with the
DataEnvironment designer within Visual Basic.
Instructor, University of Memphis, Mathematical
Sciences, full-time faculty member 1994-1999, graduate assistant 1992-1993.
- Taught
3-4 undergraduate mathematics and computer courses per semester. Quickly gained a reputation for being
patient and easy to understand; received accolades for working well with
students with disabilities.
- Was
named course director of the Computer Literacy course in fall 1997. Completely responsible for all aspects
of a required undergraduate course serving 500 students with 33 lab
sections per semester. Selected
textbooks, hired lab assistants.
- Created
an Access-based system for recording lab grades. This system reduced errors in students’ grades from 30% per
semester to practically zero, and eliminated a hefty departmental expense
on bubble sheets.
- Was
invited by Addison-Wesley to serve on their textbook development
committee, offering feedback and suggestions to the author for the next
edition of the text used in the Computer Literacy course.
Education
Master of Science in Mathematical Sciences (all 34 hours in Computer Science), University
of Memphis (Mathematical Sciences Department), August 1994.
Bachelor of Arts, Computer Science and Mathematics,
Rhodes College, Memphis, TN, May 1991.
Interests/Community
Involvement
Co-moderator of Handling-Panhandling online forum
since July 2007.
- Set
up Google forum to allow Downtown Memphians to communicate about
aggressive panhandling in the area.
Forum provided a way to identify aggressive criminal panhandlers
who portrayed themselves as homeless and intimidated tourists out of
money.
- Worked
with the Center City Commission and was instrumental in getting a private
safety patrol hired to patrol Downtown Memphis, to protect pedestrians
from aggressive panhandlers.
Member, Ques Brothers Memphis in May barbecue team,
2007-present.
- Was
put in charge of team’s website, fall 2008; currently working with another
team member to set up a WordPress site for our main pages, as well as a
bbPress forum to allow team to communicate.
- Used
blog to recruit members for our 2008 team, resulting in about $2,000 extra
revenue.
- Team
won third-place trophy in World Championship Shoulder, 2008.
MPACT Memphis, member since February 2002; at-large
member, Board of Directors 2004-2005.
MPACT is designed to promote Memphis and build relationships among
emerging community leaders.
- Served
as an advisor to the Executive Director on Phase III of the organization's
website; reviewed proposals from three development firms.
- Coordinated
the second event in the Mphasis Music series promoting local
musicians. Supervised venue
reservation, hiring of artists and sound engineers, obtaining of permits. Wrote a proposal selling Mphasis'
benefits to sponsors which resulted in a $2,000 annual sponsorship from D.
Canale Distributors.
- Coordinated
a phonathon in which volunteers called members to get them to renew for
2005, donate, update their contact information. Membership chair called it a success and a model for future
years.
- Coordinated
two Community Involvement events in conjunction with Friends for Life.