Senior Manager — AI & Data Strategy
2022 – Present
Aberdeen Advisors / Aberdeen Labs VC · Advisory, Development & Venture Firm
- Lead AI, digital-transformation, and operating-model engagements for Fortune 500, healthcare, financial-services, and private-equity clients; advise CIOs and executive teams on portfolio prioritization and technology-investment decisions, influencing $50M+ transformation and innovation portfolios.
- Developed a patent-pending AI reliability framework and authored The Operator's Guide to AI Agents; in controlled testing, lifted agent task completion from 68% to 100% while cutting cost 40%+.
- Co-developed HorizonView, an AI-enabled project/portfolio platform integrating ML models into Power BI for predictive forecasting — resource utilization, budget risk, and schedule variance — and executive reporting.
- Designed a data-driven M&A technology due-diligence model (stack alignment, AI-integration potential, cybersecurity), cutting assessment time 30%+.
Founder & AI Strategy Advisor
2023 – Present
NeraTech LLC · AI & Digital-Transformation Advisory
- Founded an AI advisory practice; counsel leaders on AI strategy, governance, and adoption roadmaps — custom LLM/agentic and RAG solutions, intelligent automation, edge AI, and data strategy, grounded in high-reliability principles and ROI.
Adjunct Professor — Artificial Intelligence
2023 – Present
East Tennessee State University
- Teach AI at the intersection of technology and public health ("AI for Good") — predictive analytics and ML, responsible/ethical AI (governance, privacy, bias mitigation), and applied, data-driven student projects.
AI Robotics & Intelligent Automation Lead
2021 – 2022
Eastman Chemical Company · Kingsport, TN
- Led development and deployment of AI-driven robotics, computer-vision, and intelligent-automation solutions replacing manual, error-prone manufacturing processes — improving quality and throughput.
- Built a digital-twin and VR training platform (AVEVA XR Studio) integrating real-time process data with ML models, reducing training time 75%.
- Built ML and discrete-event simulation models quantifying financial impact, informing ~$6M in capital-allocation and automation-investment decisions.
Innovation Process Manager — Corporate Innovation
2021
Eastman Chemical Company · Kingsport, TN
- Led innovation teams across operating segments; developed business cases and decision-support models that guided $50M+ in innovation and strategic-investment decisions.
- Established data-driven portfolio management (predictive analytics, financial modeling, executive dashboards); implemented RPA that eliminated 37% of process steps.
Advanced Development Engineer
2017 – 2021
Eastman Chemical Company · Kingsport, TN
- Led product development applying statistical modeling and design of experiments (DOE; JMP, Minitab) across Fibers and Polymers — including advanced optical components used in Meta AI Ray-Ban smart glasses.
- Built predictive statistical models and automated BI dashboards (Power BI), improving customer visibility and accelerating sampling workflows.
Project & Development Engineer — Government Operations
2015 – 2017
BWX Technologies (BWXT) · Nuclear Technology & Government Services · Erwin, TN
- Led engineering execution for a $100M+ DOE-Q nuclear-facility modernization — one of the largest in company history — improving engineering work-process efficiency 15%; directed design control, change control, vendor qualification, and IQ/OQ/PQ testing under DOE and Naval Nuclear Propulsion standards.
- Applied machine-learning algorithms, statistical modeling, simulation, and reliability analysis to complex engineering problems, reducing analysis cycle times ~20%.
- Contributed to early nuclear-propulsion development with the Bettis Atomic Power Laboratory, laying groundwork for BWXT's DARPA/NASA programs (DRACO, NTP).
Quality Engineer — Healthcare Quality & Validation
2013 – 2015
Baxter International (North Cove — Shingo Prize facility) · Marion, NC
- Applied SPC, capability analysis, and hypothesis testing (Minitab) to resolve an FDA-flagged chemical-degradants issue, preventing recalls and saving $500K+/year.
- Designed machine-vision and robotic inspection systems automating product traceability (e-pedigree) and packaging QA under FDA/GMP. Two-time Baxter PowerUp Award recipient.