My Story

Chris has been a programmer since 1996 and has worked with ILM Professional Services since 2014. He received his BAchelor of Science degree in Computer Science and Information Systems at the University of Wisconsin, River Falls.

A Few Questions About Chris

When did you first get started or interested in programming? 

I got started early in life, using a 386 computer, and I would play games on it like Zork and Space Qwest. Since there wasn’t a lot of RAM to play with, I learned how to write DOS scripts in order to load different games. In High School I would also create games on a TI-81. Then in college, my passion was learning about networks, I became enthralled with a new technology called the World Wide Web and dove into HTML development.  

What’s one project that you’ve worked on which you’re most proud of? 

That would be the frontend SPA for a financial institution’s online client wealth management system. It was the most in-depth, developer-centric project that I’ve ever been a part of. The focus was on producing the best code, complete reviews, and being client centric.  

New knowledge that I gained from the project was accessibility, new ways to implement code repositories, implement component-based frontend architecture, and frontend unit testing. 

What is in your DNA that got you into the tech and coding space? 

I have a strong drive to learn about things that I don’t know about currently. 

What is a pet peeve of yours within the industry or how coding is taught? 

Universities tend to focus on training languages vs how to implement programming patterns regardless of the language. Like focusing on words vs sentence structure, you can be understood but communication is difficult. 

Are you a Mac or PC person? 

I tend to lean to Macs. I’m less of a Microsoft person. I’ve found that Macs are necessary for a frontend development project. The ability to debug IOS devices, test on Safari, and run Voiceover accessibility tests is something you can’t do on a PC. 

Are you an introvert or an extrovert? 

I’m an introvert, 100%. I don’t gain any sort of energy from being around groups of people.  

What kind of hobbies and interests do you have outside of work? 

I love console gaming, especially co-operative games since their game play is usually more complex. I also enjoy camping in a tent, being out in the wilderness, and especially in the Boundary Waters of Minnesota. Something else that I’ve gotten involved with is smoking meats and cheeses.  I use some tech in order to monitor the temperatures of the meat or cheese, and it will send me an alert if the gets too hot.  

What are your top skills or key talents? 

Trouble shooting and analyzing. I’ve also found that I’m good at finding ways to explain, to all levels of developers, complex things. 

Tagline: “Discovering the truth about ourselves is a lifetime’s work, but it’s worth the effort.” – Fred Rogers