George Fkiaras

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) is a public benefit corporation responsible for public transportation in the U.S. state of New York.

Overview

• In-House applications developer, focused on new development, app maintenance, and application support.

Noteable Projects

Notice of Exam Application

• Built with .netcore 3.1 and ReactJS with Redux.
• Internal application listing current and historical public service exams with basic CMS.
• App was a rebuild of a legacy application from 20 years ago.

Trainspotting

• Proof-of-concept GTFS static and realtime app.
• Self-started prior to employment and continued as a research project during downtime.
• Responsive design, intended to be used on mobile clients and digital signage.
• Realtime countdown clocks for all lines and stations in the system.
• Initial technologies used: GTFS, GTFS Realtime, AngularJS, Entity Framework, WebAPI and SignalR.
• Updated to .netcore 3.1 in the last year.
• Project had a "halo" effect, noted in the train tracking projects below.

Train Tracking Projects

• Assigned to assist the countdown clock and GTFS teams with various tasks.
• Created a quality monitoring tool from the trainspotting engine listed above. The tool monitors various feeds at different stages of development for discrepencies.
• Created a prediction algorithm based on live track PLC circuit data and bluetooth beacons. It combined both data sources to predict which track a train would arrive at a given terminal, since this was not possible to do from a single data source.

ConEdison Performance and Outage Dashboard

• Worked as the role of "mentor" to a fellow employee learning AngularJS and component architecture.
• Together we built an application for monitoring the realtime status of power meters throught the New York City Subway System.

Probationary Employee Evaluation Tracking System (PEETS)

• Worked on the WebUI portion of an evaluation system for new employees.
• This was likely the last "greenfield" ASP.NET webforms/jQuery project of my career.
• The project automated a mostly manual recordkeeping process using paper and MS Access.
• The stack was chosen as many DBAs on our team know the ASP.NET webforms stack, and they would be part of the maintanence team.

Subway Performance Dashboard

• Lead for three-person development team tasked with implementing a responsive version a subway performance dashboard.
• AngularJS, expressjs and SQL server were used.
• A boilerplate of the solution is available on github.

"Improving the Network" Administrative Interface

• ASP.NET 4.6 Webforms Project
• Worked with business units, gathered requirements, and implemented an administrative back-end.

Ongoing labor of love projects, formally harnessed for portfolio purposes.

Overview

• Ongoing off-hours projects for skills development, personal expression, and fulfillment.
• "Halo" effects include: sharper design skills, advanced railroading knowledge, IoT experience, and my first event-driven application design.

Projects

Digital Signage

• Multi-user system for controlling digital signage clients.
• Implementation uses the concept of apps that are displayed on full-screen web views.
• Current Apps:
  • "Commons Art Project" using pictures of the day from the wikimedia commons.
  • "Tap Station" displaying a list of beers, developed for The Iron Tap Station in Portland, OR.
  • A full screen clock with timezones and customizable fonts, colors, and layout.
  • "Trainspotting" displaying realtime train schedules for the New York City Subway.

IoT Thermostat

• Provides a mobile-first interface to a switch capable of controlling power to most everyday appliances.
• Implementation includes a temperature and humidity sensor, and can be set to cycle power based on a desired temperature setting.

Train Automation

• Arguiably the most complex and most difficult project I've worked on.
• Feature-complete model train automation system, with the ability to fully automate multiple trains on a single layout.
• Hardware provides speed, direction, and RFID functions to otherwise simple model trains.
• Programable RFID tags placed on model track mimic train block layouts and signalling.
• RFID tags can be programmed with speed, direction, and end-of-track information, allowing models to operate independently of the web application.
• Web application can issue power & speed commands, and can be used to program simple messages to physical RFID tags.
• Application controls servos that control train switches.
• Application includes a "train supervisor" module composed of "Automatic Train protection" and "Automatic Train Control" modules.
• Automatic Train Protection prevents collisions between trains as well as switches.
• Automatic Train Control includes a "dispatcher," in which the user sets up simple programs with a collection of rules governing train movements.

"ASME promotes the art, science & practice of multidisciplinary engineering and allied sciences around the globe."

Overview

• In-House ASP.NET developer working on the IT development team.
• Primary duties were to maintain and update enterprise applications both for internal and external use.
• New applications typically used a repository pattern back-end with a bootstrapped angularJS client.

Noteable Projects

Conference Papers Widget

• Widget that can be embedded in any web property to display conference schedules and speakers.
• Client is built with bootstrap and AngularJS
• Data is served from WebAPI endpoints and consumed by an angular data service.

Journal Tool Back-End

• Set up full domain, repository and unit of work project structure.

Fellows Application Rebuild

• Application allows members to submit nomination packets for a vote by ASME committee members. It includes an administrative interface for staff.
• Rebuild of a decade-old VB/ASP.NET 1.1 implementation to a modern, standards-compliant MVC4 web application with bootstrap layout.
• Project spanned several months and was mostly self-monitored, including interactions with business staff and project planning.
• Back-end uses an edmx-generated repository with business logic layer and intermediate view models for data transfer.
• Presentation layer uses knockoutjs and jquery for user interface transitions and data-binding.
• The new system preserved legacy data through migration and normalization.

Data Import Utility Overhaul

• Revamped internal application for importing data into Personify CRM system.
• Monolithic classes were analysed and refactored into smaller, more maintanable units.
• The UI was enhanced with a SignalR message feed that allowed the user to monitor the status of the data import in real time.
• Domain projects were able to be re-used by other team members to set up automated data imports in contexts that had no UI.

Department Wiki

• Initiated the creation of the department Wiki.
• Set up developer documentation for implementing repository and unit of work patterns.
• Set up boilerplate project for the repository and unit of work patterns as used at ASME.

The Integer Group is one of the world's largest promotional, retail, and shopper marketing agencies, and a key member of Omnicom Group Inc. Integer creates strategic marketing solutions for clients in categories that include retail, beverage, packaged goods, telecommunications, home and shelter, automotive aftermarket, and power sports.

Clients & Projects

7-Eleven/Slurpee
Initiated a rebuild of said website in a modern, standards-compliant MVC4 implementation to improve maintainability and expandability.

• Site launched on 4/20/2013 and saw substantial improvements in speed, reliability, and maintainability.
• Modified NopCommerce database for the data store, and a slimmed-down, e-commerce-free version of the back end for catalog management.
• Repository pattern with entity framework for data access.
• MVC output caching and HttpRuntime caching for increased performance.
• Integration with Bing maps for store locator functionality.
• AJAX endpoints double as API for third-party vendors and custom applications.
• ASP.NET Membership with extended attributes and Gigya social networking integration.
• Integration with third party vendors for coupon, points, and related marketing programs.
• Merged slurpee.com into the project, further increasing code re-use and maintainability.
• Data migration from legacy CMS and implementation.
• Hosting migration from legacy Windows 2003/SQL 2005 environment.

American Family Insurance Dreamvault
Developer of the dreamvault desktop and API components. The Dreamvault was an online home inventory system allowing users to create or edit a home inventory with their mobile phones or desktop browser. The inventory was then sent electronically to an American Family agent.

• MVC3 website using entity framework for data access.
• RESTful API for use by iOS and Android mobile clients.
• Integration with agent locator service from American Family.
• PDF report generation of inventory.
• jQuery UI library for modals and other enhanced UI elements.

Contributions Outside Website Development

• Deployed and maintained department wiki for documentation needs.
• Deployed BugNet issue tracking tool for use by the digital department and assisted in the enhancement of digital process with respect to issue tracking and resolution.
• Initiated modernization of internal infrastructure from Windows Server 2003 to Windows Server 2008 R2.
• Initiated standards meetings and skills upgrade for the department and its members. The department has now migrated to MVC4 from traditional ASP.NET web forms.

Miscellaneous Projects

• Assisted in the completion of the Freihofer's website.
• Assisted in the completion of the Stroehmann website, including the intro sequences to some of the pages.

Prior to its acquisition by IBM, SoftLayer was the largest privately held Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS) provider in the world with a portfolio of 25,000 leading-edge customers from Web startups to global enterprises.

Primary Responsibilities and Accomplishments

• Maintained and optimized Softlayer's corporate website as part of a Web Marketing Development team.
• Substantially sped up the loading of the corporate website using dynamic minification, sprites, and CDN content delivery.
• Trained and implemented Softlayer's ORM framework to the Web Marketing Development Team.
• Converted outdated image based navigation to a dynamic text system.
• Combined content onto Softlayer's website from company merger with The Planet.

A time devoted to both bread-making contract work, and my first learning projects.

Overview

• Developed and maintained websites for several clients.
• Deployed seven contest/sweepstakes sites of varying complexity.
• Architected new project designs to include database-driven web applications.

Notable Projects

Snapple Real Facts Contest

• Phase 1 of the contest gathered "Real Fact" submissions from users. The winner would have their real fact printed on Snapple Bottle caps.
• Phase 2 of the contest allowed people to vote on the 10 finalists.
• Administrative section allowed an administrator to view or download contest submissions, contest votes, and to select the finalists for voting.

Iron Man 2 Sweepstakes

• Users entered the contest for a chance to win 2 free tickets to a pre-screening of Iron Man 2.
• The system automatically chose winners on a weekly basis, emailed the winners, and handled the RSVP process.
• Administrative section allowed an administrator to view or download contest entries and RSVP data. Administrator could also adjust the number of winning slots based on RSVP percentages.

Cloud-Based Digital Signage System

• Cloud-based system driving multiple computer screens as digital signs.
• System controlled an arbitrary number of screens, and displayed any type of content normally found on the web. (HTML, Flash, Silverlight, etc.)
• Project touched on a variety of technologies, including Windows Forms, RDF, Firefox Plugins, MS SQL 2008, LINQ to SQL and MVC2.

LEVELTWO was a marketing agency specializing in Advertising, Corporate ID, Direct Marketing, Interactive, Packaging, and Promotions.

Overview

• Sole web developer for the company.
• Responsible for all aspects of the development process: requirements gathering, project management, implementation, deployment, and maintenance.
• Worked with multiple vendors for SEO, tracking, and CRM.
• Managed an offshore team for overflow projects.

Accomplishments

• Deployed over 10 websites in the course of 1 year.
• All websites contained some "eye candy" in the form of jquery animations and transitions.
• Most websites contained some administrative back-end to manage minor aspects of front-facing content: seminars, career listings, etc.
• Deployed approximately 5 promotional/contest sites.
• Grew substantially in non-technical areas: estimating, requirements gathering, project management, time tracking, and speaking routinely with non-technical people about technical issues.

Interactive digital agency rebranded as MePlusYOU and eventually acquired by Moroch Partners.

Overview

• Dedicated .NET engineer on Pizzahut team.
• Worked extensively with front end html/css development.
• Implemented applications with nettiers and codesmith data access layers.
• Improved UI elements with jQuery.

Major Projects

• Art Institutes website redesign, summer of '07: Developed front-end with use of MS AJAX and a proprietary database API provided by the client. Developed a dynamic site navigation system using the ASP.NET sitemap controls.
• Pizzahut Crunchy Cheesy Crust Contest, winter of '08: Developed back end that drove a flash contest. The contest improved pizza sales and captured marketing opt-ins for roughly 20,000 people. Developed reports for client access to contest data and statistics.
• Samsung Mobile USA, summer '08: Part of a team that developed addons like the email referral system.
• Pizzahut electronic gift cards, fall '08: Implemented front-end for a three tiered eCommerce application. Improved interactive UI elements with jQuery.

Web development shop, then focused on the real-estate industry, including home-building, construction and finance.

Overview

• Sole Web Applications Developer for an independent development shop.
• Maintained existing web applications and developed new ones.
• Engaged in project management, IT duties, and documentation as necessary.

Major Projects

Centex Public Website

• Custom-built CMS with versioning, approval, and auditing features.

Centex Intranet

• Similarly-feaured intranet website with CMS.
• Included integration with LexisNexis.
• Pre-jQuery animation implementation.

Centex Online Company Store

• Custom-built, full-featured PCI-compliant eCommrce solution

Ongoing Duties

• Systems administration: responsible for maintaining Windows 2000 Server based intranet; responsible for all hardware/software issues, upgrades, improvements, virus protection, security, etc. Achievements during this time period include a new backup scheme, migration from NT4.0 domain to Active Directory, and VPN deployment.
• Trial Technician: Responsible for preparation of multimedia presentations to be used in court. Experience with Trial Director Suite 4.0.

Overview

• Duties included dealing with trouble tickets within the banking system and running operator checklists.
• Developed electronic operator checklist in ASP.

Areas of Study

• Data structures: stacks, queues, trees, heaps, and hash tables.
• Advanced algorithms and programming techniques: divide and conquer approaches, dynamic programming, greedy algorithms, graph theoretic algorithms and flow networks. Homework was done in Java on a Solaris environment.
• Operating system theories: implementations, single-user, multi-user, uniprocess and multiprocess systems.
• System administration: schooled in the maintenance of multi-user machines. Studied quotas, software installations, services, security, shell scripting, etc.
• Programming languages: Object-oriented design in Java and C++.
• General engineering: advanced calculus, physics, and electrical fundamentals.