Chris Nearing
IT Support Professional
Residence:
City:
Nationality:
Oklahoma
Weatherford
USA
Download My Resume
[email protected]
Certifications
Professional Summary
Versatile IT Support Professional with a background in Computer Science, Web Development and Hospitality. As an entrepreneur and former restaurant manager, I excel at problem-solving and customer service. I’m eager to leverage my diverse skill set with recently acquired certifications and apply them to a challenging IT environment.
Education
Web Development Boot Camp
Le Wagon | Melbourne, VIC
Main areas of coursework included HTML, CSS, JS, Ruby, and GitHub. An intense refresher in modern development to supplement my Computer Science degree.
B.S. Hospitality Management
OSU | Stillwater, OK
A top-tier program, creating professionals in areas of hotel and restaurant administration. Internship with Sofitel, Shanghai and Banfi Exporters Scholastic Wine Tour, Tuscany.
B.S. Computer Science
SWOSU | Weatherford, OK
Relative coursework included computational theory, computer systems, object-oriented programming (C++, Java) and operating systems (Unix, DOS).
Work History
Web Designer | Customer Service Representative – Mauka Tours LLC
Honolulu, Hawaii (Remote)
September 2022 to Present
- Redesigned multiple high-volume Tourism Sales websites.
- Responded to customer emails and phone calls, resolving reservation issues and providing information about tours.
- Completed comprehensive UI/UX overhauls, implementing mobile-first designs and SEO standards.
- Cleaned up site architecture by auditing legacy PHP code, out-dated themes and deprecated plugins.
Custom Campervan Builder – Rio Conversions
Fruita, Colorado
August 2020 to June 2022
- As the sole proprietor, I oversaw the design, engineering, and successful market sale of bespoke off-grid camper vans.
- Managed technical procurement and project budgets, sourcing specialized components to meet strict build requirements.
- Engineered 12V/120V power systems and solar arrays, ensuring regular availability with reserved power.
- Translated technical specs into user documentation, providing end-user support and training for all onboard systems.
Plasterer/Handyman – Rio Natural Plaster
Fruita, Colorado
July 2018 – June 2021
- Owner and Operator of a niche construction trade business.
- Building, repairing and rejuvenating residential interiors and exteriors with natural lime and clay plasters.
- Project -based contract work that often involved carpentry, electrical and plumbing skills.
- Created unique blends of texture and color to match clients’ desired style and finish.
Straw Bale Home Construction Laborer – Solarwise LLc
Salida, Colorado
May 2017 – May 2018
- Assisted one of the premier custom home builders of Colorado.
- Built an off-grid, efficient, natural straw bale home in the wilds of the San Luis Valley.
- Gained volumes of skills in the construction and straw bale building industries, including concrete, carpentry, off-grid solar, plumbing, plastering and many more.
General Manager – High Alpine Brewing Company
Gunnison, Colorado
April 2016 – May 2017
- Cooperated with owners to develop and launch a new brewery and pizza restaurant in the Gunnison Valley.
- Hired and trained all new staff with a mindset of elevated service through empowerment and knowledge.
- Led instructional beer tastings focused on flavor profiles and the ingredients and processes that create them.
- Acted as the main point of contact for on-site technical solutions, resolving issues with POS systems and network connectivity.
General Manager – Ulley’s Fine Dining
Crested Butte Mountain Resort – Mt Crested Butte, Colorado
September 2015 – April 2016
- Led a team of highly skilled service professionals in a premier ski-in-ski-out experiential setting.
- Built relationships with regular clientele and hosted weddings, corporate events and holiday parties.
- Transformed high-tension complaints into positive outcomes through active listening and professional diplomacy.
- Coordinated with Ski Patrol and Facilities team to prioritize guest safety through snow mitigation and monitoring alcohol consumption.
Traveling Volunteer – Workaway.info
Multiple European Locations
October 2014 – March 2015
- Volunteered through the Workaway portal, working with amazing families across central Europe.
- Traded our time and labor for food and accommodations with the availability of travel between scheduled home stays.
- Worked on agricultural projects, community events, construction projects, multi-faceted family farms and made life-long friends in the process.
- Enjoyed time in Bologna, Sicily, Bavaria, Belgium, Netherlands, Czech Republic, Slovakia and Austria.
Bartender/Server – Denali Park Village (Aramark)
Denali Park, Alaska
April 2014 – September 2014
- Seasonal position, supporting tourism near Denali National Park.
- Provided direct service for bar guests and ticketed service for the dining room.
- Picked up shifts as a server to help finish the season.
Taproom Bartender – Cannonball Creek Brewery
Golden, Colorado
January 2013 – March 2014
March 2015 – September 2015
- Gratefully poured award-winning craft beer for a welcoming community that felt like family.
- Continually educated myself and guests about the ingredients and processes that created our products.
- Managed a cash register, credit cards, POS system and open tabs while keeping the bar clean and customers happy.
Server/Bartender/Line Cook – Southern Sun Brewery
Boulder, Colorado
October 2009 – December 2012
- Provided service in a popular, family-friendly, high-volume environment.
- Trained new staff members on SOP for waitstaff, bartenders and cooks.
- Handled cash-only sales on analog registers and calculated cash tip splits for crews up to 25 people.
- Participated in company outings to other breweries for educational and networking getaways.
Travel Writer – Wizard Publications
Kapaa, Hawaii
March 2005 – October 2009
- Traveled the Hawaiian Islands, researching and creating content for the Revealed series of best-selling Hawaiian guidebooks.
- Rotated 6 months on each island, focused on updating every detail and discovering new elements to publish.
- Cooperated with the author to learn his style of writing and eventually produce content in his voice.
- Tasked with reviewing restaurants and tour operators and fine-tuning technical hiking trail descriptions.
General Manager – Scotty’s Beach Side BBQ
Kapaa, Hawaii
November 2004 – March 2005
- Assisted the owner in developing the initial concept and facility.
- Hired all staff, developed training sessions and created drink menus.
- Oversaw daily service, learned where we needed to improve and implemented appropriate changes.
General Manager – Russell’s Fireside Dining
Lake McDonald Lodge, Glacier National Park
April 2004 – September 2004
- Led a team of motivated service professionals in a seasonal, high-volume, National Park concession.
- Trained staff members on service and teamwork, improving customer interactions and reviews.
- Properly prepared for daily scheduled arrivals of multiple tour buses full of hungry guests.
Skills
Systems & Hardware
- Windows/Mac/Linux
- Hypervisors / Docker
- PC/Server Building
- Phone/Laptop Repair
Software & Administration
- Microsoft 365
- Google Workspace
- Active Directory
- Azure / Entra ID / Intune
Network Configuration
- DHCP / DNS
- Routers, Switches
- Proxies, VPNs
- VLANs, Firewalls
Home Lab Projects
Ticketing with Jira Service Management
The Goal
Simulate a real-world IT Support ticketing environment.
The Setup
Created a free Atlassian Jira Service Management account. Built spaces for requests in multiple departments. Made sample requests through the customer portal, by email and with Microsoft Teams.
The Tech
Atlassian Jira Service Management
Key Achievement
Experienced the process of developing a ticketing system and managing incoming requests. Created custom request types, specific department spaces and unique customer portals.
Caption: The Jira Service Management dashboard showing department spaces and service requests.
Virtualization and Active Directory
The Goal
Simulate a corporate environment by centralizing user authentication and implementing security policies across a domain.
The Setup
Provisioned Windows Server 2022 on a VM to experiment with Active Directory Domain. Implemented Group Policy Objects to implement Least Privilege access to groups of workstations and users.
The Tech
Windows Server 2022, Active Directory Domain Services, Group Policy Management, TrueNAS Virtualization.
Key Achievement
Created and linked Group Policy Objects to workstations to restrict access to the local admin, block application installations and implement account lockout policy. Users have been restricted from Control Panel changes, CLI commands and USB access.
Caption: The Active Directory Group Policy Management tree, displaying GPOs created for specific Organizational Units.
Azure AD Connect and Hybrid Join Entra ID
The Goal
The Setup
"dsregcmd /status".The Tech
Windows Server 2022
Active Directory Domain Server
Microsoft Entra ID
Azure AD Connect
Windows 10 Pro workstation
Tools used: Entra Devices portal, Azure AD Connect wizard, dsregcmd
Key Achievement
Implemented full Hybrid Azure AD Join pipeline. Registered a domain‑joined workstation into Entra ID. Verified dual trust using Entra Devices view and PowerShell. Gained hands‑on experience troubleshooting sync, SCP configuration, and device registration flows
Caption: Connecting a local Active Directory Domain Server to an Entra ID Tenant with the Microsoft Entra Connect Sync.
Caption: The Devices dashboard on the Microsoft Entra ID portal showing the hybrid-joined workstation. The inset window displays the confirmation of the join from the Powershell command: dsregcmd /status.
Hybrid Storage and Containerization
The Goal
To build a centralized Network Attached Storage solution that provides data integrity and hosts services through containerization.
Data Redundancy
Configured a ZFS Mirror Pool, to protect against bit-rot and drive failure.
Service Management
Deployed and maintained a suite of containerized applications via TrueNAS Apps and the Docker Compose YAML environment.
The Tech
TrueNAS CE, ZFS File System, Nginx Proxy Manager.
Network Integration
Successfully implemented a Reverse Proxy to provide secure, human-readable domain access to the web-based app UIs.
Automated Backups
Created a shared space for automated backups of devices on the NAS, which is then encrypted and stored in an isolated ZFS dataset.
Caption: TrueNAS Community Edition Apps Dashboard with successfully deployed apps.
Network Security & Segmentation
The Goal
To minimize the local attack surface by isolating vulnerable devices and enforcing strict traffic rules.
The Setup
Segmented the physical network into four distinct VLANs: Primary (PC/Server), IoT (Smart Devices), Trusted IoT (Smart TVs/Consoles), and Guest (Wireless Only).
The Tech
Synology Router Manager, 802.1Q VLANs, Stateful Firewall Rules.
Key Achievement
Created logical VLAN separations, halting potential risks from smart devices. Engineered a Stateful Firewall policy that allows the Primary network to initiate connections to IoT devices but blocks IoT devices from “talking back” to the secure server environment. Trusted IoT devices can communicate with the Primary VLAN, but only with the port where media is served.
Caption: The Firewall Rule Table, showing the logic of “Allow/Deny” rules that govern inter-VLAN traffic and protect the gateway.
Network Traffic Analysis & Troubleshooting
The Goal
To gain visibility into network communication for security auditing and performance troubleshooting.
The Setup
Configured Filezilla with a User to serve unencrypted data over FTP. In a Kali Linux VM, I connected to the FTP server and captured the packets with WireShark.
The Tech
Filezilla, Kali Linux, FTP, Wireshark.
Key Achievement
Used Wireshark to identify traffic across a network and find within it, unencrypted credentials to an FTP server.
Caption:A Wireshark Packet Capture session, highlighting a packet captured form an FTP communication.
LAN Topology
