Hi there, and welcome. I’m Wes—a business intelligence developer, data engineer, data analyst, analytics enthusiast, and occasional referee in the eternal smackdown between data chaos and organizational sanity. If you’ve ever wondered who’s behind the dashboards that light up your morning meetings or the ETL pipelines that ensure your numbers don’t resemble Mad Libs, well, that’s me. Let’s dive in.

A Little Backstory (The Mildly Heroic Origin Tale)

I started my career in healthcare, where my role involved taming data beasts hiding in electronic health records, financial systems, and various reporting tools. What began as a nursing informaticist role soon morphed into a full-fledged data odyssey. Along the way, I picked up an obsession for translating raw data into insights people can actually use (and maybe even understand).

What I Do: The SparkNotes Version

In my day-to-day work, I juggle a mix of data engineering, analytics engineering, and business intelligence development. Here’s the cheat sheet:

  1. Building ETLs
    I’ve built over a dozen ETLs pulling data from everything under the sun: payroll systems, VoIP platforms, and even systems that shouldn’t legally exist anymore (looking at you, legacy software). These ETLs run on modular pipelines that focus on reliability, performance, and not waking me up at 2 a.m.

  2. Designing Data Models
    I’ve created 300+ models across domains like billing, pharmacy, surgery, and supply chain. Whether it’s a star schema for a KPI dashboard or a cleverly designed table to track elusive quality metrics, I’ve got a knack for making data behave.

  3. Delivering Insights
    Self-service BI sounds great until you realize most users don’t want to write SQL or decipher cryptic field names like AdjRevenue_2024_03. So, I build dashboards, clean up semantics, and teach users how to dig for gold without blowing up the mine.

  4. Teaching Data Literacy
    Let’s face it: interpreting KPIs can feel like deciphering a secret code. I run classes to help people understand not just what the numbers mean but why they matter—and how to use them without accidentally derailing a process.

  5. Advocating for Data Governance
    I’m a staunch opponent of “data anarchy.” Consistent processes, robust documentation, and clear ownership save lives—or at least prevent awkward meetings where no one knows why revenue dropped by 15% overnight.

My Approach: Equal Parts Pragmatic and Playful

Here’s the deal: I believe data work should be practical and impactful, but that doesn’t mean it can’t also be fun. I approach every project with a mix of curiosity, technical precision, and a willingness to laugh (because crying isn’t as productive). Whether I’m tweaking a dashboard or untangling the spaghetti code someone called an ETL, I like to keep things grounded—and occasionally roll my eyes at the absurdity of it all.

Tools of the Trade: A Quick Tour of My Toolbox

  • Languages: Python, SQL, and whatever scripting language gets the job done fastest.
  • Platforms: MSSQL, PostgreSQL, and Dockerized environments that make spinning up a data stack a breeze.
  • BI Tools: Power BI is my go-to for building dashboards, but I’ve also worked with Grafana, Superset, and the occasional Excel sheet (begrudgingly).
  • ETL Frameworks: Airflow is my Swiss Army knife for scheduling and orchestrating pipelines.

A Few (Mildly) Bold Statements

  • Data-driven decisions are great, but only if you trust the data. A sloppy data model leads to garbage insights, which inevitably result in terrible decisions. I don’t build “good enough” systems; I build resilient, scalable ones.
  • Dashboards don’t fix bad processes. I can make your KPIs look beautiful, but if your processes are broken, no amount of conditional formatting will save you.
  • Documentation is underrated. There’s no greater act of love in data engineering than leaving behind a well-documented pipeline.

Beyond Data: The Human Side

When I’m not wrangling data or building dashboards, I’m diving into creative pursuits that keep my curiosity alive. As an empty nester, I get to marvel at the accomplishments of my two incredible kids—Mckenzie, 22, who’s blazing her own trail, and Parker, 18, who’s stepping into adulthood with confidence.

On the home front, you’ll often find me immersed in the world of electronics, designing hardware synths that blend engineering and artistry. Writing music is another passion of mine—a creative outlet that helps me stay inspired and balanced. Whether I’m soldering circuits or composing melodies, I bring the same energy and attention to detail that drives my work in analytics. It’s all about creating something meaningful, whether it’s a piece of music, a working synth, or a data pipeline that hums along without a hitch.

What’s Next?

I’m currently exploring the intersection of AI and analytics, dabbling in cloud-based data stacks, and dreaming of a world where every data pipeline runs smoothly without manual intervention (hey, I can dream). If you’re looking for someone who loves making sense of chaos and delivering insights that actually drive action, you’re in the right place.

Feel free to stick around and check out some of my projects. Just don’t ask me to fix your Excel macros—I have some standards.

Cheers,
Wes
(Data whisperer, analytics enthusiast, and coffee-fueled pragmatist)