Norman, Oklahoma / Available for the right next chapter

I make complex work work.

I lead technical teams and build working systems across service, data, and operations. One strength I bring is understanding work from the user's perspective and seeing how existing tools and information can create more value together.

See the work Start a conversation
OPERATING MAPTWU / 01
A map from operating inputs to working systems People, data, and constraints converge through discovery and design into a working service. PEOPLE DATA CONSTRAINTS BUILD USE LEARN / REFINE / HAND OFF
Leadership, judgment, and implementation belong in the same conversation.
01 / INTRODUCTIONSCROLL TO EXPLORE
A few useful numbers

Scope is meaningful only when the work behind it is clear.

350M+

household records in databases I created, integrated, and managed

13 / 8 / 17

direct reports / OU work-study students I direct / frontline site contacts I coordinate

15 yrs

owning and rebuilding a data-dependent business

02 / SELECTED WORK

Built for the actual work.

These examples show how I connect technical systems to the people and decisions they serve. The details matter more than the technology list.

01 / BUSINESS + DATA

Criss Cross, Inc.

A print directory business became a nationwide digital subscription service.

Owner & business, product, and technology lead
2009–2024

I acquired a declining print directory business, negotiated a nationwide data relationship, and built the systems that made a different business model possible. I created, integrated, and managed SQL databases with more than 350 million household records, including demographic and marketing data.

That information flowed into directory listings, SSRS reporting, and a cloud-only web product. I also administered the local network, Exchange, and SQL Server environment and worked with Active Directory and later Microsoft Entra. The work joined commercial judgment, data quality, technical operations, and customer delivery.

01AcquireNationwide source relationship
02IntegrateSQL Server + SSIS
03DeliverReports, listings, web app
04JudgeQuality + customer value

DECISION POINT As demand shifted away from traditional phone and mail directories, data became harder and more costly to license. I judged the model increasingly difficult to sustain and moved on from the niche.

Systems in service

Different needs, one approach: learn the work, find the handoffs that matter, and build a tool people can use. These examples come from Norman Public Schools, where I lead support across 23 schools and eight administrative locations.

02 IN USE

DistrictPM

Projects need more than a task list: people need to see what was decided, who owns the next step, and what could change the plan. I brought those threads into a working project space, then used AI assistance where it could help people prepare and interpret work while keeping consequential decisions with them.

CONNECTS

Project governance
Google Workspace
Firebase

03 IN PRODUCTION

NPS Time Management

I treated time requests as a chain of people, decisions, and records rather than a form to submit. The resulting production application guides staff and supervisors through requests and review, with access and audit history built into the workflow.

CONNECTS

Staff requests
Supervisors
Firebase + Workspace

04 IN PRODUCTION

Device Exchange

A device refresh succeeds when each handoff is clear. I turned the teacher iPad exchange into a guided production workflow that connects the person, the old and new devices, condition checks, records, and receipt.

CONNECTS

Google Sheets
Apps Script
Incident IQ

05 IN USE

Tech Support Kiosk

Walk-up work can disappear from the service picture when people are busy helping. I built a guided intake point that turns common requests into trackable records, making follow-up easier and giving the team a clearer view of demand.

CONNECTS

Frontline intake
Incident IQ
Service data

03 / PRACTICE

Close to the problem.
Close to delivery.

I can enter an unfamiliar area and understand the work from a user's perspective: the responsibilities they carry, the constraints they face, and what success requires in their role. That perspective helps me see where existing systems and data can be connected or strengthened, and where a new application would add value. It is one part of a broader practice that includes leading teams, making business decisions, and carrying solutions into use.

  1. 01

    Understand

    Learn what each person must do to succeed. Trace the exceptions, handoffs, and decisions that a process diagram misses.

  2. 02

    Connect

    Map the systems and data already in place. Find where joining them would improve the flow of work and information.

  3. 03

    Build

    Extend what works or add what is missing, then test it in the real workflow with access, data handling, and support in view.

  4. 04

    Carry forward

    Refine what works, put it into use when ready, and make the next owner or team effective.

04 / BACKGROUND

A career across systems, service, and ownership.

I have been responsible for teams, budgets, customers, data, and delivery. That breadth shapes how I approach a new problem.

Norman Public Schools

Manager, Technology Services and Support. Thirteen direct reports, eight University of Oklahoma work-study students directed, and technical guidance coordinated for 17 frontline site contacts.

Criss Cross, Inc.

Owner and business, product, and technology lead.

Full-time parent

Stayed home to care for our three children.

Graduate study + Halliburton

Business analyst internship with Halliburton / Landmark Graphics in 2003; Executive MBA in Leadership completed in 2004.

Burr Wolff, L.P.

Manager, Technical Support. Five direct reports and approximately 20 additional support resources coordinated.

University of Oklahoma

B.B.A., Management Information Systems.

EDUCATION

Executive MBA in Leadership, University of Houston, with honors · B.B.A. in Management Information Systems, University of Oklahoma

05 / CONTACT

What problem are you trying to solve?

If the work needs someone who can understand the domain, lead the people, and build the solution, I would welcome a conversation.

terry@utley.me Download résumé Norman, Oklahoma