Ron Zoka - Sr Network Consultant, Burwood Inc

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Work Background

Wedgewood LLCSenior Network Architect

Jan. 2020 - Jan. 2023United States

SmartmaticNetwork Consultant

Jan. 2019 - Dec. 2019Los Angeles, California, United StatesResponsible for IT Network Engineering Leadership, strategy and support to the Smartmatic/Los Angeles-County Registrar-Recorder Clerk (Voting Solutions for all People, VSAP project) teams responsible for managing the network infrastructure supporting business operations and operational processes necessary to keep IT applications and infrastructure reliable and available for the LA County Whittier warehouse. Create partnerships with business and IT leaders, provide strategic direction and oversight for the design, development, operation and support of the IT systems that fulfill the needs of the business, including the full life cycle of technical infrastructure operations. Coordinate the negotiations, selection and management of IT vendors and service providers. Management of IT capital and expense budgets and forecasts of network equipment procurement. Develop business continuity and disaster recovery plans. Responsible for IT project management methodology, administration and tracking. Ensure proper and adequate IT controls are in place and documented. Ensure proper implementation of appropriate regulatory or statutory compliance, including NIST and information security. Implement networking best-practices in areas of operations, datacenter and shared services. Build a 24 x 7 Data center to include technology resiliency and hybrid models in support of the VSAP project. Apply network security best-practices to ensure critical information and assets of the LA County voting systems are protected. Install, configure and support the entire network systems including HPE 8320, 2930F, 2530G switches; Infoblox DHCP, DNS, TFTP, NTP, GSLB; HPE ClearPass Network Access Control, HPE Intelligent Management Center; Meinberg NTP GPS Clock Source. Oversee the integration of NetApp Storage and Commvault application back-up solutions. Oversee the integration of the automation of VMware server installation with the use of Ansible and Terraform provisioning and orchestration tools.

Aruba, a Hewlett Packard Enterprise companySr Systems Engineer

Apr. 2016 - May. 2018Greater Los Angeles Area

ePlus Technology IncSr. Consulting Systems Engineer /Pre-Sales Enterprise Network Architect

Aug. 2011 - Mar. 2016Greater Los Angeles AreaProvide technical expertise/credibility to account team on designated focus area. Conduct customer presentations on ePlus ‘value proposition’ and technical solution set for assigned accounts and focus areas . Assist sales account managers with overall account planning as it relates to technical aspects of hardware, software, and services opportunity development. Assist sales account managers with project management for complex presales engagements. Complete technical sections for RFP/RFI/RFQ responses for assigned accounts. Assist account teams with collecting customer business and technical requirements and determining ePlus recommended solution(s). Develop solution architecture and detailed line item configurations/bills of materials (BOMs). Develop solution proposal and/or presentation of recommended solution. Assist with technical scoping/review for Statement of Work (SOW) for assigned accounts. Function as liaison to end-user customer technical staff regarding solution and implementation specifics. Function as a liaison between the sales team and professional services organization to vet solution recommendations and to complete technical portions of the SOW, as appropriate. Assist sales management with mentoring of junior sales account managers and engineers as it relates to overall opportunity management and technical solution set. Assist sales and services management in identifying candidate solution areas for ePlus development/investment. Complete training per development plan and maintain certifications in accordance with focus area. Assist Services Director with helping improve procedures and functions Develop clear and organized documentation for clients aimed at both highly technical as well as non-technical, business oriented audiences. Present technology assessments, overviews, and training to a range of groups and audiences. Contribute as a senior technical resource for others and acts as a technical advisor to client management teams.

AgilysysSr. Strategic Solution Network Architect

Sep. 2008 - Aug. 2011Greater Los Angeles AreaAct as a Sr. lead for Pre-Sales Systems Engineering team in Los Angeles and Irvine areas. Responsible for technical Pre-Sales consulting and assist in developing statements of work, network design, assembling bill of materials, and attend business appointments with Account Representatives. Estimate labor hours for Professional Services work. Proficient use of Netformx and the Cisco Multi-Line-Configurator. Build relationships with local and national Cisco resources. Built a national team of core Cisco CCIE’s in order to expedite Cisco sales revenue growth in different geographic locations throughout the nation. Conduct quarterly Cisco product training and knowledge transfer to Agilysys internal account executive teams in order to enhance and broaden product placements for clients. Qualify Opportunities: Define customer business problems in a technical context. Help plan for and move deals through the sales process by knowing how and when to engage the appropriate tools and resources. Refine and research technical project requirements. Define solution options and articulate the benefits of a Cisco solution. Research potential competitive offerings for the proposed client solution. Develop & Present Solutions: Provide technical elements in a RFP. Research and demonstrate solution ROI. Coordinate solution development, including leveraging replicable architectures and research customized solutions. Identify and engage appropriate post-sales support resources. Develop proof of concept, including presentation and documentation of test results. Develop Cisco presentation materials. Present technical components of Cisco solutions to customers. Act as technical and trusted advisor to customer and account team in area of technology expertise. Close: Sync with post-sales engineers and provide adequate documentation for clear handoff to post-sales organization. Document PoC to multiple customers.

CiscoSystems Engineer II

May. 2007 - Sep. 2008Greater Los Angeles AreaParticipated in the creation of a territory account plan by providing input on local market demand. Proactively generated leads through customer meetings, seminars, and education. Business Acumen: Built relationships both within and outside of Cisco; established credibility quickly through personal self-confidence. Strong understanding of the customer business model and common financial pain points; Ability to frame Cisco offerings in terms of business drivers. Advanced understanding of Cisco vision and technology; articulated the vision from the customers perspective. Understanding of customer business drivers and how to map these to a customer network platform. Technical Acumen: Understand internetworking industry trends, including new products and solutions. Understand competitive product and solution landscape. Advanced knowledge in Security. Advanced knowledge in networking Platform Design. Excellent technical consulting skills, including ability to define trade-offs, ask probing questions, and incorporate Cisco solutions into a broader technology environment. Proactively share information about common replicable architectures that are most appropriate for assigned customers. Knowledge of Ethernet Switching (STP), IP routing (BGP, OSPF, EIGRP), VPN Security and IPSEC tunneling.

NBC Universal StudiosSr. Network Engineer/Network Architect

Feb. 1999 - May. 2007Greater Los Angeles AreaProvide technical expertise and input to the overall Data Communications & Network engineering/planning and operations process. Assess network economics, requirements, communication management, cost management and integration management. Provide project management services including risk management, network design scope and time management, Document client requirements and review them with LAN/WAN Design Team for sizing and design. Develop capacity forecasts. Develop networking policies and procedures. Participate in establishing networking standards and adopting new technologies. Participate in Cisco design inter-networking solutions including: physical and logical design, development of network topology and architecture. Develop Cisco secure remote access solutions. Conduct feasibility studies of proposed network solutions. Complete proposal review process and obtain signatures. Complete design packages. Evaluate, test, integrate and certify new networking technologies, network systems software, and associated components to address client and network operations needs. Manage all projects from definition through implementation. Collaborate with business unit management teams to plan infrastructure projects and support strategies. Coordinate efforts to escalate and resolve major network system. Coordinate vendor activities and seminars on-site. Integrate enterprise networks associated with the acquisition of other companies. Provide third level day-to-day and on call technical support. Provide expertise in Cisco routers, switches and network connectivity, Hands-on experience in Cisco 2900, 4500, 5500 and 6500 switches, and Cisco 1700, 3600, 4000 and 7000 LAN/WAN routers. Provide secure Wireless topology and architecture. Work closely with Network Responsible for research, development and design of new WAN/LAN methodologies such as GigE, IP VPN, MPLS, ATM and SONET. Develop an infrastructure that can deliver QoS, SLA’s, High bandwidth/low latency solutions.

InfonetSr. Network Systems Engineer

Mar. 1997 - Feb. 1999Greater Los Angeles AreaAssist the Pre/Post Sale Team Leader and Sales in building and selling solutions based on Infonet communications products by providing an appropriate level of technical backup and skill. Act as an escalation point for any difficult Pre/Post Sales issues. Advise on the suitability of potential configurations as a means of solving business problems. Ensure client expectations are in-line with internal timescales and deliverables. Present and demonstrate technical overviews of products such as X.25, Frame Relay, PPP, PPTP, ISDN and how it relates to customers’ platforms. Provide technical knowledge of all Infonet products to clients and ensure that all projects are managed through completion.

MicroAge InfoSystems IncSr. Network Consultant/Systems Engineer

Jul. 1995 - Mar. 1997Greater Los Angeles AreaResponsible for Network Operating System support, network analytical tools, hardware and software analysis(Lanalyzer), DBMS assistance, security development, capacity planning design, system documentation, LAN/WAN management and design, design and implement intranet mail systems and infrastructure requirements. Provided advance support for network protocols/topologies including Token Ring and/ or Ethernet, ISDN, ATM, Frame Relay, Routers (Cisco/3Com/BayNetworks), gateways, hubs, and cable plant wiring schemes. Responsible for installing, configuring and troubleshooting Novell 3.x/4.x Operating Systems and provide comprehensive knowledge of LAN architectural design requirements and procedures/methods/techniques for client/server networks, workstation and server analysis, testing, installation and support. Responsible for day-to-day third level support and escalation of remedy tickets, and network maintenance.

NovaQuest InfoSystemsSr Instructor

Aug. 1992 - Jul. 1995Greater Los Angeles AreaCertified Novell NetWare Instructor (CNI), Training Program Manager Train and instructed students in Novell NetWare Network Operating Systems. Classes included 3.x/4.x system administration, networking technologies, service and support, NDS Design and Implementation, TCP/IP. Trained software application classes for variety of software packages including Microsoft Office Professional, Perfect Office and Lotus SmartSuites. Conducted microcomputer software training classes for internal employees of NovaQuest InfoSystems MIS and Training departments. Conducted company held seminars for Microsoft and Novell open houses and provided technical information for MIS managers. Develop technical and personal skills of staff. Create and maintain team spirit within own team and contribute to team spirit of larger customer service team and global educational services team. Develop career paths for personnel. Schedule courses according to forecast and demand. Scheduled instructors. Monitor quality of instruction and correct as required. Maintain appropriate resource balance through forecasting. Manage partner organizations and contractors as required, to enable scalability of resources. Track, measure, and report on resource utilization and availability. Ensure efficient educational services administration, and lab capability. Ensure technical education and auditing of authorized education centers. Deliver quality instruction to enable attainment of educational services revenue targets