Choes HapKiDo Martial Arts

As an Assistant Instructor at Choe's Hapkido Martial Arts, I dedicate my free time to teaching both adults and children the discipline of Hapkido. My role involves guiding students through physical and mental training, emphasizing self-improvement, respect, and perseverance. I strive to empower students to realize their full potential, fostering confidence and strength in an inclusive and supportive environment. My teaching approach helps individuals grow not only in their martial arts skills but also in their personal lives, inspiring them to be greater than they ever imagined.

Assistant Instructor & Operator

AI Empower

In 2023, I founded AI Empower, a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting responsible and ethical AI practices and solutions. Motivated by my own interaction with OpenAI and my desire to make a positive impact on society, I focused on fostering diversity and inclusion in AI development, advocating for regulatory frameworks that balance innovation with societal values, and facilitating the responsible use of AI tools and technologies.

Founder

American Cancer Society

In my role as Technical Lead, I focus on enhancing operations through Azure, Microsoft 365, and Power Platform technologies. I led the development of the Cancer Knowledge Hub, integrating Salesforce, SharePoint, Dataverse, and Adobe Experience Manager to revolutionize data management for cancer-related information. This pivotal project improved data accessibility for the National Cancer Information Center, enhancing both staff efficiency and data accuracy.

Notable Achievements:

Developed an intuitive app centralizing cancer data, streamlining access and workflows.
Orchestrated major system migrations and integrations, enhancing CRM and document management capabilities.
Designed and implemented a secure W9 collection system using Power Pages and Power Automate, which significantly increased compliance and security for event giveaways, saving time and reducing errors.
Impact:

Improved operational efficiency and user satisfaction across the organization.
Delivered substantial cost savings and enhanced security through digital transformation projects.
Trained 300+ users, ensuring successful adoption of new technologies.

Technical Lead, Architecture & Implementation Services

Bariatric Weight Loss Family Foundation

Manage volunteer 501c3 nonprofit with about 20,000 constituents, focused on achieving weight loss goals and post bariatric surgery support.

In my role as the Unified Communications Manager, I steered a dynamic team operating across on-prem, O365, Rackspace, and Azure environments with a focus on Office365, SharePoint, and telephony solutions. I managed extensive responsibilities including cost comparison, project budgeting, and enterprise demand management. My presentations of project solutions to executive leadership were pivotal in driving forward several hundred successful projects.

I utilized official Agile Project Management training to lead in an AGILE/SCRUM environment, specifically managing the SharePoint development team with SCRUM methodology. My primary goal was delivering significant cost savings and automated solutions to enhance organizational efficiency.

Key accomplishments during my tenure included the successful upgrade from MSI Office 2010 to Office365 Office 2016, which streamlined operations. I led the migration of spam appliance, DLP, and SMTP servers to Exchange Online Protection with Advanced Threat Protection, achieving annual cost savings of approximately $200,000. Further, I orchestrated the migration of personal file shares to OneDrive, significantly reducing the data center footprint. My leadership in deploying Skype for Business PSTN conferencing, Audio Conferencing, and Video conferencing across the enterprise generated $30,000 per month in cost savings. Additionally, I implemented an automated PowerShell script for O365 offboarding tasks, saving around 20-30 FTE hours per week, and directed the deployment of Skype for Business phone solutions to 60 offices, enhancing communication capabilities significantly.

Sr Manager, Unified Communications Operations

SA IT Services

SA IT Services is a Microsoft and Cisco professional services provider, offering integration services for several cutting-edge products and technologies. SA IT is an elite partner with SHI (distribution), and a gold partner with Microsoft on several verticals, including Exchange, Lync, System Center, and Active Directory projects.

Generated Statements of Work and led presales engineering for solutions impacting 500-30,000 users.

Architected and deployed a new Active Directory and Exchange 2013 infrastructure for Boar's Head, including cross-forest SMTP namespace sharing and server migrations.

Conducted a 2-week intensive AD remediation for Samuel Roberts Noble, reducing GPOs from 100+ to fewer than 20 and resolving replication issues.

Developed migration strategies for multiple clients upgrading from various Exchange environments to Office365.

Led the Exchange 2013 project for the State of Alabama's Department of Environmental Matters.

Solutions Architect

Enroute Networks

Manages over 200+ servers across various platforms including Server 2003/2008/2012, VMware, Citrix, and Hyper-V.
Administers ConnectWise and Kaseya, handling daily system tickets, maintenance, and security management.
Spearheaded key projects including:
Single-handedly managed 72 physical and virtual servers, participating in the oversight of 200+ servers and 900+ endpoints.
Designed and implemented load-balanced VMware deployments and Citrix Xen/VDI solutions.
Authored PowerShell scripts for automating Exchange/AD user additions, enhancing efficiency for tier 1 technicians.
Led the deployment of System Center 2012 suite within a 40+ server environment.
Participated in the build and migration of an SQL 2012 cluster with failover capabilities.
Assumed project management of a NOC program overseeing 180+ servers and 650+ workstations, ensuring zero downtime.
Successfully resolved a longstanding Active Directory Replication issue across 17 sites.
Led a significant system redeployment project in May 2013, which saved over $100,000 by enhancing revenue, team effectiveness, and automation.

Server Engineer

Advanced Automation, Inc.

Oversaw project management and technical support for a high-priority client, managing over 1300 main sites with a 700 site expansion.
Coordinated help desk ticket dispatch, developed site plans and estimates, and collaborated with field technicians on equipment repair and maintenance.
Served as the primary database administrator for the Remedy Ticketing system.
Developed and managed the internal SharePoint site for the Bank of America project.
Troubleshot system and network connectivity issues to optimize performance.
Managed account setups and distribution lists, aligning them with the Bank of America project requirements.
Orchestrated a network transition from Merrill Lynch to Bank of America’s proprietary VSAT telenetwork.
Documented processes and maintained configuration information to support daily operations.
Directed and distributed work orders to over 200 international satellite technicians, providing tier II escalation support.
Offered 24x7 on-call support, resolving issues in Remedy and other customer-specific ticket tracking systems.

Senior Engineer / Project Manager

Robert Half Technology

Specializes in recruiting for various technical roles including Help Desk, Technical Support, Desktop Support, Network Administration, and more.
Provides direct desktop support and manages Citrix Client issue escalations.
Recruits and places IT professionals in project-based, contract, and full-time roles.
Ensures high-quality customer service for both clients and candidates throughout engagements.
Collaborates with team members to achieve weekly business growth objectives.
Engages in industry associations to enhance local IT community presence.
Leverages technical experience to drive business management and growth.

Recruiting Manager / Technical Support

TCLI/ Globecomm Corporation

Project Management and Technical Support over high priority client in a satellite engineering firm. Managed 1300+ main sites with a 700 site additional rollout. Regular duties included approving and coordinating dispatch of help desk tickets, developing estimates and plans for new sites, and working with field technicians to repair and maintain client equipment

•	Managed Remedy Ticketing system as primary database administrator. 
•	Built and administered internal SharePoint Site for Bank of America project.
•	Troubleshoot and resolve system and network connectivity issues to ensure optimal performance.
•	Created, administered and maintained accounts and distribution lists to interface properly with Bank of America Project Management
•	Planned and executed network changeover from Merrill Lynch to proprietary Bank of America VSAT telenetwork
•	Documented and maintained accurate configuration information including procedures to support daily activities and related processes. 
•	Managed and distributed work orders to over 200 satellite technicians internationally, providing tier II escalation support when needed
•	Provided on-call support, 24x7. Logged and resolved open user helpdesk tickets in Remedy and customer proprietary ticket tracking system.

Project Manager / IT consultant

Founder at AI Empower. PhD ABD. Disclosure: I use human-in-loop AI as an assistant in managing this profile. Don't worry- the sass is all me 🤘🏻

Forward-thinking Technology Leader with 20+ years’ experience driving strategic innovation and organizational impact. Adept at leveraging AI, Power Platform, and collaboration solutions to deliver cost-effective, secure, and user-centric systems. Excels at bridging business and technology, guiding cross-functional teams, and championing initiatives that improve access, streamline operations, and reinforce a culture of continuous innovation—particularly within nonprofit and healthcare environments.

If you’re looking for a tangible way to support cancer patients this season, the Atlanta Hope Lodge has an Amazon Wish List where guests’ most-needed items can be shipped straight to the lodge!
 
I’m part of an American Cancer Society internal “Snowball Challenge,” so if you order anything between 12/1 and 12/12, please send me a quick comment below with what you purchased and the approximate dollar amount. I’ll record it for our team totals, and everything goes directly to supporting patients and caregivers staying at the lodge.

 Amazon.com

Cassandra Ansara

aka "Madame Architect" - Digital Architect, Leader. True humility is staying teachable regardless of how much you already know

Open article: Amazon.com. Spend less. Smile more. by amazon.com

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