Michael Finney

Michael Finney

Senior Software Engineer

Columbia, Missouri Area

Current
  • Product Developer (Senior Agile Software Developer) at CARFAX
Past
  • Senior Software Engineer and Manager at Tweezel - SmilingSoftwareSolutions.com
  • Cofounder at Pikes Peak Java Developers’ Group (PPJDG)
  • Senior Software Developer at Intelligent Software Solutions
  • JavaRanch Bartender / Moderator at JavaRanch.com (Sole Proprietorship)
  • Senior Software Engineer at Boeing
  • Senior Software Engineer at The Boeing Company
  • Self Employed Contractor (Self-employed)
  • Senior Software Developer at Noochee Solutions
  • Senior Software Developer at DMW Worldwide
  • Senior Software Developer / Subproject Lead / Agile Process Coach at Mindport
  • Software Engineer at Bendata
  • Software Engineer at GoldMine
  • Software Engineer at Front Range Solutions
  • Lead Software Engineer at Sterling Software
  • Programmer/Analyst at Sterling Software
Education
  • Colorado Technical University
  • Northwest Missouri State University
Connections
155 connections
Industry
Computer Software
Websites

Michael Finney’s Summary

"15 years of Software Developer Experience in Department of Defense (DOD) and Commercial Positions - At Your Service"
(My DOD experience and other information you will want to know and that I may share are available!)

Discover how more than fourteen successful years of professionally developing software in many different environments can serve you best. In addition to perseverance and hard work to get the job done, I specialize in Software Development Best Practices, Methodologies, and Object Oriented Technologies such as Java and C++. Whether handling a project solo, as a team member, or in a leadership position, I have done it and can do it again for you.

Sun Certifications:
Sun Certified Programmer for the Java 2 Platform
Sun Certified Developer for the Java 2 Platform
Sun Certified Web Component Developer for J2EE Platform

Michael Finney’s Specialties:

Creating / maintaining end-to-end systems, desktop applications, & website development solutions.

Java - 9; C++ - 6; Visual C++ - 2; C - 1; Ada - 1

Ant, AOP, ClearCase, CVS, DOM, Eclipse, FitNesse, HttpUnit, J2EE, Jabber, Java, JavaBeans, JavaScript, JQuery, JSP, JUnit, Linux, log4J, Mac OS X, Microsoft Visual Studio, NetBeans, Oracle, Rational Rose, RUP, SAX, Servlets, Solaris, SQL, StarTeam, Struts 2, Swing / JFC, TDD, Tomcat, UML, Unix, Vax/VMS, WebLogic, Windows, XML, XMPP


Michael Finney’s Experience

  • Product Developer (Senior Agile Software Developer)

    CARFAX

    (Privately Held; 201-500 employees; Internet industry)

    August 2007Present (2 years)

    Key member of Agile Web and Middleware teams where Java, Extreme Programming practices, Struts 2, business logic, XML, Servlets, sockets, Oracle, and SQL come together to solve critical business needs.

    • Embraced Team Lead role as team and management requested.
    • Interviewed software developer CARFAX candidates.
    • Passionately applying Pair Programming best practices every day.
    • Officially recognized and welcomed by team as a key knowledge authority on Extreme Programming principles.
    • Sharing knowledge of and applying the most dynamic Java technologies such as Java’s Reflection API, and generics.
    • Enhanced logging for critical exceptions in Servlet. log4J used.
    • Provided technological Java support to Sun Certified Java Programmer (SCJP) Study Grouplet.
    • Wrote FitNesse Customer Acceptance tests using custom fixture and XPath technology.
    • Wrote JavaScript for dynamic internationalization effort.
    • Co-facilitated the company's first Coding Dojo

  • Senior Software Engineer and Manager

    Tweezel - SmilingSoftwareSolutions.com

    (Privately Held; Myself Only; Computer Software industry)

    March 2006August 2007 (1 year 6 months)

    Duties include software creation, consultation services, managing, implementing, coordinating, presenting, and providing solutions both within the company as well as for customers and other colleagues. I also perform all IT administration including daily backups and replacement / installation of equipment.

    • Solely responsible for the efficient creation of a situation analysis desktop Java application using Java SE Development Kit 6 (JDK 6u1) and NetBeans IDE 5.5.1.
    • Performed Software Engineer Consultant services such as reviewing C# project proposals and sharing Java expertise.
    • At client sites, confidently performed face to face presentations with professionalism both in manner and in attire.
    • Honored to be the trusted and friendly go-to person for solutions in software, technology, and other positions of trust.
    • Implemented correct Master / Slave configuration of new harddrive as part of harddrive replacement.

  • Cofounder

    Pikes Peak Java Developers’ Group (PPJDG)

    (Non-Profit; 201-500 employees; Computer Software industry)

    December 1998March 2007 (8 years 4 months)

    I am one of the cofounders of the Pikes Peak Java Developers Group, PPJDG.

    It has over 300 members.

    Mission Statement: To promote the adoption and enhancement of Java technology and the skills of its users through forums, seminars, and other educational venues.

    See http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ppjdg

  • Senior Software Developer

    Intelligent Software Solutions

    (Privately Held; 201-500 employees; Defense & Space industry)

    January 2005April 2006 (1 year 4 months)

    Performed Senior Software Engineer duties for fast growing company such as interviewing candidates, integrating the company’s flagship product with 3rd party systems, and developing instant messaging Jabber / XMPP capability.

    • Provided consultation on multi-threaded issues, XML, JUnit, Software Development Best Practices, Aspect Oriented Programming (AOP), IDEs, and programming languages such as Java and C# fundamentals.
    • Received merit bonus of $1,500 in appreciation of my performance.
    • Embraced the additional role of being the team's Integration Lab Administrator, I installed, integrated, and archived (using Norton Ghost) Windows XP, Oracle, and the Weblogic Application Server.
    • Enthusiastically drove high profile collaboration XMPP chat subsystem through full development lifecycle.
    • Used DOM to read in and manipulate an existing XML login information document.
    • Using Java’s Sockets and XML SAX, integrated flagship product with 3rd party intelligence system’s XML feed.

  • JavaRanch Bartender / Moderator

    JavaRanch.com (Sole Proprietorship)

    (Sole Proprietorship; 11-50 employees; Computer Software industry)

    January 1999February 2006 (7 years 2 months)

  • Senior Software Engineer

    Boeing

    (Public Company; Defense & Space industry)

    January 2003January 2005 (2 years 1 month)

    This is the same position as "Senior Software Engineer at The Boeing Company" This position is here since many just use "Boeing" as the company name in their profile and I want to help those people connect with me.

  • Senior Software Engineer

    The Boeing Company

    (Public Company; 10,001 or more employees; BA; Defense & Space industry)

    January 2003January 2005 (2 years 1 month)

    In an SEI CMM level 5 environment, was Senior Software Engineer for the company’s subcontract with Lockheed-Martin for the Integrated Space Command and Control (ISC2) contract.

    • Enhanced, made multi-thread safe, and repaired Java Swing elements critical to the missions’ infrastructure.
    • Provided consultation on multi-threaded issues, XML, JUnit, Software Development Best Practices, editors, and programming languages such as Java.
    • Provided one-on-one training with new team members.
    • Used Rational Rose to create diagrams for design meetings and to help facilitate communication.
    • Mentored junior software developers through occasional pair-programming and task supervision.
    • Designed, created, and maintained multi-threaded custom map plotting components using Java.
    • Created easy to use test drivers in Java Swing to exercise production code.
    • Using Perl and MS DOS bat files, created installation and deinstallation functionality.

  • Self Employed Contractor

    Self-employed

    (Self-Employed; Myself Only; Computer Software industry)

    20022003 (1 year)

    Won contracts with duties of enhancing and maintaining desktop and web applications. Across multiple platforms, custom tailored Software Development processes to clients’ business needs and shared knowledge of latest tools.

    • Maintained legacy ASP code which communicated with an Oracle database.
    • Corrected errors and enhanced JSP / Servlet Web Applications.
    • Used Internet Information Services (IIS) and minimally used Microsoft SQL Server database 2000.
    • Increasing productivity by 1 week, integrated Ant, HttpUnit, JUnit and Java technologies to automate web application testing.
    • Completing work in 3 weeks, greatly enhanced a WYSIWYG HTML Editor using JFC / Swing technologies.

  • Senior Software Developer

    Noochee Solutions

    (Privately Held; 51-200 employees; Computer Software industry)

    September 1999January 2002 (2 years 5 months)

    This is the same position as the "Senior Software Developer at Mindport" position. The company had been merged with Mindport. See http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0EIN/is_2000_Nov_28/ai_67369212

  • Senior Software Developer

    DMW Worldwide

    (Privately Held; 51-200 employees; Computer Software industry)

    September 1999January 2002 (2 years 5 months)

    This is the same position as the "Senior Software Developer at Mindport" position. The company changed its name to Noochee Solutions and then later merged with Mindport.

  • Senior Software Developer / Subproject Lead / Agile Process Coach

    Mindport

    (Privately Held; 51-200 employees; Computer Software industry)

    September 1999January 2002 (2 years 5 months)

    Embraced responsibilities of mentoring, researching, applying knowledge, and carrying to completion Software Development projects. These responsibilities involved Software Development Best Practices, incorporating an approach similar to the Rational Unified Process (RUP), and later Extreme Programming (XP) into the environment. All systems used Oracle for persistent storage.

    • Empowered team of 7 to create desktop application, with the most needed business value, by embracing role of XP/Agile Coach and coaching team through all 13 Extreme Programming set of practices.
    • Created high-profile desktop application using Swing / JFC and JDBC. Thorough unit testing via JUnit.
    • Embraced leadership role as subproject Team Lead, completed set of Analysis Model artifacts such as Use Cases, and guided team on to completion of Plan and Elaborate phase via RUP-like process.
    • Learned, utilized, and tutored Apple WebObjects suite that is similar to J2EE and .NET suite.
    • And did much more.

  • Software Engineer

    Bendata

    (Privately Held; Information Technology and Services industry)

    19971999 (2 years)

    Same as "Software Engineer at Front Range Solutions"

  • Software Engineer

    GoldMine

    (Privately Held; 51-200 employees; Computer Software industry)

    19971999 (2 years)

    Same as "Software Engineer at Front Range Solutions"

  • Software Engineer

    Front Range Solutions

    (Privately Held; 51-200 employees; Computer Software industry)

    19971999 (2 years)

    Designed, implemented, and unit tested using self taught UML and VC++. Shared latest technologies with forecasts of their lifecycle trends.

    • Implemented HEAT API using COM as member of 3 person team.
    • As a key member of a team of 2, redesigned and implemented Manager’s Console, a network application.
    • Solely responsible for the full lifecycle of an Evaluation Assistant application which assisted users in trying company products.
    • Researched and implemented code to present technologies such as Document Object Model and latest Java technologies to the rest of the Development Department as requested.
    • Performed analysis of the J++ programming language, gave projections of Microsoft’s future support of J++, and a final recommendation to the Director of Software Development on whether or not to adopt J++.
    • Source code control mechanism was Visual SourceSafe (VSS).

  • Lead Software Engineer

    Sterling Software

    (Public Company; 1001-5000 employees; CA; Computer Software industry)

    19961997 (1 year)

    Responsible for full lifecycle of network software that conformed to communications protocols and for empowering other Software Engineers. Work done on Solaris (SunOS) Unix Systems.

    • Assisted coworkers in learning and applying the Object Modeling Technique (OMT) methodology.
    • Used OMT and C++ in full lifecycle of a communications protocol.
    • Guided coworkers in their pursuit of Object Oriented methodology and language knowledge.
    • Explored Java JDK 1.0.2.

  • Programmer/Analyst

    Sterling Software

    (Public Company; 1001-5000 employees; CA; Computer Software industry)

    19931997 (4 years)

    Key member of team creating Object Oriented C++ communication server architecture. Also implemented API library and FTP TCP/IP network standard in C. Work done on Solaris (SunOS) Unix and Vax / VMS systems.


Michael Finney’s Education

  • Colorado Technical University

    Masters , Computer Science , 20032004

  • Northwest Missouri State University

    Bachelors , Computer Science , 19881993

    Activities and Societies:
    Psi Chi Honors Society, and Circle K.

Additional Information

Michael Finney’s Websites:

Michael Finney’s Interests:

People, Java, OpenSocial, C#, writing, reading, agile development, extreme programming, new technology, walking, software development, marketing that gets results, business, anything that helps a person get a task done quickly and well.

Michael Finney’s Groups:

ACM - Association for Computing Machinery - Member and follower of ACM’s code of conduct
PPJDG - Pikes Peak Java Developers Group - Cofounder
Gateway JUG - St. Louis Java User Group

  •    Cloud Computing
  •    Agile
  •    Cloud Storage
  •    No Fluff Just Stuff

Michael Finney’s Honors:

Most recently, received merit bonus of $1,500 in appreciation of my performance.


Michael Finney’s Contact Settings

Interested In:

  • expertise requests
  • reference requests
  • getting back in touch

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