I am the owner and creator of Indydrafter.com and avid Autodesk product user, designer, draftsman, and instructor. This website is a labor of love for me and the concept was born years ago while still in school. I’ve been a Civil Designer by trade for the last several years, but have always been interested in website design and social networking. Recently, though, I’ve become an Applications Expert with Avatech Solutions, Inc. within their Infrastructure Solutions group specializing in AutoCAD, Civil 3D, Map 3D, Navisworks, and various other programs. I do hope that you enjoy Indydrafter.com, learn from it, and come back regularly for all the posts, polls, job listings, and news. Your continued visits are much appreciated.

I’m originally from Southern Indiana, but have resided in Indianapolis for several years now. My education started down the road of Civil Engineering, but took a quick turn toward Computer Aided Drafting and Design. It is then, while in school for CAD, that I met my wife, Cari. Cari and I enjoy our urban lifestyle with our dog and cat, and like traveling pretty much wherever the wind blows us next. We look forward to the many adventures life will present us and hope to have the resources in the future to travel the many great lands and provinces this world has to offer.

In my professional career, I’ve worked an internship with the Architectural Services department of the college I went to. I quickly moved on to become a CAD Technician at American Structurepoint, Inc. (a full-service Architecture and Engineering design company) where I worked in the Civil/Site design department. Soon thereafter I started working at GRW Engineers, Inc. (also a full-service Architectural and Engineering design firm) as a Civil Designer on utility infrastructure, treatment/processing plant, and mapping projects. Also, as I stated before, I am now an Applications Expert with Avatech Solutions offering training, implementation, and over-the-shoulder services.

Aside from Indydrafter.com, I am also a member of Autodesk Users Group International (AUGI), Autodesk Users Group Indianapolis (AUGIndy), Revit Users Group Indianapolis (RUGIndy), and Indianapolis Autodesk Animation User Group Association (IndyAAUGA). AUGIndy, RUGIndy, and IndyAAUGA are all local user groups in the Indianapolis area promoting the professional development of peers and networking of colleagues. I occasionally also participate in some other programs that AUGI and Autodesk offer – one of which is instructing AUGI ATP courses. I’m always looking for new avenues of learning and growth, whether it comes from school, organizations, formal training, or online resources.

Also worth mentioning is that I am currently preparing and developing a new local user group for the Central Indiana area called the Civil 3D Indianapolis Group (C3DIG). This user group will be dedicated to Civil, Survey, Geospatial, and any other infrastructure industry specialty within the realm of software tools Autodesk has on offer. Keep your eyes peeled here for more information and details as this group kicks off.

As of now, I’m an AutoCAD 2010 and 2011 Certified Professional and a Civil 3D 2011 Certified Associate, with plans to take the Professional exam very soon. I also regularly use Map 3D, TrueView, Design Review, and Navisworks. I also have an interest of adventuring into the Plant 3D and Revit applications Autodesk offers. Other non-Autodesk software that I have experience in is the Newforma document management system, Sketch-up, Microstation V8, and ArcGIS (although my time with Microstation and ArcGIS is limited).

Outside of computer software, I’m also preparing to become an INDOT Certified Technician (for highway, interstate, and bridge construction), LEED Green Associate, and a NSPS Certified Survey Technician (Level III-Office Track). I’m either currently preparing for these exams or I am partway through the testing process. It is in my opinion that the skills required to pass these exams are prominent in fully competent and well-rounded Civil Designers and Instructors.

Beyond my professional goals, there are several goals I wish to accomplish with this website, but you can find that on the Indyrafter.com ‘About’ page here.

If you’d like to learn more about me, please visit my Linkedin profile or my Twitter feed. I hope you’ve enjoyed learning a little more about my background and that I’ve given you some valuable reasons within these ‘about’ pages to keep you coming back for more. It is my goal to help you become an Indydrafter and truly justify this website as ‘The Indypendent CAD Resource’ – your one and only place for AutoCAD and Autodesk professional development.