This site is being rebuilt — a fresh experience is on the way

The Short Version

I am Fredrick "Fred" Lackey, a software architect, engineer, and engineering leader with over 40 years of experience in the industry. My career has spanned everything from early PC-era development through the rise of the web, mobile, cloud, and now the AI revolution. Through all of it, my focus has remained on building systems that are clean, scalable, and purpose-driven.

I believe the best software comes from understanding people first and technology second. Whether I am leading a team, designing architecture, or writing code, the goal is always the same: build something that solves a real problem and does it well enough that it lasts.

Expertise

AI Integration Leadership Software Architecture Full-Stack Development Legacy Modernization Cloud Platforms API Design DevOps & CI/CD System Design Team Building

Career Timeline

2021 – Present
Senior Software Engineer
CISA / Department of Homeland Security
Building and maintaining critical cybersecurity infrastructure for the federal government. Focused on systems that protect national digital assets. Project work within this engagement includes architecture and engineering initiatives at Travelers Insurance, one of the largest insurance and financial services companies in the United States.
2006 – 2018
Co-Founder & Technical Lead
Spotless
Co-founded and led the technical vision for over a decade. Built the platform from the ground up, managed engineering teams, and scaled the product through multiple phases of growth.
1994 – 1996
Software Engineer
Arcada / Backup Exec
Early career engineering on backup and storage software that became an industry standard. Foundation-building years in systems programming.

Beyond Work

Outside of technology, I am a lifelong martial artist (training since age five), an experienced skydiver with over 10,000 jumps, a motorcyclist, woodworker, horologist, DJ, and musician. I believe the same discipline that drives great engineering applies to every pursuit worth doing well.

Explore my hobbies →