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Fred Lackey
Chapter I

Fredrick Lackey

Software Architect, Engineer & Leader

Four decades of building what matters. From mainframes to microservices, assembly to AI.

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Chapter II

40 Years of
Building Software

A career defined not by technologies learned, but by problems solved and teams elevated.

2021 — Present
CISA / DHS
Cybersecurity infrastructure and national-scale security engineering for the Department of Homeland Security. Building systems that protect critical infrastructure. Includes enterprise architecture and engineering leadership delivered as part of this engagement for Travelers Insurance, one of America's largest insurance companies.
2006 — 2018
Spotless
Over a decade leading full-stack development, growing teams, and architecting platforms from startup through maturity.
1994 — 1996
Arcada / Backup Exec
Where the journey took shape. Enterprise backup and recovery solutions — learning the foundations of resilient systems engineering.
Chapter III

What I Bring
to the Table

Depth across the full stack, from system design to team leadership. Shaped by four decades of shipping software that endures.

AI Integration

Integrating AI into real workflows — not as a gimmick, but as a force multiplier for engineering teams and business outcomes.

Architecture

Designing systems that scale, evolve, and survive contact with reality. Microservices, event-driven, domain-driven — whatever the problem demands.

Full-Stack Engineering

Hands-on across the entire stack. Node, .NET, React, databases, infrastructure. The best architects never stop coding.

Legacy Modernization

Turning technical debt into technical advantage. Migrating monoliths, untangling decades of complexity without breaking what works.

Leadership

Building and mentoring high-performing teams. Creating cultures where engineers do their best work and grow into leaders themselves.

Chapter IV

Writing & AI Work

Thinking out loud about the craft. Recent articles and AI projects that reflect where the industry is headed.

Jul 2025
AI Doesn't Replace Developers
Why AI amplifies great engineers instead of replacing them. The human judgment layer remains irreplaceable.
Jul 2025
Spring Boot from .NET
A practical guide for .NET engineers making the leap to Java's Spring ecosystem. Mapping concepts, not just syntax.

AI Projects

Knowledge Builder

An AI-powered system for constructing structured knowledge bases from unstructured information. Turning chaos into searchable, connected understanding.

Career Coach

AI-assisted career navigation and mentorship tooling. Personalized guidance backed by real industry experience and data.

Chapter V

Beyond the
Terminal

The same intensity that drives the engineering drives everything else. Some interests measured in decades, some in altitude.

Skydiving

10,000+
Jumps & counting

Not a weekend hobby. A discipline practiced with the same rigor as software engineering. Every jump is a system check.

Martial Arts

Training since age five. Decades of discipline, focus, and the understanding that mastery is a direction, not a destination.

Motorcycling

Two wheels, open road, mechanical simplicity. The best debugging happens at 60 mph.

Woodworking

Building with your hands. No undo button, no version control. Just measure twice, cut once.

Horology

The art and science of mechanical timekeeping. Engineering at its most precise and beautiful.

DJing & Music

Reading the room, building energy, creating flow. Not unlike orchestrating a great software release.

Chapter VI

Let's Connect

I'm always open to interesting conversations about architecture, AI, or whatever you're building.

GitHub LinkedIn

No contact form — I prefer real conversations over form submissions.