Nick Dallett

13414 87th Ave. NE

Kirkland, WA 98034

425-820-4490

425-442-0992 (cell)

nickdal (at) speakeasy.net ~ nickdal (at) microsoft.com

Curriculum Vitae

BA (Music) Regis University, Denver, Co. Summa Cum Laude 1993

Lead Program Manager, Microsoft Office 2006-present

Program Manager, Microsoft Office 2003-2006

• Drove the release process for InfoPath 2003 SP1
• Designed, wrote specs, and drove the implementation of data connection features in InfoPath 2007 and InfoPath Forms Services in the Microsoft Office server
• Designed, wrote specs, and drove the implementation of form template import features for InfoPath 2007, including the InfoPath importer for word documents and the InfoPath importer for Excel workbooks
• Mentored other program managers at Microsoft through the internal mentoring program
• Presented at conferences in the US and abroad on behalf of Microsoft, typically in the area of enterprise workflow and data integration
• Drove numerous processes including weekly team status reporting

Program Manager, Microsoft Windows Update, 2002-2003

• Drove the process of improvement of the driver publishing and download process for WU
• Spoke to the press on behalf of Microsoft regarding privacy concerns with the service
• Created security and privacy policies and drove consensus around those policies
• Wrote specs and created designs for the next version of WU (Microsoft Update)

Software Design Engineer Lead, Microsoft Windows Update Sustained Engineering Team September, 2000 - 2002

• Managed a team of 3 software engineers responsible for code and process quality and 24/7 priority response.
• Created new features in Windows Update related to code quality and supportability.
• Created and maintained new features in Windows XP to improve the Windows Update experience.
• Analyzed existing software for bugs.
• Refactored software to optimize for legibility, efficiency, performance, and supportability.
• Suggested new applications and features to increase supportability and customer satisfaction.
• Wrote specifications for new supportability features.
• Implemented specifications for new supportability features.
• Organized group code reviews to share knowledge and encourage common coding standards.
• Created a .NET web service in C sharp to deliver device drivers to the Windows Update website
• Interviewed incoming candidates for developer positions

Web Developer / Software Engineer, Microsoft Windows Update (through Select Group) March, 1999 - September 2000

• Analyzed and fixed bugs in a complex consumer web site involving DHTML and C++ ActiveX controls..
• Designed, wrote, and deployed new features for the website, integrating new code with the existing codebase.
• Designed, wrote, and deployed new tools to facilitate site production using C#, DHTML, ASP,C++, Visual Basic, T-SQL, and DOS batch files.
• Participated in group decisions on development process and technical architecture of Windows Update.
• Maintained and extended a  complex database of software components using SQL Server 7.0 & SQL Server 2000.
• Assumed ownership of maintenance of back-end site production tools which manipulate complex database and file structures using C++, ADO, and the Windows API.
• Mentored and supervised technical writers with respect to their interaction with our source code.
• Demonstrated leadership and effective team skills in proposing and executing plans to streamline and improve technical processes within Windows Update.
• Wrote technical articles for internal use and for publication and presented material to the development team on the subject of DHTML authoring for Middle Eastern languages.

Support Engineer, Microsoft Developer Support, Internet Client (through Select Group) June, 1998 -Feb, 1999

• Provided support for developers using Microsoft tools and technologies for Internet Development.
• Developed sample code for customers and fellow engineers demonstrating basic and complex concepts in DHTML, Scripting, ATL, MFC, Visual Basic, COM, and XML, including Internet Explorer automation, Web Browser control hosting, and ActiveX controls and DLLs.
• Mentored fellow engineers in these technologies, both one on one and through peer to peer discussion aliases.
• Provided leadership to 5 other contractors as Contingent Lead.
• Wrote articles on Internet technology for MIND: When Versions Collide; troubleshooting authenticode errors for Internet Explorer 4 (February, 1999)
• Did recreational and self-study programming, including:
  • InterFict, an ATL COM library of objects encapsulating functionality for the creation of Interactive Fiction games.  InterFict uses the Microsoft XML Parser (MSXML.DLL) to manipulate custom document types created to describe the game world.
  • DHTML windows library, including a functional spreadsheet using only Internet Explorer 5 DHTML.
  • Javascript graphics library, using DHTML intrinsics to do pseudo vector drawing for Internet Explorer 4

Senior Web Design and Programming Professional, Foresight Science and Technology, Inc. 1995-1998

• Planned and managed software development projects, including:
  • Coherence Engine: an artificial intelligence decision aid, funded by the National Science Foundation.
  • Toolbox: collaborative Internet work tools for sight-impaired students, funded by the Department of Education.
  • RATSMAT: Enterprise-wide data storage and mining tools.
  • Confreg ’98: Online conference registration software for the Department of Defense office of Small Business Innovation Research.
• Trained 15 employees and various customers in general computer use and Internet literacy.
• Performed technical consulting services and wrote market analysis reports for Foresight customers under contract to private companies and Federal agencies.
• Designed and Developed Internet and Intranet Solutions for Microsoft Windows using ASP, C++, Visual Basic, VBScript, Javascript, DHTML, and TSQL.
• Deployed and administered Windows NT networks with up to 15 workstations and multiple public and private web and FTP servers.
• Wrote, implemented, taught, and supported network policies for preserving data integrity.
• Recommended and purchased computer and network hardware and software.

Independent Web Page Designer and Computing Consultant, various clients 1995-

Animal Control Officer and computer support, Jefferson County Animal Services. 1992-1997

• Designed and implemented public relations programs, including monthly television spots on KIRO, a weekly newspaper column for the Port Townsend Leader, and the first animal shelter website in Washington State.
• Trained, scheduled, and supervised volunteers for the monthly KIRO television spot.
• Wrote computer use and data backup policies, and provided training and technical support for three employees and numerous volunteers.
• Initiated investigations, designed courtroom strategy, and coordinated interagency teams to prosecute animal abuse.
• Developed shelter management applications in R:Base, SQL, and VBA with Microsoft Access.

Core Skills

Organization of information

I am able to organize and express information and concepts in concise, intuitive ways.  This organizational ability expresses itself in my technical writing, graphic design, database design, and software programs.

Rapid synthesis of new concepts

I am able to rapidly acquire new knowledge and put it to use immediately through analogy with prior learning.  This ability has given me an extremely steep learning curve, and the ability to complete complex tasks involving new concepts well in advance of deadlines.  A prime example of an application of this skill is my bachelor’s degree, which I completed in two years while carrying a full-time job.

Patient, Compassionate, and Objective Leadership

I am calm and focused in crunch situations, and am able to resolve disputes by seeing and acknowledging both sides of an argument.  I am fair and objective in applying policy, and believe that objective, unambivalent written objectives and procedures are the first step towards building a cohesive team out of disparate elements.  I believe that leadership is less common and more desirable than management, and believe that a well-directed team will follow a strong leader to success with minimal supervision.  In my work with animal control, I was often called upon to organize bystanders at accident or attack scenes into teams in order to contain an aggressive or injured animal, and my calm focused leadership held me in good stead.  When leading teams at Microsoft, I have focused on the professional and technical development of my reports.

Creativity

When faced with new situations, I am seldom at a loss for new solutions.  I am a quick and creative improviser in music, in code, and in corporate life.

Technical Skills Keywords

.NET, Active Server Pages (ASP), ActiveX, ActiveX Data Objects (ADO), Active Template Library (ATL), C, C++, C#, C Sharp, Case-Based Reasoning (CBR), COM, COM+, Database Development, Dynamic HTML (DHTML), ECMAScript, HTML,  HTTP, ISAPI, Internet Development, Intranet Development, Internet-Database Connector (IDC), JAVA, Javascript / Jscript,  Jet Database Engine, Microsoft Access, Microsoft Internet Information Server(IIS), Microsoft Foundation Classes (MFC), Microsoft SQL Server, Microsoft Visual Basic (VB),  Microsoft Visual Basic for Applications (VBA), Microsoft Visual Basic Scripting Edition (VBScript), Microsoft Visual C++ (MSVC),  Microsoft Windows NT 3.51 / 4.0, Microsoft Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows ME, Windows 2000, Windows XP, ODBC, Python, R:Base SQL, Remote Access Service (RAS), Secure Sockets Layer (SSL), Structured Query Language (SQL), TCP/IP, Transact-SQL (TSQL), URT , OLE Automation, Web Development, Win32 API, XML (Extensible Markup Language),