Hi, my name is Phil and I try to use data to promote human wellbeing.
In my current job that means using data to increase the quality and quantity of patient engagement with condition-specific online health communities.
In my previous job that meant using data to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the City of Philadelphia’s Department of Licenses and Inspections in order to keep residents safe and informed.
I’m also passionate about environmental stewardship and have done some work for an environmental economics company and a land trust.
No matter what work I do I hope it is relevant, substantive, and has a positive impact on people’s lives.
Work Experience
Analytics Engineer – Health Union
September 2020 –
- Conceptualized and implemented dimensional models in Snowflake data warehouse using DBT
- Built intermediate models in DBT for a variety of data transformations: consolidation, deduplication, flattening, deriving current state.
- Worked with stakeholders to define data needs and project scope
- Integrated new data with legacy data
- Validated incoming data using Great Expectations
- Made new data sources available to internal analysts in Looker (LookML)
- Standardized process for data transformation projects (helped to better defined what an AE does at Health Union)
- Detected, investigated, and resolved data quality issues.
- Learned (well, learning) a completely new business and technical context.
GIS Developer/Analyst – City of Philadelphia – Dept. of Licenses & Inspections
July 2018 – September 2020
- Worked with teammates to reorganize data warehouse, rewrite and refactor SQL queries and ETL processes, and rebuild dashboards in light of source database switchover.
- Learned a completely new business and technical context.
- Managed ETL processes: fixed bugs, standardized logging, added pipelines, and developed QA/QC scripts.
- Built internal web-based business intelligence dashboards using Dash python framework. Wrote back-end SQL queries and front-end python code.
- Helped rebuild internal web-based business intelligence dashboards, this time using Metabase and Flask python framework. Wrote back-end SQL queries, built guts of dashboards in Metabase, and customized front-end in python, html, and css.
- Fulfilled dozens of ad-hoc data requests. Communicated with requester. Translated into achievable steps. Applied relevant tools and technologies to get results. Documented processes to ensure reproducibility. Communicated results and integrated feedback.
- Detected, investigated, and resolved data quality issues.
- Wrote documentation for department’s data team, including a glossary of key terms and phrases, a technical overview of databases and tools that we use, and a guide to where to find certain data (in our various databases/tables).
- Automated processes using ArcPy, including merging and reporting data.
- Created tools for analyzing parcels citywide based on their slope and vulnerability to flooding.
- Created ArcGIS Online feature services, maps, and dashboards to be shared with both internal and external users.
- Presented at GeoJawn 2019.
- Presented at 2019 Spring Meeting of MAC URISA.
Independent Contractor
March 2018 – June 2018
- Developed QGIS plugin (in python) for environmental economics firm
- Provided web analytics job training for new hire
Analytics Specialist – NewCity – Blacksburg, VA
August 2012 – August 2017
- Planned and implemented website tracking systems
- Managed unruly datasets for dozens of clients
- Analyzed website and marketing campaign performance over time
- Planned, created, and presented regular and ad-hoc reports
- Trained and advised clients and coworkers on how to collect and interpret website data
- Helped to develop new business by contributing to project proposals and presentations, writing blog posts, and presenting at an industry conference
- Learned and helped to define analytics specialist role from scratch, mostly through self-teaching and on-the-job experience
Education
B.S. in Computer and Information Science, Concentration in Business Information Systems, Minor in Mathematics – Messiah College – Grantham, PA
2008 – 2012
- 3.81 GPA
- Worked as teacher’s assistant for undergraduate statistics courses: graded assignments and provided 1-on-1 help for students
- Played varsity basketball for two years
Volunteer Experience
Tree Tender – Pennsylvania Horticultural Society – Philadelphia, PA
October 2018 – May 2020
- Took classes to receive certification
- Planted trees as part of neighborhood group
GIS volunteer – New River Land Trust – Blacksburg, VA
March 2018
- Used ArcGIS to assess conservation value of local properties
Farm volunteer – Worldwide Opportunities on Organic Farms – Various locations in the US
September 2017 – November 2017
- Worked for a week each at five different small farms, learning practical information on how to produce food