Resume

Michael C. Daconta

SUMMARY                                                                                      

Published Author

Program Manager                                                                                                                                

Chief Scientist                                                                                                                      

Technical Director                                                                                                                 

Chief Developer                                                                                                                 

Teacher and public lecturer      

Certified Java Programmer                          

Site Manager                       

Team Leader

Senior Systems Analyst                                                 

Software Engineer

Programming Section Chief

Platoon Leader

PUBLICATIONS:

Books:

· The Semantic Web: A guide to the future of XML, Web Services and Knowledge Management, to be published in July 2003 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

· More Java Pitfalls, to be published in June 2003 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc..

· Essential XUL Programming,  published in 2001 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc..

· XML Development with Java 2,  published in September 2000 by Sams publishing.
· Java Pitfalls, published in May 2000 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.  One of the best-selling titles at JavaOne and selected as a feature book for the Library of Computer and Information Sciences (LCIS) book club.

· Java 2 and JavaScript for C and C++ Programmers,  published in May 2000 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
· Java 1.2 and JavaScript for C and C++ Programmers, published in

December 1997 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.  Selected as a Main Selection for the Small

Computer Book Club (SCBC).  Currently updating this book to cover the Java 2 Platform.

· Java for C/C++ Programmers,  published in March 1996 by John Wiley & Sons,

Inc.  Declared a "must-read" by PC Magazine, Information Week and the Java

Report.  Also the Main selection of the Library of Computer and Information

Science Book Club (LCIS).

· C++ Pointers and Dynamic Memory Management, published in May 1995 by John

Wiley & Sons, Inc.  The Main selection of the SCBC.

· C Pointers and Dynamic Memory Management, published in August 1993 by QED,

Inc.  Main selection of both the LCIS and SCBC.

Online Articles:

· XML.com, “Formal Taxonomies for the Federal Government”, January 26, 2005. http://www.xml.com/pub/a/2005/01/26/formtax.html

· Open Source Developers Network, “Philosophical Split hurts Web Services Adoption”, July 2003, available at http://www.devchannel.org/webserviceschannel/03/07/11/2122220.shtml?tid=25&tid=38.
· JavaWorld.com - multi-part series on Java Pitfalls.

· ZDNet.com - opinion/editorial column on the future of Java.  One popular editorial featured on Yahoo.

Magazine Articles:

· FedTech Magazine, Feature article, “Xml Marks the Spot.”, November 2005.

· Enterprise Architect Magazine, Feature article, “Smart Data for Smart Business: 10 ways Semantic computing will transform IT.”, February 2004.

· Government Computer News, “Taxonomy’s not just design, it’s an art”, February 9, 2004.

· XML Journal, “Are elements and attributes interchangeable?”, June 2001

 

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE:

Department of Homeland Security                                       August 2004 – Present

Metadata Program Manager

Manage the DHS Metadata Center of Excellence to provide enterprise standards and services for data interoperability, reuse and discovery across DHS.  Developed an Enterprise Data Management Strategy for the department, led the DHS Metadata Working Group and created a single data standards process for the nomination, vetting and selection of enterprise standards. Selected by the Office of Management and Budget and the Federal CIO Council to lead the Federal Enterprise Architecture (FEA) Data Reference Model (DRM) working group.  The DRM WG successfully completed its work and delivered the DRM V2.0 to the Federal CIO council on October 17, 2005. Lastly, in conjunction with the Department of Justice, he launched the National Information Exchange Model (NIEM) to provide a reusable set of core XML components for building exchange packages.  The NIEM successfully released version 0.1 on September 30, 2005.

Oberon Associates, Inc. (Sierra Vista, AZ)                          March 2004 – August 2004

Consultant

Developed an ESRI mapping component for the Army’s Biometrics Automated Toolset (BAT).  The BAT system is currently fielded in Iraq and Afghanistan.  Assisted the development lead in re-engineering the data architecture of the system, especially the XML processing.  Lastly, developed a role-based customization mechanism to tailor system functionality by role.

 

McDonald Bradley, Inc. (McLean, VA)                             August 2000 - March 2000

Chief Architect, Virtual Knowledge Base for DIA

Created the vision and design of the Virtual Knowledge Base.  Design focused on the use of Web services and Meta data ontologies to find authoritative information without knowing where that data is stored.  The Web services use the Simple Object Access Protocol (SOAP), Web Services Description Language (WSDL) and specific XML Schemas for each message type.  The Meta Data Ontologies use the Resource Description Framework (RDF) and a Java based inference engine. 
Wrote or co-authored numerous architecture papers to include : the VKB CONOPS (technical part), VKB Software architecture Document (SAD), ICML Position Paper and Portal Integration and Portal Technical Guidelines.

Briefed the VKB vision at conferences.  Represented VKB in the IC Metadata Working Group.  Currently, managing two senior architects in designing the strategic VKB architecture to include developing the Security architecture, Registry Data Model, Metadata Maturity Model and IC Metadata Framework. 

Mr. Daconta’s current chief research focus is applying Semantic Web technologies to the VKB integration of heterogeneous data sources.

Chief Architect, Electronic Mortgage Standards for Fannie Mae

Responsible for all aspects of design and implementation on technical standards to create, transmit and store digitally signed, electronic mortgage documents.  Authored the eMortgage Document Specification that detailed the XML format and Document Type Definition (DTD) of a lightweight container specification to store a single electronic mortgage document.  The specification also leveraged other W3C standards like the XML Signature standard and the extensible Hypertext Markup Language (XHTML). Created multiple implementations of the eMortgage Specification for Notes, Assignments and Loan Modification documents.  Created numerous support documents on Fannie Mae’s strategic direction for electronic mortgage documents. Briefed partners and industry groups like the Mortgage Industry Standards Maintenance Organization (MISMO).  Assisted numerous Fannie Mae partners in implementing the specification. 

Shepherded the eMortgage Document specification through MISMO all the way to adoption as a MISMO endorsed specification available at www.mismo.org.

Designed the Fannie Mae eMortgage Validator and guided a team of three developers to implement the software.  Designed the conceptual framework for a new Fannie Mae Web Service called eQC (for eMortgage Quality Control) that was briefed to the president of Fannie Mae and adopted as a strategic project for Fannie Mae.

Director, Web & Technology Services

As Director, Web and Technology Services, Mr. Daconta provides senior-level Internet technology expertise, including HTML, XML, Java and standards-based areas to Federal and Commercial clients. He also provides technical direction across McDonald Bradley’s Web Application Integration, Visual Intelligence, and Independent Verification and Validation core competencies He conducts internal and external training in XML and Java for McDonald Bradley Developers and external clients.  Lastly, he conducts reviews of McDonald Bradley development projects to insure proper development processes are in place, mature methodologies are being used and the personnel working the project are qualified.

President, Synergy Solutions, Inc.: January 1999 - August 2000

                Formed a company focused on training, consulting and product development for Java, XML and open source.  McDonald Bradley, Inc. acquired the company in August 2000.
Technical Projects:

·         Client-server Audit Management System in Java and XML.  Java applet as the client with a multi-threaded Java server on the back-end.  All Audit logs managed and transmitted as XML.  Manager applet allows you to view, print, sort and query logs of any size.

·         Java-based Stock Order Execution system for an online brokerage.  Dynamic loading of interfaces, extensive use of JDBC, RMI and SQL.

·         LDAP Management System using SOAP and XML.  Developed a custom SOAP server for communication and RPC calls.  The server makes extensive use of XML for transmitting, querying and manipulating the directory data.
       

Java/XML Instructor, Training/Etc/.: 1996 - 2001.

               Developed and teach both introductory and advanced courses in Java.  Also developed and taught intro and advanced XML courses for numerous clients.

Java Columnist, Newbridge Communications, Inc.: 1997 - 1999

                Wrote a monthly Java column of Java instruction and commentary to over 170,000 members of the Library of Information and Computer Science Book Club and Small Computer Book club. 

Chief Scientist, ASD, Sterling Software, Inc.  June 1998 - Dec 31^st, 1998.

                Designed a Model-View-Controller based Java Framework for the Land Information Warfare Activity.  The design centered around Java interfaces, dynamic loading of objects and XML for data exchange.

                Called in to troubleshoot a complex Java based information system suffering from severe performance problems.  Simultaneous queries would bog down the system causing queries to take up to 15 minutes to complete.  Redesigned the key client-server components of the system.  Moved from a UNIX-dependend editor processing approach to an object-oriented model.  Also, redesigned the client interface to allow on-demand page loading.  The performance of the system was improved up to 2000% depending on load and query terms.  The system subsequently passed its Government acceptance test.  

Technical Director, Mystech Associates, Inc. Sep 1997 – June 1998

                Developing an extensible parser based on the Extensible Markup Language (XML) in Java.  The parser will allow both parsing based on an XML specification file and mapping to any database or table based on an XML specification file.  The parser will be integrated into the Information Operations Planning Tool (IOPT) for the Air Force.  Also conducted numerous internal introductory and advanced Java courses.  Spearheaded the company move to Java and XML. 

Chief Developer, Telemedicine Applications Company.: 1996 – Sep 97

                Chief designer and developer of the TeleProvider(tm) Telemedicine workstation.  The workstation is designed to allow collaboration and tele-consultation between physicians over LANs, WANs and the internet. TeleProvider is written in Java, JavaScript and HTML.  Personally developed over 70% of the Java applications in the system to include store and forward of consults, an interactive white board and the displaying and playing of multimedia sent in a consultation.  The system was client-server based and the

first product on the market to create a "Telemedicine Intranet".  The product was deployed in several major hospitals to include Samsung Medical Center, New York Eye and Ear, Riverside Regional Hospital, Wellington Hospital and several others.  Also, added pure Java support for DICOM, Printing as and transitioned the baseline to Java 1.1. 

Technical Site Manager: Mystech Associates, Inc.: 1994 - 1995

                Responsible for the technical coordination and integration of all development projects in Arizona.  Implemented a site technical library and training program to improve the proficiency of the staff.  Created a series of technical tests to be used during interviews to screen the technical proficiency of candidates.  Also developed a new Operations Other Than War (OOTW) simulation entirely in the Java language.  The simulation featured a graphical user interface, mapping system and database retrieval. 

Development Team Leader: Mystech Associates, Inc.: 1994 - 1995

                Designed a new simulation called the High Resolution System Stimulator (HRSS) that deaggregated gross inputs into high-fidelity outputs to drive high-fidelity simulations like the Virtual Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) and the Joint Surveillance and Target Acquisition Radar System (JSTARS).  Led a team of programmers to rapidly prototype the system in four months.  The simulation featured a graphical user interface, high fidelity terrain rendering, and dynamic update of sensors and battlefield entities.  This required development on both Sun sparcstations and microVAX computers.  Also

involved network programming with sockets and remote procedure calls.  The simulation successfully modeled over 300,000 entities in the Prairie Warrior 95 exercise.  The system was subsequently fielded to over a dozen military sites in the United States, Germany and Korea.

Team Leader: Mystech Associates, Inc.: 1993 - 1994

                Managed new software development and daily operations of the Military Intelligence Battlefield Simulation Center (MI-BSC).  Orchestrated numerous training exercises using custom-developed simulations on networked VAX computers.  Re-engineered the simulations in the C programming language which provided both a performance improvement and future portability to SUN workstations.

Senior Systems Analyst: Mystech Associates, Inc.: 1991 - 1993

                Worked with a team of three programmers to design and develop a simulation of an intelligence analysis cell called the Tacsim Analysis Operations Node (TALON).  Designed and coded the key components of the simulation.  The simulation was a C application layered on top of a real-world intelligence processing system called Hawkeye. 

Software Engineer: RAM, Inc.: 1990 - 1991

                Created design documentation standards which the government adopted to quality control hundreds of software design documents for the All Source Analysis System (ASAS). 

Programming Section Chief: U.S. Army, Ft. Huachuca: 1988 - 1990

                Managed a five member programming team that integrated an interactive, real-time combat simulation (JANUS) with a non-interactive intelligence simulation (G2 Workstation).  Trained numerous military soldiers and officers with the simulation.  Also, was the Officer in Charge of the Tactical Simulation (TACSIM) New Equipment Training Team.

Platoon Leader: U.S. Army, Korea: 1987 - 1988

                Led a thirty three member platoon that conducted training and exercises on seven electronic systems, and maintained fifteen motor vehicles and seven electronic generators. 

EDUCATION:

· MSCS, Nova Southeastern University, March 2003

· Sun Certified Java Programmer, March 1998

· Certificates from TRW in UNIX System Administration and operation

· Certificates from Digital Equipment Corporation for DECNET

   programming and System Administration

· Bachelors degree in Computer Science, New York University, 1987

OPERATING SYSTEMS:

Mac OS X, Mac OS, MS-DOS, Windows 3.1, Windows NT, Windows 2000, Sun OS, Solaris, VMS

PROGRAMMING LANGUAGES/Platforms:

Java, J2ME, J2SE, J2EE, XML, JavaScript, HTML, C++, C, Ada, Pascal, Fortran, Basic, Assembly.

PERSONAL:

· Extremely creative and artistic.  Related to the French artist Henri Matisse.

· Touch Typist.  Type over 70 wpm.

· Hobbies include weight lifting, running, reading and writing.

CLEARANCE:

                Top Secret with SCI access