Blake Ridgway
Site Reliability Engineer — Cloud • Network • Linux • Security
Summary
Results-driven Cloud and Network Engineer with a strong background in designing, implementing, and automating secure, scalable, and highly available infrastructure across on-premises and multi-cloud environments (AWS, Azure). Proven expertise in Infrastructure-as-Code, policy-as-code security frameworks, and comprehensive monitoring for proactive incident prevention. Adept at translating complex business requirements into resilient technical solutions with a focus on network performance, cloud resource optimization, and overall security posture.
Experience
- Provision, deploy, and manage virtual machines, servers, and scalable storage in Azure, optimizing for performance and cost.
- Configure and maintain complex virtual networks including VNet peering, VPN Gateways, ExpressRoute connections, and NSGs for secure, efficient connectivity.
- Implement security measures including firewalls and access controls across cloud infrastructure.
- Use Terraform, Azure DevOps, and ARM templates for IaC and CI/CD pipeline automation.
- Utilize Azure Monitor for performance monitoring, log analysis, and alerting.
- Designed and automated infrastructure deployments using IaC, achieving a 20% performance improvement and a 15% reduction in deployment time.
- Architected a policy-as-code firewall framework with geo-location blocking and automated rule updates, strengthening security posture while minimizing manual errors.
- Developed and automated comprehensive disaster recovery validation, reducing RTO by 30% and ensuring business continuity.
- Designed and implemented ISP network speed monitoring using Prometheus and Grafana, providing real-time WAN visibility.
- Deployed full-stack monitoring with Nagios and automated alerting, cutting time-to-detect (TTD) by 40% and time-to-resolve (TTR) by 20%.
- Engineered Azure and AWS cloud infrastructure using IaC, improving scalability, consistency, and reducing manual intervention.
- Partnered with stakeholders to translate product requirements into secure, scalable infrastructure specifications aligned with business goals.
- Designed and supported Argo CD workload management for continuous delivery, improving release velocity and reducing deployment errors.
- Authored and maintained comprehensive documentation, runbooks, and standards for recurring issues, accelerating incident response.
- Performed deep root cause analysis on incidents, implementing preventative measures to improve long-term system stability.
Education
Certifications
- FCF Cybersecurity
- FCA Cybersecurity
- CompTIA Network+
- CompTIA Security+
- Cisco CCNA
- RHCA
Technical Skills
- Cloud
- AWS, Azure (VNet, NSG, ExpressRoute, VPN Gateway, ARM Templates, Azure Monitor, CloudWatch)
- Networking
- TCP/IP, DNS, DHCP, BGP, OSPF, VLANs, VPN, pf, iptables, IDS/IPS, NAC, Zero Trust
- Automation
- Terraform, Ansible, Azure DevOps, Bash, Python, PowerShell, Ruby
- Monitoring
- Prometheus, Grafana, Nagios, Splunk, ELK Stack, SIEM integration, Azure Monitor
- Platforms
- Linux, FreeBSD, VMware, Hyper-V, Proxmox, Citrix, Docker, Kubernetes, Argo CD
References
— Austin M. — Triangle Insurance CompanyWorking alongside Blake has been a pleasure from day one. When he joined our team, our network infrastructure was in need of serious attention, and he wasted no time bringing everything up to current standards with precision and purpose.
Beyond the foundational work, he took the initiative to implement comprehensive monitoring solutions that gave our entire team far greater visibility and confidence in our systems.
What truly sets Blake apart is how he stays continuously plugged in to the evolving threat landscape — always aware of emerging vulnerabilities, new attack vectors, and the latest tools and best practices to address them. This proactive awareness means our network is never just where it needs to be today, but prepared for what’s coming tomorrow.
He approaches every challenge with a sharp, innovative mindset that consistently produces solutions we hadn’t even considered. He is exactly the kind of colleague you want in your corner when the stakes are high.
— Nic F. — BankOnITBlake was an invaluable resource for our team. From the jump, he was focused on streamlining processes and automating tasks where applicable. He not only helped in the team we worked on directly, but he worked across multiple teams to make sure there were streamlined processes there, as well. Outside of the progress he made in the team, he was on the forefront of recommending network and security protocols and enhancements for the team and the company as a whole.
Not only was Blake a superb addition to the team on a technical level, his ability to relate to and get along with everyone made him an invaluable asset in that department as well. Whether it was coworkers or it was the clients spanning multiple states, he was able to relate to them all.
— Bryan B. — Sr. Director of Software Engineering — Prime TrustI’ve had the privilege of working alongside Blake, and I can confidently say he is one of the most exceptional engineers I’ve encountered. His expertise across DevOps, systems administration, and software engineering is truly top tier. He consistently demonstrates a depth of knowledge and technical capability that sets him apart.
What makes Blake stand out even more is how he pairs that skill with relentless drive, strong work ethic, and a genuinely positive attitude. He doesn’t just solve problems, he elevates the people and teams around him. Working with Blake raises the bar for everyone involved.
Any organization or team that has Blake contributing is gaining a top 1% individual, not just technically, but as a professional and as a person.