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Tan Nguyen

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Professional Overview

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Avrio Group, Inc.

# Occupation: Partner/Owner

# Company: Avrio Group, Inc.

# Duration: 02/2005 - Current

# Corporate Web: www.avriogroup.com

# Location: Salisbury, MD

# Company Summary:

Avrio Group is a provider of IT consulting services to private and government entities which require 3rd party evaluations, networking solutions, security network deployments, or project specific contracts for IT support. Avrio Group is also a premier provider of IT solutions for small to medium businesses on the Delmarva Peninsula/Eastern Shore area.
Avrio Group maintains partnerships with Microsoft, Cisco Systems, HP, IBM, Firetide, and many other major manufactures and software providers.

# Position:

I've been with Avrio as a Senior Consultant since 2005. My job takes me all over the Eastern Shore of Maryland, Delaware, and Virginia meeting with small to medium businesses to help them plan their computer networks and fix any IT problems they may have. I work primarily with Microsoft, Cisco, Symantec, HP, IBM, and Dell products. My work also takes me off the shore periodically for larger deployments or specialty installations. I spend some time in the Washington D.C. area working as a consultant to larger companies that have specific IT needs or projects. I have clients ranging from Maine, Vermont, and New York down to Florida and the Bahamas. By far, most of Avrio's infrastructure clients are based on Maryland's Eastern Shore.

The surveillance and security division of Avrio works with federal, local, and state governments across the country helping expand their security systems with the most agile IP video surveillance systems available. Avrio Group's surveillance division provided the security backbone for both the RNC and DNC during the 2008 elections, as well as critical border protection systems, police systems across the country.

As of 2008, I became a partner and part-owner of Avrio Group. I am currently the operations manager for the Avrio Consulting Group in Salisbury, MD.

	Inacom Information Systems
#	Occupation:	Network Engineer
#	Company:	Inacom Information Systems	(The Computer Shop)
#	Duration:	2002 - 02/2005
#	Corporate Web:	www.inacom-sby.com
#	Location:	Salisbury, MD
#	Company Summary:
	Inacom Information Systems started in 1982 as The Computer Shop in Salisbury, MD. Over the years, it's grown into an IT services company providing IT networking support and installation, business phone systems, website and application development, as well as hosting services. Originally started by Russell and Ann Jones, Inacom was purchased by Hunter Johnson of Netzotic in 2005.
#	Position:
	Starting as a Technical Sales rep for Inacom in 2002, I was able to meet and work with many wonderful clients on the shore. My primary responsibilities at Inacom were to discover new clients, plan and deploy network solutions, and provide ongoing support. During this time, I was also able to work with a number of VoIP systems and learn many invaluable IT skills which have served me well throughout the years. The most valuable lessons learned while I was with Inacom came from the owner - Russell Jones. He taught me many things about small businesses, their strengths, weaknesses, troubles, and joys. Through him, I was able to develop a perspective on providing solid IT services to our small business clients. Russell and I didn't always agree on things, but as it always turned out later (like the things my mother said), I came to understand his point of view, if not agree with it as well. As the acquisition of Inacom by Netzotic came near, the atmosphere of Inacom changed drastically. I thought it best to move on with my career at this point.

	OTG Software
#	Occupation:	Network Administrator
#	Company:	OTG Software	(currently EMC)
#	Duration:	2000 - 2002
#	Corporate Web:	www.otg.com
#	Location:	Bethesda, MD
#	Company Summary:
	OTG Software (originally Online Technologies Group) was the originator of several major enterprise softwares which are now owned and licensed by EMC Software. Best known for their "Xtender" product line, OTG Software was acquired by Legato Systems in 2002; which was then acquired by EMC a short time later.
#	Position:
	As a network admin for OTG, I was able to learn the basics of networking and technical troubleshooting. Working with enterprise class hardware and software as an introduction to networking is a great way to give perspective to an aspiring IT professional. Performing Help-Desk functions, working with end-users, and learning from the ground up how networks are built and maintained, has provided me with a stable and wide base of technical knowledge which allows me to grow my technical knowledgebase in a controlled and predictable manner. The bottom rung of a ladder has a very important role.

	Pizza Hut
#	Occupation:	Delivery Driver
#	Company:	Pizza Hut	(Dalland Corporation)
#	Duration:	1999 - 2000
#	Corporate Web:	www.pizzahut.com
#	Location:	Oak Hall, VA
#	Company Summary:
	Pizza Hut - they make pizzas... and sometimes they deliver them.
#	Position:
	In some respects, this was the best job I've ever had. I worked the evening delivery shift. I woke up around 10-11AM, worked on my car or watched TV until about 3PM, went to work by 4PM, and waited for people to call and order a pizza to be delivered. If and when they did, I'd throw it in my car (sometimes literally), crank up my stereo system, and head down the road. Even in the economically depressed area known as the Eastern Shore of Virginia, I was able to average $13 per hour to drive, listen to music, and wash dishes. On many occasions, the Store Managers would offer me a management position - which basically equated to more work, more responsibility, and less money. I declined politely each time. I was able to sleep as late as I wanted, have the entire day to myself, work until 1AM, and never had to take my work home with me (other than the smell of cooking oil).

	Myer-Emco
#	Occupation:	Car Stereo Supervisor
#	Company:	Myer-Emco
#	Duration:	1998 - 1999
#	Corporate Web:	www.myer-emco.com
#	Location:	Beltsville, MD
#	Company Summary:
	Myer Emco is an elite dealer of audio and video equipment for home. The founder, Ed Myer, began with one store in Rockville, MD. The name later became Myer-Emco from a mixture of "Myer" and "Ed Myer Company" which became EMCo, or Emco.
#	Position:
	I started at the Beltsville Myer-Emco location while still in college. This was my first full-time job. I used to frequent all of the local car stereo shops in the area, and the Beltsville store was one of them. When I was a customer, the car stereo supervisor in Beltsville was John Wirono. John transferred to another Myer-Emco location one day, and when I showed up in Beltsville to spend more of my not-hard-earned cash, I was informed that he was no longer working there. I asked "Do you have another car guy here?" To which the store manager said "No, we don't." I thought for a few seconds and then said "Do you need one?" And about a week later, I became the new "car stereo guy" in Beltsville. The Beltsville store was one of the few stores with car stereo, which didn't have an installation bay. This was difficult to manage since people who by car stereo often wanted it installed, not just placed neatly in their back seat. I ended up doing many "under the table" installations in the parking lot for high school and college students. I eventually was given the title of Car Stereo Department Supervisor, or "Car Sup" for short. I was the only car guy there, so I supervised myself. Myer-Emco provided all new sales associates with a memorable sales training (5 days I think) at the Tyson's Corner office. I've taken many of the tips and tricks from that sales training with me to every subsequent job. Thanks again to Gary Yacoubian and Dave Glassman.

	Video Wave
#	Occupation:	Weekend Shift Manager
#	Company:	Video Wave
#	Duration:	1996 - 1998
#	Corporate Web:	N/A
#	Location:	Springfield, VA
#	Company Summary:
	Video Wave was a movie rental store (like Blockbuster, but much smaller) started in the 80's by my uncle. As an added bonus, my uncle also repaired electronics like TVs, VCRs, and eventually anything that anyone would want fixed - he tried, and usually succeeded.
#	Position:
	When I turned 16 and got a car, I started working at my uncle's video store part time while going to college. I worked 12 hour shifts on Saturday and Sunday, and then drove back to Maryland to sleep. Some of the Sunday night drives home were tough. While working there, I watched my uncle repair electronics, and learned quite a bit about electronics. This further peaked my interest in electronics and electrical engineering. On my way to work one Saturday morning, my Ford Festiva's engine blew up on the beltway. It was beyond repair, so I had to go out and buy a new car. Buying a new car meant getting my own insurance. Getting my own insurance and a new car payment also meant that I had to get a real job to pay for them. There starts my full time work history.

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Educational Overview

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Date(s) Attended
School or Program
Location

2008 Microsoft Windows XP Deployment and Support(70-272) Laurel, MD

MCDST Certificate obtained for Microsoft Partnership Requirement program

2008 Microsoft Windows XP Deployment and Support(70-271) Laurel, MD

MCP Certificate obtained for Microsoft Partnership Requirement program

# 2008 Microsoft Windows XP Deployment and Support(70-270) Laurel, MD

MCP Certificate obtained for Microsoft Partnership Requirement program

# 2004 WebSense - Surfcontrol Partnership Certification Annapolis, MD

Technical training for configuration, implementation, and support for SurfControl management software systems

# 2003 EYT - Microsoft Windows 2003 Server Deployment Training Washington, DC

Focus on deploying and managing Windows 2003 Server in Native 2000 networks and migration procedures and planning considerations.

# 2003 HP Partner Technology Certification Training Rockville, MD

Basic technical training on new products and implementation as well as IT sales tactics

# 2001 Comptia A+ and Network+ Certification IKON - Columbia, MD

2 Week Boot-Camp with intensive lecture on theory and hands-on lab time for hardware and basic networking principles and practices

# 1999 Myer-Emco Structured Sales Training Tysons Corner, VA

Traditional and Non-Traditional Sales training with focus on qualifying, closing, and consumer electronics

# 1996 - 1998 Prince George's Community College Largo, MD

Curriculum included focus on Computer Science, Visual Arts, and Electrical Engineering

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My life is an open book for all who wish to read it. But first, you must learn the language of the text, decipher the code embedded in the words and pages, and know at least three forms of martial arts to get past the flying monks who guard the doors to the library in which it lies.