About Jim Lowry, B.S.

My path to technology wasn't conventional. After 16 years working for the railroad, an injury ended that career and put me at a major crossroads. I faced a choice that many blue-collar workers might not have considered: go back to college as a non-traditional student, much older than my peers, with everything on the line.

It was intimidating being different from my classmates, but I pressed on because I felt I had no other options. If this didn't work, I risked losing the financial stability I was accustomed to. That fear and determination drove me to succeed in ways I never expected.

That leap of faith led to an enterprise technology career managing $50M+ in cybersecurity portfolios across critical infrastructure. Over 7 years, I led concurrent projects while serving as both Project Manager and Business Analyst—learning to fill whatever gaps needed filling because I "never had the luxury" of having dedicated BAs on my projects.

Today, I'm a versatile technical professional working across data analytics, SEO optimization, AI-enhanced development, and modern web solutions. My railroad background taught me work ethic and problem-solving; my enterprise experience taught me stakeholder management and business requirements; my recent journey into AI and full-stack development keeps me current with emerging technologies.

My unconventional journey gives me a unique perspective that pure technical backgrounds often lack. I understand what it's like to face real stakes, to reinvent yourself when circumstances demand it, and to succeed despite feeling like an outsider.

This experience makes me particularly effective at translating between different worlds—whether that's business stakeholders and technical teams, or legacy systems and modern solutions. I've learned to be adaptable, resilient, and focused on delivering real value rather than just technical features.

I'm drawn to AI-enhanced development and modern web technologies because they represent the future, but my enterprise portfolio management background ensures I always think about scalability, stakeholder needs, and business impact. I'm not just building technology—I'm solving problems.

Bachelor of Science in Information Management
George Herbert Walker School of Business & Technology, Webster University

Returning to school as a non-traditional student after 16 years in the railroad industry was challenging, but it provided crucial foundation in information systems, business process optimization, and analytical thinking that would prove essential in my enterprise technology career.

Enterprise Portfolio Management Experience: 7 years managing $50M+ in cybersecurity programs across critical infrastructure, serving dual roles as Project Manager and Business Analyst across multiple concurrent projects.

I'm passionate about staying current with emerging technologies while leveraging the business insight gained from enterprise experience. My current areas of focus include:

• AI-Enhanced Development: Exploring how AI tools can accelerate and improve technical solution delivery
• Modern Web Development: Building with Next.js, React, and modern frameworks
• Data Analytics & Visualization: Power BI, data transformation, and business intelligence
• SEO & Digital Marketing: Technical SEO, analytics, and digital presence optimization
• Business Analysis: Requirements gathering, stakeholder management, and solution design

My approach combines technical implementation with deep understanding of business requirements—ensuring solutions don't just work technically, but deliver real value to stakeholders and end users.

Philosophy: Technology should solve real problems. My diverse background—from blue-collar work ethic to enterprise project leadership—helps me build solutions that are both technically sound and practically valuable.