Senior Network Engineer - 15+ yrs in Enterprise Infra and Security

Buffy Larone Pearson

email: *************@*****.*** 214-***-****

linkedin.com/in/buffy-larone-pearson-4120159b

Senior Network Engineer

Professional Summary

Senior Network Engineer with 15+ years of experience designing, securing, and supporting enterprise network infrastructures across WAN, LAN, WLAN, SD-WAN, and cloud-connected environments. Deep expertise in Layer 1–7 troubleshooting, firewall architecture, and multi-vendor ecosystems including Cisco ACI, Nexxus 9000, Palo Alto, Fortinet, Meraki, and Sophos. Proven ability to lead complex network initiatives, improve reliability and security posture, and act as a trusted technical advisor for mid-size to large organizations.

Core Technical Competencies

Network Architecture & Operations

WAN, LAN, WLAN, SD-WAN, MPLS, VPN, TCP/IP, VRF, VXLAN

OSI Model (Layers 1–7), Subnet Design, Routing & Switching

Network Security

Firewall Architecture & Policy Design

Network Encryption, IPSEC VPN, AAA, MFA

High Availability (HA) and Disaster Recovery

Vendors & Platforms

Cisco (Catalyst, Nexxus 9000, Meraki, ASDM, ACI)

Palo Alto (Panorama), Fortinet FortiGate/FortiAP

Sophos, Aruba, Ubiquiti

Monitoring & Management Tools

Auvik, ConnectWise, SolarWinds, Cisco Prime

Visio (Network Diagrams & Logical Design)

Cloud & Services

Azure Networking, AWS

SaaS, PaaS, IoT Integrations

Professional Experience

Network Engineer III

Buchanan Technologies 06/2024 – 05/2025

Delivered senior-level network infrastructure support for mid-size and enterprise clients using RMM platforms.

Monitored, diagnosed, and resolved Layer 1–7 network issues utilizing Auvik Collector and ConnectWise.

Designed and supported firewall, switch, and wireless architectures across multi-vendor environments. (Cisco ACI, Nexxus 9000, Fortinet FortiGate Firewalls)

Led firmware upgrades and HA firewall implementations, resolving critical outage scenarios. (Meraki, Palo Alto, FortiGate Firewalls)

Conducted network assessments to identify subnet anomalies and infrastructure risks, providing remediation recommendations.

Served as primary escalation point and technical liaison for client stakeholders. . Clients Including: Serena and Lilly / Highland Homes / Wells Fargo.

Created a Network infrastructure design for utilizing the Starlink Satellite devices in rural areas for ISP service with Cradlepoint as secondary device back-up.

Analyzed the Network configurations for clients experiencing routing issues with Local network resources and implemented recommended network internal LAN Changes after Change Management review.

Created Tenants for Local routing to cloud resources and VRF for MPLS routing.

Senior Network Engineer

Tricolor Automotive 05/2023 – 01/2024

Managed network services for 62+ automotive locations and offices using Meraki Dashboard.

Moved clients from Wireless Lan Controller management of AP to conversion to Meraki Wireless AP Management for 25 clients. Implemented multiple new MPLS sites for new Tricolor car lots. Utilizing External BGP with MPLS and internal protocol OSPF for LAN traffic.

Designed and configured secure WAN transit routes, firewall policies, and wireless access points.

Performed firmware upgrades and content filtering changes to enforce security standards.

Supported Cisco Business and Nexus switches, SD-WAN, and Office 365 network connectivity.

Developed process improvements for asset management and outage response workflows.

Implemented AAA and MFA solutions for secure remote user access.

Systems Engineer II

Intelinet Systems 02/2023 – 03/2023

Provided RMM-based infrastructure support across network, server, and storage environments.

Performed rack-and-stack installations for switches, servers, and storage hardware.

Conducted endpoint mapping and data center infrastructure support.

Senior Network Engineer Architecture

IOPEX 06/2021 – 01/2023

Designed WAN and LAN architectures and supported SD-WAN platforms for enterprise clients.

Led Layer 2 and Layer 3 change management initiatives with peer review and client sign-off.

Served as Disaster Recovery Engineer for VPN transit and user profile management.

Managed Cisco ASDM, Nexus core/distribution/access switching, and Fortinet firewalls.

Created logical network designs and infrastructure updates using Visio.

Supported vendor selection and hardware recommendations.

Configured Nexxus switches for Spine and Leaf Servers for Data Centers.

Network Engineer II

OmniSYS 01/2019 – 02/2021

Deployed Cisco Catalyst switching and wireless LAN controller environments.

Managed Fortinet firewall ingress/egress, VPN, NAT, and security policies.

Led migration from Fortinet/Sophos to Palo Alto firewalls in Azure cloud environments.

Configured Panorama and L3 routing between on-prem and cloud networks.

Supported IPSEC tunnels for mission-critical pharmacy transaction processing.

Earlier Career:

Network Infrastructure Engineer – Crow Holdings Capital 2017 – 2018

Network Administrator – Core-Mark International 2015 – 2017

I handled the ordering of the equipment for a Warehouse facility over 100,00k square footage with office space. Design of the infrastructure Local LANs, VLANS. The Core, Distribution and Access switches based on need. The ordering of the ISP service the site and configuration of MPLS connection. DHCP configuration and DNS and BGP.

Senior Systems Analyst – Sprint 1999 – 2014

System Admin for Telecom Call center for corporate accounts, PC software hardware, CUCM Voice over IP support, call scripts, Windows Support, Data management.

Systems Support -Technical Support Analyst III – JCPenney 1997 – 1999

Technician for POS equipment in department stores, Backup data management, Server restoration and troubleshooting for department store systems.

Education

Master’s, Project Management – Keller Graduate School of Management, Irving, TX

Bachelor of Business Administration, Magna Cum Laude – Northwood University, Cedar Hill, TX

Certification

Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA – Routing & Switching)

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