Nick Alteen, technical training architect, Amazon Web Services

Nick specializes in designing and building training labs that educate the U.S. intelligence community on AWS best practices and design patterns. Before this, Nick worked as a cloud support engineer, assisting customers in resolving any number of issues related to AWS DevOps services, with a specific focus on configuration management and infrastructure as code. In his free time, he enjoys building LEGO models with his daughter and watching horror movies with his wife.

Jennifer Fisher, senior technical curriculum developer, Amazon Web Services

Jennifer started at AWS in 2014 as a technical trainer and was the lead instructor for Big Data on AWS. She holds multiple AWS certifications and currently leads a curriculum development team and develops technical curriculum and labs to support public sector customers. Before that, Jennifer spent 20 years as a software and data engineer in the financial services, defense, and healthcare industries. She holds a BS in programming and an MS in software engineering management.

Jennifer grew up on a farm in Northern Maine and bought her first computer, a Tandy TRS-80, with her potato-picking money at the age of 12. She began writing basic programs and role-playing games, not realizing at the time that her passion for coding would turn into a lifelong career. She now mentors female engineers and volunteers for K-12 students in STEM.

Jennifer is based in Herndon, Virginia, and lives with her husband Steve. She is a doting stepmother to Kate, Sophie, and Mason. In her free time, Jennifer enjoys hiking, geocaching, kayaking, mountain biking, weight lifting, and competing in obstacle course races.

Casey Gerena, senior technical trainer, Amazon Web Services

Casey is passionate about helping others learn about the AWS Cloud. He enjoys teaching others new technical skills to help them solve problems using serverless technologies such as AWS Lambda. Casey holds a BS in management information systems from the University of Central Florida and an MS in logistics and global supply chain management from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. He is pursuing a second master’s degree in computer science from the Georgia Institute of Technology. Casey holds several IT certifications, including the Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) and nine AWS certifications. Before joining Amazon, Casey was a software developer and cybersecurity consultant. In his free time, Casey enjoys spending time with his family, watching movies, playing video games, and running.

Wes Gruver, senior technical trainer, Amazon Web Services

Wes has been with AWS since 2015 and is a senior technical trainer with more than 20 years of experience and success in managing IT infrastructure and all aspects of application development and management. He is currently responsible for training AWS enterprise customers on how to use the AWS services best suited for their business and IT solutions. He teaches a broad range of classes, including basic to advanced architecture, DevOps on AWS, Big Data on AWS, and security operations. In his free time, Wes teaches scuba diving and loves to travel.

Asim Jalis, senior technical trainer, Amazon Web Services

Asim is a senior technical trainer at AWS. He has an MS in computer science from the University of Virginia and an MA in mathematics from the University of Wisconsin. When he is not working with AWS technologies, he likes to read and write fiction.

Heiwad Osman, senior manager, Solutions Builders, Amazon Web Services

Heiwad holds a BS in computer science and engineering from UCLA. In his role as an AWS trainer, he meets with AWS customers and teaches them to build resilient, scalable cloud applications. He has helped hundreds of software developers get started with AWS APIs through in-person training and online training videos. His current professional interests include user experience, web application development, and machine learning. In his free time, you can find him in New York City, trying new places to eat or relaxing in Central Park.

Marife Pagan, technical trainer, Amazon Web Services

Marife is a technical trainer for AWS, delivering training to AWS customers in North America. She has more than 15 years of experience in software and web development. Her experience brings a set of skills for multiple platforms, including .NET, Java, and Python. She holds a BS in information technology with a web design/development concentration from George Mason University, in addition to various leading industry certifications. She is currently working on her master’s degree and pursuing higher studies in machine learning.

Before working at AWS, Marife worked for various government contracting firms, including Lockheed Martin. She also serves in the U.S. military as a signal officer working on the setup and maintenance of LAN and WAN signal network footprints, supporting voice and data for various military operations. She currently lives in the Washington, DC, metro area, and in her spare time enjoys fitness, travel, and gardening.

Santosh Patlolla, technical curriculum architect, Amazon Web Services

Santosh is a technical curriculum architect for AWS. He has more than 18 years of experience in developing software applications, automated solutions, and migration projects with complex data conversions. Santosh has been instrumental in providing production-support solutions and managing application delivery programs for enterprises. He also designed cost-effective technical and business solutions for the banking and insurance industries. Santosh is passionate about applying this experience in using the broad range of AWS services for developing business automations. Outside of work, he coaches elementary school robotics, and enjoys watching basketball games and playing with his kids.

Michael Roth, technical trainer, Amazon Web Services

Michael is a technical trainer having joined Amazon in 2015. He is one of the authors of the SysOps Administrator Study Guide (also by Wiley). He is a Certified Cisco Network Academy Instructor, and he has taught Linux. Michael graduated from the University of Michigan with a BS in zoology and a BA in urban planning. He also has an MS in telecommunications management from Golden Gate University. Michael would like to thank his coworkers in the AWS Training and Certification organization—he is very proud to be a part of this amazing group of people. Finally, he would like to thank his spouse, Betsy, and son, Robert. Without their support and love, this book would not have been possible.