About Me
My name is Blake Ridgway. I'm a Site Reliability Engineer with a strong foundation in cloud networking, automation, and security across hybrid and multi-cloud environments (Azure, AWS). I build resilient, observable platforms using Infrastructure-as-Code and policy-as-code—from network design to CI/CD—so teams can ship faster with confidence, stay compliant, and operate reliably at scale.
Background
I provision and manage cloud infrastructure end-to-end, including virtual networks and secure access layers, and I automate deployments with tools like Terraform, ARM/Bicep, and modern CI/CD. My focus is operational excellence through automation, proactive monitoring, and cost/performance optimization.
I've led initiatives to automate infrastructure changes, design policy‑as‑code guardrails for firewalls and networks, and strengthen disaster recovery with automated validation. I've also built observability stacks (Prometheus/Grafana and OpenTelemetry) and implemented alerting and runbooks that reduce time to detect and resolve incidents.
I engineer secure, scalable Azure and AWS foundations via IaC, design GitOps workflows (e.g., Argo CD/Flux) to increase release velocity and reduce deployment errors, and drive deep root cause analyses that lower recurrence and improve long‑term stability. I translate product needs into robust, compliant infrastructure and author standards that speed up incident response and reduce MTTR.
I'm passionate about solving complex reliability and networking problems, making ambiguous systems measurable and understandable, and turning those insights into action. I enjoy mentoring teams on secure network design, automation best practices, and observability—creating a culture of continuous improvement.
I'm continuing my B.S. in Cloud and Network Engineering at Western Governors University and hold certifications including CompTIA Network+, FCF, and FCA Cybersecurity. I'm especially interested in roles that bridge Site Reliability and Network Engineering—where I can design secure, high‑performance networks, automate cloud infrastructure, and build monitoring that prevents incidents before they happen.
Core Competencies
Systems Administration
Expertise in deploying, managing, and troubleshooting Linux and Windows server environments.
Cloud Technologies
Hands-on experience with AWS and Azure, including VMs, storage, and virtual networking.
Security & Monitoring
Implementing monitoring solutions and security practices to proactively identify and resolve issues.
Network Management
Practical knowledge of Cisco, Fortigate, and Netgate solutions for network optimization.
Automation & Scripting
Using Bash, PowerShell, and Python to automate tasks and improve efficiency.
Ultra Endurance Cycling
Combining passion for cycling with data-driven insights and secure development practices.