Theresa Summa

Web Application Engineer

Nerding out over bits since 2005

111 Lawrence Street #26L, Brooklyn, NY 11201

http://theresaanna.com

@theresaanna

theresa at theresaanna dot com

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What I am passionate about

(and do best)
  • Working on rich web applications as a next step in the evolution of the web and as open standards alternatives to proprietary, platform-based applications.
  • Crafting software that performs well now and into the future.
  • Advocating for applications to be pleasant to use.

Hats worn

(experience)
Web Developer, Design and Technology Fellow Consumer Finance Protection Bureau
Brooklyn, NY/Washington, DCDecember 2012 - present
  • Doing amazing things
  • Shaking up government
  • Bringing good software to the public sector
  • Having fun with data
  • Protecting Americans
Web Application Engineer Quartz, part of the Atlantic Media Company
New York, NYJuly 2012 - October 2012
  • General purpose developer on a LAMP stack system with focus on the client-side JavaScript application
  • Built and launched a responsive, offline, content-driven web app using HTML5 Local Storage and Application Cache
  • Created state-change system to manage the dynamic application consisting of content verticals that are never static
  • Implementation of client-side consumption of a Wordpress-driven API
  • Organized and refactored partially existing Backbone application
  • Helped to build a very complicated and native app-like UI with Less/CSS and HTML(5), including features like "pull to refresh"
  • Iteratively created solutions for unique and complex data management and corresponding application interface events
  • Created a front end build process, implemented YUI Compressor and JSHint, wrote shell scripts to create builds
Senior Developer ConsumerSearch.com, part of The New York Times Company
New York, NYNovember 2011 - April 2012
  • Hired from long-term contract to be part of a product rebuild
  • Prototype and research to choose a JavaScript framework for new product application
  • Conducted user tests and analyzed findings
  • Helped to lead product team through feature sketching
  • Advised contractors on interface implementation of internal tools
  • Invested in bridging the gap between the editorial, design and development teams
Consultant ConsumerSearch.com, part of The New York Times Company
New York, NYMay 2010 - November 2011
  • Optimized load time of website via the front end and presentation layer logic
  • Implemented image sprites and CSS3 techniques while maintaining compatibility with older browsers
  • Through optimization, halved requests to server and reduced load/render time by two seconds
  • Built interfaces for new consumer-facing features spanning front end code and presentation layer server side code
  • Drupal module development for new consumer-facing features
  • Built interactive prototypes for new features, most notably a data-driven client application using Spine.js
  • Involved in the process of envisioning and wireframing a new system for content input by editorial staff
Link(s): ConsumerSearch.com
Consultant Various Companies
New York, NYMay 2010 - Present
  • Added features to robust client side JavaScript applications
  • Translated existing markup and styles into Rails views
  • Built UIs for new sites into Rails views
  • Created markup, styling and JavaScript from designs for new sites
  • Built Drupal themes and modules for new sites
Drupal Themer The Economist
New York, NYMay 2009 - May 2010
  • Acted as front end specialist on multiple teams working to rebuild Economist.com on Drupal
  • Built front end and presentation layer logic for channel (section index) pages that were highly customizable by editorial
  • Built cross-browser optimized site navigation using HTML/CSS/jQuery
Link(s): Economist.com: Europe Section Index Page
Drupal Themer (contract) Sony BMG
New York, NYApril 2009 - May 2009
Link(s):
Front End Developer The New York Observer
New York, NYOctober 2008 - April 2009
  • Acted as lead (and only) front end developer for Observer.com relaunch in Drupal 6
  • Translated visual designs to presentation-layer coding. Process included image slicing, optimizing web images, and writing valid HTML/CSS
  • Worked with Software Development Manager to implement numerous AJAX features while ensuring graceful degradation
  • Maintained cross-browser compatibility in all major browsers including Internet Explorer 6
Link(s): The New York Observer
Web Producer The New York Observer
New York, NYJanuary 2008 - October 2008
  • Coordinated ad operations, assisted editorial staff in using Drupal interface, and managed e-mail newsletters
  • Implemented HTML/CSS changes and fixes to Observer.com and the Politicker.com network
  • Completed myriad front end projects including theming the Observer.com Food and Drink channel and produced elements for ObserverLiving.com and SocialiteSlapdown.com
Link(s):

I've worked with...

(Experience on scale of
1, familiar - 5, experienced)

I've also used...

(on smaller projects or for shorter periods)

My ideal development environment:

  • Linux (Ubuntu is my default, I've worked in them all to some degree)
  • Vim (Straight up. I've never used it another way.)
  • Git
  • A version of Firefox that doesn't have memory problems. Until then, Google Chrome
  • Among brilliant people that I can bounce ideas off of, share information with and learn from
  • With a company that encourages being human first, an employee second
  • With a team that understands this about programming

Words and phrases that I love/use often:

  • "simplicity"
  • "efficient"
  • "iterative"
  • "minimalist"
  • "holistic"
  • "What is the problem that we're trying to solve?"
  • "Let's make a list."

Extracurricular interests:

(I have a ton of them)

  • Knitting
  • Sewing
  • Modular Origami
  • Brains (not like a zombie)
  • Philosophy
  • World Events (not politics)
  • Street Art
  • Music (mostly listening, more playing someday)
  • Fashion
  • Jewelry-making, some metal-working
  • Robots