Summit Hut

For over 20 years I worked at the Summit Hut - a well regarded Outdoor Specialty Retailer located in Tucson Arizona. I came to be a core member of the Summit Hut Team and in classic small business fashion had the opportunity to develop many skills:

• Buying: Developed assortments and managed the complete inventory life-cycle for millions of dollars of product
• Software Developer: C# .NET internal desktop ERP development, ETL and Web API work
• IT: Desktop, Printer, Device, Server, Microsoft 365 and software support

Business

• Data insights & analysis
• Forecasting & KPIs
• Assortment planning
• Product data management
• Cross-team collaboration
• Market & trend analysis
• Staff training
• Communication & reporting
• Problem solving
• Data accuracy & organization
• Continuous learning

Technical

• Excel: formulas, pivots, automation
• SQL / SQL Server: queries, design, optimization
• ETL pipelines: design & automation
• API integrations: Amazon, Magento, Google, Locally, SPS
• Power BI: dashboards, DAX, modeling
• Python: analysis & automation
• C#: .NET apps & reporting
• API / service dev (.NET Core)
• UI dev: WPF, WinForms, SignalR
• Mobile dev: Xamarin / MAUI
• Reporting: Excel & HTML
• Version control: Git / GitHub
• Logging: Seq, Serilog
• Data validation & quality
• Data security & access
• Automation & efficiency
• Documentation & training
• AI tools: GitHub Copilot
• IT support: Windows, M365

IT

• Desktop hardware and software troubleshooting
• Active Directory user and permission management
• Microsoft 365 administration
• Network troubleshooting
• Operating system deployment and configuration
• Software & hardware documentation

SUMMIT HUT — Buyer / Software Developer / Data Analyst Tucson, AZ | 2002 – 2025

DATA & TECHNICAL CONTRIBUTIONS

• Designed and maintained ETL pipelines for inventory and vendor data, importing and updating tens of thousands of rows every day
• Built and optimized SQL Server databases (tables, views, stored procedures) to improve performance, maintain data accuracy, and support new applications
• Developed C# desktop applications (WPF, WinForms) to streamline purchasing and inventory workflow
• Created automated Excel and HTML reports shared across internal departments and with hundreds of external partners to improve access to consistent, transparent data
• Integrated and automated data feeds from Amazon, Magento, Google, and Locally to keep products, pricing, inventory, and images current across tens of thousands of SKUs on SummitHut.com
• Developed dashboards and reporting tools used daily across departments to provide actionable business insights
• Implemented centralized logging and monitoring (Seq, Serilog) to consolidate data, surface issues, and make technical insights accessible through dashboards and descriptive log messages
• Migrated multiple projects and hundreds of thousands of lines of code to Git/GitHub for improved version control and collaboration
• Leveraged GitHub Copilot and other AI-assisted tools to accelerate report generation and process automation
• Built a mobile app (Xamarin.Forms) that improved restock accuracy and turnaround times
• Automated daily and hourly imports, exports, and vendor communications to reduce manual workload and improve timeliness
• Created validation checks and reconciliation processes ensuring accuracy across systems with 20 years of history, over a million product records, and more than $100 million in sales transactions
• Investigated and resolved multiple data discrepancies each week, documenting issues, communicating with stakeholders, and implementing reports, training, and processes to prevent future problems
• Structured data models and reporting layers to improve performance and simplify downstream analysis
• Wrote unit tests and maintained documentation for reproducible and transparent results
• Supported network and Microsoft 365 operations to improve security and reliability

BUSINESS & ANALYTICAL CONTRIBUTIONS

• Designed and optimized assortments for footwear, outerwear, socks, and all categories for key brand shops (Lowa, Marmot, Outdoor Research), achieving double- and triple-digit growth and regularly meeting with vendors and gathering input from internal teams to adjust and improve assortments
• Analyzed sales, inventory, and e-commerce data to identify trends and guide forecasting, assortment, and purchasing decisions supporting over $1 million in annual sales
• Managed hundreds of preseason and in-season orders in our internal ERP system each year, adjusting for sales trends and business goals to meet KPI targets and monitoring POs to ensure a profitable flow of inventory
• Partnered with vendors to develop programs, negotiate terms, improve margins, and secure special buys that enhanced business performance
• Oversaw receipt and distribution of more than $1 million in wholesale inventory annually and collaborated with vendors to resolve shipping, invoicing, pricing, and compliance issues to ensure timely resolutions and returns
• Created and maintained product and pricing data for tens of thousands of SKUs each season, including promotional and clearance pricing for multiple channels
• Expanded online assortment by partnering with drop-ship vendors to add thousands of additional SKUs to SummitHut.com
• Collaborated with the marketing team to align inventory and assortment strategies with promotions, events and advertising schedules
• Presented analytical findings and recommendations to leadership to guide purchasing, forecasting, and business planning
• Led staff training on product features, fit, and selling strategies to improve sales performance and product knowledge
• Improved operational efficiency through automation, B2B integrations, and streamlined reporting tools
• Initiated process improvements that reduced manual effort, increased reporting speed, and saved significant staff time annually in the Buying and Web departments
• Collaborated with leadership to ensure goals were data-driven, transparent, and measurable

MANAGEMENT AND PROJECTS

• Managed the web product build process, assigning tasks, setting priorities, and streamlining workflows to improve efficiency across the Web Team
• Co-managed Buyer Assistants, overseeing daily workflow, providing training, and developing team knowledge to strengthen buying operations
• Led software projects that enhanced vendor communication, optimized inventory operations, and increased stock-transfer accuracy across multiple store locations
• Contributed to warehouse organization and layout projects to streamline restock processes and improve efficiency

TECHINICAL SUPPORT & SYSTEMS ADMINISTRATION

• Set up and maintained user accounts, permissions, and email in Microsoft 365 and Active Directory
• Managed desktop computers, responding to and resolving support requests for hardware and software issues
• Provided technical support for business-critical systems including point-of-sale computers, label printers, and inventory management software
• Deployed and configured new computers, operating systems, and software updates for staff across departments
• Set up, secured, and maintained public-facing SFTP and image servers used for vendor data exchange and web site use
• Created documentation for software and hardware setups to ensure consistency and support future troubleshooting
• Troubleshot and resolved network connectivity issues, collaborating with an external IT firm to manage infrastructure projects, extend coverage for escalated issues, and develop long-term solutions