Winston Cronenwett

About me

I'm a systems engineer with more than fifteen years of technical experience and an operations background most engineers don't have. I've run my own business, delivered IT for clients across five industries, and today help automate and operate a 1,400-host enterprise environment at the University of Dayton. I bring the technical depth to build platforms well and the business sense to make sure they're worth building.

The slightly longer version

I got my start in 2009 behind the counter at DNA Computers, fixing hardware and software problems for customers during the Great Recession and learning early how to do a lot with very little. While earning a business degree in operations management at Ohio State, I spent a corporate internship at Speedway, where I ran a regional compliance program and presented recommendations to the company's executive leadership. After graduating, I went back to DNA Computers to run operations and launch product lines that grew revenue.

That entrepreneurial streak led me to start my own IT services business, A Plus PC Doctor, and it's never really left me: I'm happiest when I'm building something from nothing and watching it work. Linux and open source software feed that instinct better than anything else, because they put every layer in my hands. From my own business I moved to a managed service provider, delivering IT for clients in higher education, finance, healthcare, non-profit, and manufacturing.

That led me to the University of Dayton, first as an IT Systems Analyst, where I built the department's asset management platform and later migrated it to Linux and Docker with zero downtime, and since 2025 as a Systems Engineer, where I work on the automation behind hundreds of Linux servers. Whether it's a business, a platform, or the site you're reading now, the reward for me is the same: taking an idea, building it well, and seeing it hold up in the real world.

Where I've worked

2025 — present

Systems Engineer

University of Dayton, UDit Enterprise Enabling Technologies

I administer an enterprise fleet of more than 1,400 hosts, roughly 400 Linux and 1,000 Windows, across virtual and physical infrastructure. I contribute to the Ansible and Terraform automation behind the Linux fleet, delivered through GitLab CI/CD, covering deployments, updates, and configuration changes, with Python, Bash, and PowerShell where needed. I designed and deployed a GPU-accelerated AI inference node in the University datacenter and integrated it with OpenCode, so AI-assisted development happens in the IDE without prompts or code leaving University infrastructure. It serves up to six concurrent users and has saved more than $4,000 in token costs, paying for itself in under six months. I also build new systems with cross-functional teams, help set standards across the fleet, patch through formal change management, and take my turn on call.

2022 — 2024

IT Systems Analyst

University of Dayton, Department of Student Development

I owned the department's IT asset management platform end to end, from scoping requirements with stakeholders to the technical build, and the work was recognized in the department's 2023 Impact Report. I later migrated it onto Linux and Docker with zero downtime and zero data loss, on hardware we already owned. I also wrote the cross-department ticket routing standards that cut misrouted tickets by about 85%.

2021 — 2022

Client IT Support Specialist

Incito Solutions LLC, a managed service provider

I delivered managed IT services to a portfolio of clients in higher education, finance, non-profit, medical, and manufacturing, balancing their priorities side by side and advising owners on urgent security, data recovery, and configuration problems. At The Modern College of Design, I was the embedded first point of contact for all IT and incident response.

2019 — 2021

Proprietor

A Plus PC Doctor

I founded and ran my own IT services business, owning every client relationship from the first consultation and scoping through procurement, delivery, and ongoing support.

2017 — 2019

Operations and Strategic Planning Manager

DNA Computers LLC

I ran a Kanban-based continuous improvement program, turning sales, service, and operations processes into documented process maps. I worked with the owners on strategy, using store data to launch a house-brand PC line and upgrade packages that significantly grew revenue, managed custom system projects for key clients, and hired for a team of up to five.

2009 — 2015

Earlier experience

Speedway LLC and DNA Computers LLC

As a corporate operations intern at Speedway, I presented employee retention recommendations to senior executive leadership, including the company President, ran a compliance program of more than 600 checks across 40 stores, and served as assistant manager for a team of up to twelve. Before that, I started in IT as a team leader at DNA Computers, leading small teams through peak seasons and training new hires.

What I work with

automation
Ansible, Terraform, GitLab CI/CD, Git
scripting
Python, Bash, PowerShell
cloud and data
Microsoft Azure, AWS, SQL; PostgreSQL, MySQL, MariaDB
AI tooling
Claude, OpenCode; self-hosted GPU-accelerated inference
infrastructure
Linux (enterprise), Windows Server; Proxmox VE, XCP-ng, VMware; Docker, Podman, Kubernetes
web and storage
Apache, Caddy, HAProxy; SAN and NAS
security
Firewalls, networking, security monitoring, patch management
practices
Change management, configuration standards, performance monitoring, on-call incident response, runbooks and technical documentation, Kanban

The homelab

At home I design and run a self-hosted virtual infrastructure on Proxmox and Docker, managed as code with Ansible. It runs productivity, security, and monitoring services, and it's where I test enterprise ideas before I need them at work. Most of what I know about Linux started as something I broke there first.

Education and certifications

2013 — 2017

B.S. Business Administration, Operations Management

The Ohio State University, Max M. Fisher College of Business

certifications

CompTIA A+ · Apple Certified Support Professional (ACSP)