Jason Merino

I have worked at a few different jobs in the past 7 years in which I have increasingly needed to know and learn JavaScript. After the first couple years I really came to appreciate it and now it is definitely my language of choice. I have worked primarily with libraries such as jQuery, Backbone.js and Lodash.js on the client and have created a couple sites with Node.js as the back end. Last year I was able to take a position at my full time job as a Senior Mobile Engineer working on a React Native project.

I have worked with HTML for 19 years. When I was 12 my dad helped my siblings and I create an online business where I got my start working with HTML. Later on in my college years I got turned on to CSS and was blown away by the cascade. Since then I've used HTML and CSS through all the jobs I've had in the past 7 years, save the last year where I was styling React Native components with their StyleSheet declarations.

At my current job I have worked on building the new mobile and tablet Build.com and the Build.com Network Store sites (lightingdirect.com, faucetdirect.com, etc). I have been a part of many of the big architectural decisions on that app and have seen it go from an idea to a site that has had multiple million dollar days on mobile alone.

I have worked with git for the last three years and it is by far my favorite VCS. I've used SVN and TFS in other projects and love how git gets out of your way when you need it to but it's still powerful enough to handle complex tasks if you are willing to take the time to understand it.

I have been able to work, play, and live with all kinds of people over the years. I've had many different leadership roles throughout my life with jobs, church, friends and family. Through these I have come to find that communication is something that is key to getting your point across and for people to understand you. If I don't understand completely a point that someone is trying to get across I will continue to ask questions until I know what they are talking about. I value clarity in communication and pride myself in speaking in specific and consistent ways so that others understand what I'm saying.

Last year I was able to take a new position at my current job creating a mobile app with React Native. In the past year I have learned a lot about mobile development, while still being able to take advantage of my good JavaScript knowledge base. For the most part, it's been really enjoyable working with React Native and I am excited to see where the platform continues to go.