Billy Glenn

Principal Cloud Architect · Enterprise Architecture veteran · AI practitioner

San Francisco Bay Area · LinkedIn · Credly

Summary

Principal Cloud Architect with 30+ years at a Fortune 200 utility, where I helped found the Enterprise Architecture practice and have led architecture across successive technology waves: Internet, identity federation, security, Industrial Control Systems, NERC CIP, cloud, and now AI.

Currently architect cloud workloads across a grid systems portfolio while building and operating personal AI systems (agentic pipelines, MCP-based tool surfaces, cross-client memory) that inform a practitioner's view of enterprise AI.

Domain Expertise

Enterprise & Solution Architecture — Strategy and roadmap, reference architectures, design patterns, technology standards, governance, TOGAF, SAFe Architect, cross-portfolio integration leadership

AI & Agentic Systems — Generative AI, retrieval-augmented generation (RAG), Model Context Protocol (MCP), agentic pipelines, multi-provider orchestration, A/B prompt evaluation, vector-based memory, traditional machine learning, hands-on practice with Claude, Perplexity, OpenAI, NotebookLM

Cloud Architecture & Platform Engineering — AWS (principal depth), GCP, multi-account landing zones, event-driven serverless (FaaS), containers (Kubernetes, ECS/EKS, Cloud Foundry), streaming (Kafka, Kinesis, MSK, Confluent), 12-factor and microservices patterns, FinOps, cost optimization

Security & Operational Technology — Cloud-native security, SecDevOps, Identity & Access (OIDC, SAML, PKI, X.509), Zero Trust, application and data security, next-generation firewall architecture, Industrial Control Systems security, SCADA, ICS protocols (Modbus, DNP3, ICCP, IEC 61850), NERC CIP, Industrial IoT

DevSecOps & Platform Practices — Everything-as-Code, CI/CD pipelines, GitOps, Infrastructure-as-Code, observability and telemetry-first design, agile delivery (sprints, stand-ups, flow)

Hands-On AI Practice

Beyond certifications and community-of-practice participation, I build and operate real agentic AI systems. Two representative personal projects:

Research Curation Daemon (RCD). Self-hosted, fully autonomous weekly pipeline that scouts, synthesizes, and publishes podcast-style briefings across four technical domains (AI, Cloud, Grid Technology, Security). Coordinates three LLM providers (Perplexity, Claude, OpenAI) and NotebookLM for audio generation. Architectural elements include a custom MCP server exposing each pipeline stage as a tool, a standalone scheduled daemon with resume detection and incident recovery, telemetry from day one, and an A/B prompt-evaluation framework. Human judgment enters at one specific gate — episode approval before dev→production promotion. RCD is what powers the Podcast section of this site.

Open Brain (OB1) — personal deployment and integration. Operate a personal instance of OB1, Nate B. Jones's open-source AI memory layer (Supabase + pgvector + MCP tool surface). Integrated across every AI client I use (Claude Desktop, Claude Code, Web Claude) so the same cross-tool memory travels with me regardless of vendor. Built a custom feedback loop where the Research Curation Daemon reads captured context as a signal source for query evolution.

Experience

Pacific Gas and Electric Company — San Francisco, CA · April 1992 – Present

Principal Cloud Architect — Grid Systems Portfolio

March 2024 – Present

Portfolio-level cloud architect for three value streams (advanced distribution management, growth and resilience, and smart meter operations) spanning the most visible Grid Technology initiatives in the portfolio.

  • Cloud architect for the cloud components of the portfolio's flagship advanced distribution management program: outage information services delivering data to customer-facing, regulatory (SAIDI, SAIFI), and operational downstream consumers. Accountable for Tier 1 availability, observability, fault-tolerant patterns, and cross-portfolio integration.
  • Architecture engagement for beneficial load growth and data-center interconnection workloads in the growth and resilience program.
  • Portfolio cloud security posture management; high SLA adherence on vulnerability remediation. Zero data-loss posture, full secure-behaviors compliance.
  • Established FinOps practices for portfolio cloud workloads; identified and eliminated provisioned-but-unused storage yielding significant ongoing monthly savings.
  • Cross-portfolio integration architecture guidance for an enterprise GIS migration program, portfolio lifecycle modernization (VMware exit), and a Confluence Cloud migration.
  • Authored an AWS API Authorization Design Patterns reference implementation (wiki, plus multiple GitHub repos with IaC code and a React front-end) demonstrating OIDC AuthCode + PKCE flows for JavaScript SPA integration.
  • Two active mentees through an internal certification and mentorship platform; admin of that platform. Active contributor to the company's GenAI Community of Practice.

Principal Cloud Security Architect — Cloud Center of Excellence (Tech Lead)

July 2018 – March 2024

Technical lead for the Cloud Center of Excellence during the foundational build-out of the company's commercial cloud capability.

  • Established the enterprise AWS landing zone and enabled commercial cloud services across the company.
  • Developed and delivered a widely-leveraged S3 Webapp Pipeline product that became a standard path for secure static-site deployments enterprise-wide.
  • Drove architecture alignment across cybersecurity and the data and analytics organization.
  • Founded and led the enterprise Cloud Mentorship program; grew to 300+ participants company-wide. Subsequently re-launched via Hackathon as the company's official mentorship platform.
  • Built high-trust teams, fast feedback loops, and an explicit learning-culture posture within the COE.

Principal Vanguard Security Architect — Enterprise Architecture · Vanguard

July 2016 – July 2018

  • Early exploration of cloud-native, Platform-as-a-Service, and modern application development patterns, ahead of the company's formal cloud adoption.
  • Delivered the Vanguard Solar App across multiple platforms as a hands-on proof-of-value.
  • Launched the grass-roots Cloud Mentorship program that later scaled within the Cloud COE.
  • Authored published points-of-view on emerging technology (blockchain, IoT, commercial cloud).

Principal Enterprise Security Architect — Chief Technology Office

May 2012 – June 2016

Primary architectural authority for Operational Technology security posture during a pivotal regulatory and technology period.

  • Enterprise architect for the company's NERC CIP v5 transition program, one of the largest compliance programs of the period.
  • Developed and defined the security architecture for the company's Smart Grid technology stack.
  • Conducted extensive lab evaluation of next-generation firewall products; designed and deployed NGFW at mission-critical Control Center locations.
  • Deep engagement with industrial protocols (Modbus, DNP3, ICCP, IEC 61850) and control-system architecture.

Principal Security Architect — Strategic Planning and Architecture

April 2010 – April 2012

  • Established a new Security Solution Architect role and function.
  • Developed the design-pattern approach that mapped security controls to reference architectures — driving standardization, reuse, and simplified security review.

Principal Internet Architect — Enterprise Architecture

August 2006 – April 2010

  • Founding member of the company's Enterprise Architecture practice, representing the Internet domain.
  • Established enterprise standards, reference architectures, and design patterns for the Internet domain.
  • Designed and implemented the company's first enterprise identity federation using SAML.

Principal Internet Architect — IT Infrastructure

January 2001 – July 2006

  • Strategic planning for Internet infrastructure and services; evolved the enterprise architecture by introducing 3-tier J2EE patterns.
  • Enhanced security and audit capabilities with application firewalls and IDS.

Earlier Roles (1992 – 2001)

Internet Architect, IT Planning (1998–2001) · Senior Network Specialist, Internetworking Supervisor (1995–1998) · Network Specialist (1993–1995) · Telecommunications Technician (1992–1993). Notable: infrastructure and security lead for the company's initial public Internet presence, including the launch of its public website in February 1996; deployed the company's first full-time Internet firewall; evaluated and implemented early authentication systems including LDAP, Web SSO, and the company's first X.509 Certificate Authority.

Earlier Career

Contra Costa County Communications — Martinez, CA · Communications Technician · Feb 1990 – March 1992. Public-safety mobile radio, microwave, repeater, and dispatch systems.

U.S. Navy — USS Carl Vinson (CVN-70) · Fire Controlman First Class (E-6) · Jan 1984 – Jan 1990. Work Center Supervisor for a 3-dimensional air-search radar group; component-level maintenance and repair of AN/SPS-48C.

Certifications Earned

30+ senior technical certifications earned across AI, cloud, security, integration, and architecture, reflecting a sustained investment in continuous learning. Listed below as earned; active/inactive status varies by issuer renewal policies and CPE cycles. Full timeline on Credly.

AI & Machine Learning — AWS Certified AI Practitioner · AWS Certified Machine Learning – Specialty · Microsoft Certified: Azure AI Fundamentals

Integration — Salesforce Certified MuleSoft Developer · Salesforce Certified MuleSoft Integration Foundations

Cloud Platforms — AWS — Solutions Architect Professional · DevOps Engineer Professional · Database Specialty · Advanced Networking Specialty · Big Data Specialty · Security Specialty · Alexa Skill Builder Specialty · SysOps Administrator Associate · Developer Associate · Solutions Architect Associate · Cloud Practitioner

Cloud Platforms — Azure & GCP — Microsoft Certified: Cybersecurity Architect Expert · SC-100 Microsoft Cybersecurity Architect · AZ-400 Microsoft DevOps Engineer Expert · Microsoft Certified: Azure Security Engineer Associate · Microsoft Certified: Azure Administrator Associate · Microsoft Certified: Azure Fundamentals · GCP Professional Cloud Architect · GCP Associate Cloud Engineer

Container & Infrastructure — CKA: Certified Kubernetes Administrator · HashiCorp Certified: Terraform Associate

Security — CISSP (#374092) · GIAC Cloud Security Automation GCSA (#266) · GIAC Industrial Cyber Security Professional GICSP (#329) · GIAC Response and Industrial Defense GRID (#31) · GIAC Penetration Tester GPEN (#11828) · GIAC Certified Incident Handler GCIH (#18178) · GIAC Python Coder GPYC (#458) · ISACA CISM (#1425958) · Palo Alto Networks PCNSE (#987267)

Enterprise Architecture, FinOps & Delivery — TOGAF 9 Certified · SAFe 5 Architect · FinOps Certified Practitioner

Education

Associate of Science — Regents College, University of the State of New York, Albany, NY (1990)