K-12 IT veteran Chris Thomas joins The PowerShell Podcast to share his 26-year journey in educational technology, from a high school IT internship to becoming an Endpoint Cloud Systems Architect supporting multiple school districts in Michigan. Chris discusses how PowerShell helped him automate identity management, investigate network incidents, and streamline large-scale IT operations across complex school environments. The conversation also dives into mentorship, Don Jones’ influence through Be the Master, the value of community involvement, and the mental health challenges IT professionals face. Chris shares practical lessons on automation, presenting at conferences, overcoming imposter syndrome, and how putting yourself out there can open doors throughout your career.

Key Takeaways: • PowerShell fundamentals unlock huge opportunities — learning commands like Get-Command, Get-Help, Get-Member, and Get-Module can help you explore and automate almost anything. • Automation is essential in resource-constrained environments like K-12 IT where staff wear many hats and must support large systems with limited manpower. • Community participation accelerates growth — presenting, attending conferences, and contributing scripts can build confidence, connections, and career momentum.

Guest Bio: Chris Thomas is an Endpoint Cloud Systems Architect supporting multiple K-12 school districts in Michigan through a regional educational service agency. With more than two decades of experience in educational IT, Chris focuses on automation, endpoint management, and infrastructure architecture. He is an active contributor to the Michigan K-12 technology community, regularly presenting at conferences such as MAEDS and MMS/MOA, and sharing PowerShell scripts and tools through his GitHub projects.

Resource Links: Chris Thomas GitHub – https://github.com/chrisATautomatemystuff

Connect with Andrew - https://andrewpla.tech/links

PowerShell App Deployment Toolkit – https://psappdeploytoolkit.com

Learn PowerShell in a Month of Lunches – https://www.manning.com/books/learn-powershell-in-a-month-of-lunches

PDQ Discord – https://discord.gg/PDQ

MAEDS Conference – https://maeds.org

MMS / MOA Conference – https://mmsmoa.com

The PowerShell Podcast on YouTube: https://youtu.be/k4n6FWzDPUk

Security professional Mason Moser joins The PowerShell Podcast to share his journey from discovering PowerShell through Learn PowerShell in a Month of Lunches to building real-world automation tools in a security environment. Mason talks about how starting slowly, returning to PowerShell after a break, and consistently building small tools helped him gain confidence and deepen his skills.

The conversation also explores the value of community involvement, overcoming imposter syndrome, presenting technical topics publicly, and practical workflows for security and scripting. Mason discusses using Git with AI-assisted coding, building internal PowerShell tools for teams, and how small daily automation tasks can steadily build long-term PowerShell expertise. Key Takeaways: • Start small and stay consistent — even simple scripts like cleaning up files or automating routine tasks build real PowerShell confidence over time. • Community involvement accelerates learning — asking thoughtful questions, sharing tools, and participating in discussions can dramatically improve your growth. • Git is essential when working with AI-generated code — committing changes frequently makes it easier to review, rollback, and understand modifications AI tools produce. Guest Bio: Mason Moser is a security professional based in Oklahoma who focuses on automation, governance, and risk within the electric utility industry. With a background in programming and security operations, Mason uses PowerShell to build internal tooling, streamline security workflows, and improve operational efficiency. He is an active participant in the PowerShell community and recently presented a PowerShell Wednesday session on Vim and keyboard-driven development workflows. Resource Links: Learn PowerShell in a Month of Lunches – https://www.manning.com/books/learn-powershell-in-a-month-of-lunches PDQ Discord – https://discord.gg/PDQ Connect with Andrew - https://andrewpla.tech/links PowerShell Wednesdays – https://www.youtube.com/@PDQ Vim Editor – https://www.vim.org

The PowerShell Podcast on YouTube: https://youtu.be/7EtWrrblKMw

Returning guest and Microsoft MVP Jim Tyler joins The PowerShell Podcast to talk Zero Trust security, K–12 IT leadership, open-source tooling, and building technology that serves real-world needs. Jim shares how he uses PowerShell to proactively harden school environments, including his Ghost module for endpoint lockdown and his Chrome extension You Shall Not Pass for classroom device management.

Beyond security, the conversation dives into Jim’s assistive technology project TapSpeak, a free AAC communication app designed to help nonverbal students speak without financial barriers. From community leadership and public service to certifications and content creation, this episode explores how technical skills can scale far beyond scripts—and into meaningful impact.

Key Takeaways: • Zero Trust starts with proactive hardening – Tools like Jim’s Ghost module help limit lateral movement, restrict protocols, and reduce attack surfaces before incidents occur. • Technical skills are force multipliers – From Chrome extensions to iOS apps, PowerShell knowledge and coding fundamentals translate into broader impact across platforms. • Community contribution compounds over time – Whether serving on public boards, mentoring, or publishing tools for free, consistent service builds trust, opportunity, and long-term influence.

Guest Bio: Jim Tyler is an IT Director for Niles Community Schools in Michigan and a Microsoft MVP known for practical automation and security tooling in K–12 environments. He is the creator of the Ghost PowerShell security module, the You Shall Not Pass Chrome extension, and the free AAC communication project TapSpeak. Beyond IT, Jim serves in multiple public leadership roles, coaches youth sports, and actively contributes to the PowerShell community through his newsletter PowerShell News and technical content.

Resource Links: • PowerShell News Newsletter – https://powershell.news

• Jim Tyler on YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/@jimrtyler

• Connect with Andrew - https://andrewpla.tech/links

• Ghost PowerShell Module – https://github.com/jimrtyler/ghost

• You Shall Not Pass Chrome Extension – https://chromewebstore.google.com/detail/you-shall-not-pass-by-jim/efggnkbeomjjanjmghbadggegjemogee

• TapSpeak – https://tapspeak.org

• PDQ Discord – https://discord.gg/PDQ

The PowerShell Podcast on YouTube: https://youtu.be/0q3Y0mMjWF4