Michael Dykema — Senior .NET Developer

I modernize the systems teams depend on.

Backend services, pipelines, and developer tooling at Auto-Owners Insurance. I find the process gaps, pitch the fix, and own it from architecture through production.

See my work Get in touch

Selected impact

60+

.NET projects and services migrated from TFVC to Git, with new pipelines and code review

90%

faster deployments — 10 minutes to under 2 — with CI/CD in Azure Pipelines

38%

less database storage from an Archive & Purge microservice I built solo

About

My path into software was unusual: a temp job building medical devices turned into QA, then test automation, then engineering. It wasn’t the route I pictured when I wrote a text-based blackjack game as a high-school sophomore, but it made me a better developer.

These days I focus on backend services and the platform other developers build on: source control, pipelines, and the processes around them. I’m also piloting AI tooling for my department, and I built my latest client site by directing an AI coding agent.

Cooking

Food is a love language — and my favorite place to experiment.

Building

A converted travel van and a custom wood bed frame, so far.

Playing

Disc golf, pickleball, and hockey.

Experience

Full résumé (PDF)

2022–
Present

Auto-Owners Insurance

Senior Software Developer

Aug 2025 – Present

Software Developer

2023 – 2025

Associate Software Developer II

2022 – 2023

Led an enterprise-wide migration from TFVC to Git for an affiliate IT department: 60+ .NET projects and services, new Azure Pipelines, and a formal code review process.
Created a DevOps enablement role: converted classic pipelines to YAML, added PR build validation, and now leading the move of SQL databases into source control.
Implemented CI/CD in Azure Pipelines, cutting deployments from 10 minutes to under 2 and ending recurring configuration issues.
Sole developer on an Archive & Purge microservice (38% less database storage) and a service-layer refactor decoupling applications from the SQL data layer.
Selected to research and pilot AI tooling in the department’s development process.

Stack: C# · .NET · SQL Server · Azure DevOps · YAML pipelines · Git

2018–
2022

AvaSure

Software Engineer in Test

Apr 2022 – Aug 2022

SDET Co-op

2018 – 2022

Pitched, designed, and built a .NET service to schedule automated tests across shared servers, with a concurrency algorithm to load-balance and sequence runs.
Automated creating, closing, and tracking Jira bug tickets from test results, eliminating a manual QA workflow.
Built a tool to version and track requirements so every release was tested against the right set.
Built a React site for QA results and testing stats, plus SSRS reports on resource usage and coverage.

Stack: C# · .NET · SQL Server · React · Selenium · SSRS

2022

Grand Valley State University

B.S. Computer Science

Projects

Client work 2026

Fresh Coast Dock & Lift

A marketing site, content system, and interactive dock designer for a West Michigan dock and boat lift company. I was product owner, designer, and lead developer, directing an AI coding agent through the build.

Moved all content, including dock pieces, into Sanity so the owner runs the site without a developer.
Rebuilt the dock designer. Its logic is shared with the quote API, so the server rebuilds the parts list itself.
Quote requests arrive by email with the design and a picture of the layout attached.

Stack: Next.js · TypeScript · Tailwind · Sanity · Resend · Vercel

Read the case study Visit site

Overnight Precipitation Alerter

In progress

A .NET 10 worker and small config API that watch the overnight forecast and push a phone alert when rain or snow is coming.

View on GitHub

Let’s talk.

Questions, opportunities, or a good disc golf course recommendation — send a note.

LinkedIn GitHub