See full story here.
Meet Barrie Jones Cook, a Network Engineering and Automation Consultant who redefines what it means to excel in tech—combining sharp technical expertise with a deep commitment to balancing her family and career life.
Whether solving complex technical challenges as a successful entrepreneur or crafting cosplay costumes for her kids, Barrie exemplifies how a dynamic career and family life can coexist. She possesses a nurturing and supportive nature with technical brilliance.
"When I went to my first NANOG, I was scared—the mailing list was intimidating, and everyone seemed to speak with such authority. But then I met Abha Ahuja, and she welcomed me so warmly. She made me feel like I belonged."
Barrie has built a career that works for her life.
Her life requires a keen ability to multitask. Barrie's high school daughter participates in a program that enables her to get a head start on college courses. On these days, Barrie works from her car to provide rides for her daughter. She is a devoted wife, daughter, mother of two, and the caregiver for her family.
In 2005, Barrie began seeking greater flexibility due to changes in her home life.
She founded her consulting firm, Barrie Jones Cook Consulting LLC. Since then, she has architected OSPF (Open Shortest Path First) and MPLS (Multiprotocol Label Switching) networks, set BGP (Border Gateway Protocol) peering strategies, and acquired IPv4 and IPv6 address space from RIRs (Regional Internet Registries). In addition to automating configurations with open-source tools like Netbox and Nautobot.
During her childhood, her mother planted the seeds of a future in engineering.
"My mom re-wired a lamp with me when I was little. That was the first time I realized how things work—it's not magic. You can fix it, and it'll work again. That stuck with me."
A career in engineering had always intrigued Barrie’s mom. As a woman, however, she had been discouraged by her family and educators from choosing a male-dominated industry and chose a career in the medical field instead.
Barrie was able to pick up the torch that her mother had lit.
In 1994, she earned a Bachelor of Science in industrial engineering from the University of Arizona. After graduation in 1994, Barrie began her first job as a traffic engineer for a telephony network. Over the years, she expanded her career, working with technologies such as Frame Relay, ATM (Asynchronous Transfer Mode), and IP (Internet Protocol).
Mastering the engineering world in the early 90s' came with unique challenges.
"The bigger problem for me wasn't necessarily others not taking me seriously—it was not taking myself seriously. I wondered if I belonged a lot," she said. "I've learned it's okay to say, 'I don't know. But here's my opinion, based on what I know.’"
In 2000, she began attending NANOG and found a home within the industry.
Through NANOG, Barrie met the late Abha Ahuja, a renowned computer scientist and network engineer whose legacy, since her passing in 2001, continues to inspire Internet architecture. Ahuja inspired Barrie to participate in the NANOG community and a female engineering networking group, called Net-grrls.
"When I went to my first NANOG, I was scared—the mailing list was intimidating, and everyone seemed to speak with such authority. But then I met Abha Ahuja, and she welcomed me so warmly. She made me feel like I belonged."
Barrie's career continued to evolve alongside the Internet revolution.
From her initial discovery of Mosaic to working on BGP engineering and witnessing the extinction of ATM.
"The first time I saw a browser—Mosaic, with its little chameleon logo—I was hooked. The idea of a webpage with a photograph embedded in text was revolutionary at the time."
According to Barrie, an industry shift that has changed the most is bandwidth availability.
"Back then, bandwidth was something you had to optimize and scrimp to save every megabit. Today, it's a commodity. The shift has been incredible."
Another massive shift has been the birth of her current focus: Network Automation.
"No one would have thought about automating networks 20 years ago—it was unimaginable. Now, it's a major focus, and I'm excited to be part of it."
Remote work is essential.
“For many of us, remote work is the only way to balance caregiving and work. Forcing people back into the office five days a week can mean they have to quit,” she said. “It’s not about gender anymore. Someone needs to handle caregiving, and flexibility benefits everyone.”
Her adaptable schedule allows her to stay active in the NANOG community, particularly in Hackathons.
“My very first NANOG Hackathon in 2020 was really impactful. I worked on an SDN (Software-Defined Networking) project and met a collaborator I’ve been working with ever since."
For those interested in meeting people who specialize in programming or want to learn about automation, Barrie strongly recommends attending a NANOG Hackathon. The next one will take place at NANOG 93.