Chris is the Bridge from Development to Software Reality

Most of Paladin Data Corporation’s clients may never meet or speak with Chris Kelley, but if they use the software, especially any of its integrations, they’ll experience his work. As Paladin’s Senior Integration Specialist, Chris acts as a bridge between the company’s support staff, who gather client feedback, and the development team, who implement new features and integrations into Paladin Point of Sale.

These enhancements often improve the user experience, ranging from simple access modifications to extensive new supplier EDI integrations.

“Integration specialist is just one of the hats I wear. Release management is another,” Chris explains. “All incoming requests for the Dev team are analyzed before being assigned. Once the work is completed, we ensure it’s documented, tested, and communicated internally to our support staff and externally to our clients.”

Chris expertly manages these responsibilities and occasionally shares his expertise at trade shows and supplier dealer markets.

“I do occasionally get to meet some of our clients. I always enjoy hearing about how they use Paladin and how we help them run their stores,” he says.

Before joining Paladin, Chris worked at Umpqua Bank in Portland, starting as a technical writer and then working as a business analyst before landing as an internal Business Relationship Manager. He worked within the Enterprise Project Management Organization that facilitated Umpqua Bank’s acquisitions. He and his wife Alley moved their family—son Jonathan and daughter Stephanie—to Bend, Oregon, where Paladin’s support and administrative center is located, right at the start of the pandemic. Since then, he’s become an integral part of Paladin’s development efforts.

Outside of work, Chris serves on the board of Alley’s nonprofit, Justice, Compassion and Hope, which combats sex trafficking in South America and Central Oregon. Alley, originally from Brazil, and Chris met while training for church ministries in South America and spent many early years of their marriage in Brazil and Argentina doing mission work.

Now, Chris’s work at Paladin occupies most of his focus.

“I love working on new features. I love building integrations. I love creating things I know stores will use. I don’t get to do that all the time, but it’s very rewarding when I do,” he says.