Chris Wahlfeldt

Champaign, IL • (217) 979-8028 • chriswahlfeldt@gmail.com

Summary

Full-stack developer with 11+ years of experience delivering web applications and content platforms in agency environments. Deep expertise in WordPress and PHP, with strong range across modern JavaScript frameworks, mobile development, and back-end systems. Comfortable leading small teams, making architecture decisions, and shipping reliable, maintainable software on tight timelines.

Skills

WordPressPHPJavaScriptHTMLCSSSassSQLNode.jsTypeScriptReactReact NativeGitCI/CDLinuxDockerAWSNext.jsGatsby.jsDrupalTwigTailwindGraphQLC#.NETRust

Experience

Web Developer – Surface 51 February 2025 – Present
  • Building WordPress content platforms for clients across research, agriculture, and e-commerce, delivering production-ready sites quickly.
  • Leading front-end architecture decisions and establishing modern development workflows across projects.
Frontend Developer – Southleft May 2023 – Aug 2024
  • Built a web analytics dashboard using Next.js and Amplitude, giving stakeholders real-time visibility into product metrics.
  • Developed a Gatsby.js marketing platform for AI translation company Smartling, integrating Contentful CMS to support multi-locale content across dozens of pages.
  • Shipped features and performance improvements for Outside Magazine and affiliated publications, serving millions of monthly readers.
Software Engineer – Pixo May 2020 – Apr 2023
  • Led a team building a real-time data visualization app for John Deere research, processing live MQTT sensor streams in React Native.
  • Built a livestock inventory management system with C#, React, and Material Design, replacing a manual spreadsheet workflow for end users.
  • Developed a WordPress multisite for the University of Illinois College of Fine and Applied Arts, unifying multiple department sites under a shared theme architecture.
Developer – McKenzie Wagner Apr 2016 – May 2020
  • Led development of a large-scale WordPress platform for Cobalt Digital with custom modules and caching strategies that cut page load times significantly.
  • Built a Gatsby.js site with headless WordPress for a major equipment rental service, improving site speed and editorial flexibility over the previous monolithic setup.
  • Developed an e-commerce WordPress site for Bell Racing with custom product catalog and checkout integration.
Web Developer – Vertex Solutions Oct 2014 – Mar 2016
  • Built a WordPress platform for Illinois Law Enforcement Alarm System with custom event management and member-facing tools.
  • Maintained and delivered client sites across WordPress, Drupal, and custom PHP stacks.