Engineer · Builder · Advocate

Luc Herlitz

I walk into organizations, find the gaps, and build whatever's needed. Testing frameworks, training programs, teams, processes. From zero to running.

The short version

There's a thread that runs through everything I've done: I get hired into roles that don't fully exist yet, and I build the systems that make them real. At Planning Center, I went from frontline support agent to their first automation engineer, architecting testing infrastructure, creating internal tools, and eventually representing the company at conferences and in partnerships with Apple and Stripe. There was no playbook, so I wrote one.

Before that, I spent five years at Arise equipping instructors across programs for major Fortune 500 clients. I built a data tool that predicted which learners were at risk of failing, and it moved certification rates up by 35%. I've managed teams of 75+, designed curriculum from scratch, coached people through career transitions, and led quality programs across entire organizations.

And before any of that, I spent a decade in ministry, producing services, leading creative teams, and managing technology for churches. That's where I fell in love with the idea that nonprofits and churches deserve world-class tools. It's what drives every side project I build today.

15+ Years in Tech
35% Certification Rate Improvement
4 Industries Spanned
20+ Years of Leadership

Where I've built things

Camping World

Sales Consultant
2026 – Present

Stepped into a completely different industry and immediately started building. Within weeks, created a training tool to help new sales associates practice overcoming objections, soft closing, presenting numbers, and closing deals. Leverages AI tools to analyze inventory and match the right unit to each customer's needs.

  • Built a sales training tool for objection handling, closing techniques, and deal presentation
  • Uses AI-powered inventory analysis to match customers with ideal units
  • Quickly became a top performer on the sales floor
Sales Training Tools AI Integration Client Matching

Planning Center

Support Agent → Product Specialist → Project Coordinator → QA Engineer
2016 – 2025

Started on the frontline handling Zendesk tickets. Built internal support tools that the whole team adopted. Moved into project coordination, then became the company's first-ever automation engineer, designing the entire QA infrastructure from scratch. Also represented Planning Center at conferences and in developer partnerships.

  • Architected end-to-end testing frameworks (Cypress, Playwright) adopted across all product teams
  • Created internal support tools and Zendesk plugins used by the entire support organization
  • Represented the company at conferences and in developer partnerships
  • Coordinated cross-team projects and release processes
Cypress Playwright Ruby on Rails CI/CD Zendesk Project Coordination

Arise Virtual Solutions

Certification Operations Manager
2011 – 2016

Equipped and managed instructors across programs for major Fortune 500 and enterprise clients. Built the Course Activity Matrix (CAM), a data analytics tool to predict learner outcomes and identify at-risk students before they failed.

  • CAM tool drove 15–35% increase in class certification rates
  • Implemented QA and NPS programs across training operations
  • Managed teams of 75+ instructors across multiple client programs
  • Designed curriculum and assessment frameworks from scratch
Data Analytics QA Programs Training Design NPS Team Leadership

Ministry & Church Leadership

Creative Arts & Experience Pastor
2001 – 2011

A decade of pastoral leadership across churches in Ohio, Michigan, and North Carolina. Managed worship teams, media production, volunteer programs, and technology. Produced radio broadcasts and led creative services.

  • Sunday Experience Pastor who designed and produced weekly services for hundreds
  • Managed musicians, media teams, and volunteer organizations
  • Technology-forward approach to ministry with early adoption of digital tools
  • This is where the conviction for faith-based tech was born
Leadership Production Volunteer Management Technology

Things I'm building

Echo Worship

AI-powered worship song recommendations based on sermon content. Helping worship leaders find the perfect songs that align with what's being preached.

TypeScript AI/ML Church Tech

Shepboard

Project management built specifically for churches. Because ministry teams have unique workflows that Jira and Asana don't understand.

React Vite JavaScript

Lumon Ipsum

A Severance-themed Lorem Ipsum generator. Because the work is mysterious and important, and so is placeholder text.

Next.js Vercel
Visit Site

What I work with

Testing & QA

Cypress Playwright Selenium Jest Vitest XCTest Maestro Manual Testing Test Strategy

Languages & Frameworks

JavaScript TypeScript Ruby Python React Next.js Node.js

DevOps & Tools

GitHub Actions CI/CD Pipelines Docker BrowserStack Git Zendesk

Training & Enablement

Curriculum Design Instructor-led Training Coaching & Mentoring Onboarding Programs Data-driven Assessment

Certifications

ISTQB® CTFL CAM 501: Foundations of Coaching CAM 503: Coaching for Change CAM 507: Coaching Teams

Leadership & Advocacy

Team Leadership (75+) Technical Advocacy Conference Speaking Cross-functional Collaboration Process Design Partnership Negotiation Project Coordination

What people say

"I was so impressed with his application that I used it as a teaching tool for other applicants, to show them what an excellent application looked like. Luc understands how the pieces of a SaaS company fit together. He's a deep, holistic thinker with a gift for connecting systems and processes to individual results."

SB
Sarah Bellamy Director of Customer Support, Planning Center

"Luc has a rare ability to approach problems from fresh angles in a way that elevates the entire team. He's not afraid to share his honest opinion, and he always backs his ideas with thoughtful reasoning and a desire to make the team better. For me, Luc is a 10 out of 10 hire that you'll regret not hiring."

JT
Jacob Tilley Support Manager, Planning Center

"Luc consistently demonstrates the ability to break down complex issues, identify root causes, and deliver solutions that are both efficient and forward-thinking. Beyond his technical skills, Luc is an outstanding team player who collaborates effortlessly across functions. His blend of expertise, professionalism, and collaborative spirit sets him apart."

HG
Heather Gambrell VP, Business Banking Sales Manager

"He's an excellent QA engineer who's always thinking ahead, especially when it comes to using AI in creative ways. The QA tooling he built has a huge impact on our team's efficiency and really raised the bar for how we work. Luc is smart, innovative, and great to collaborate with."

NT
Nick Townsend QA Tester, Planning Center

"I was so impressed with his application that I used it as a teaching tool for other applicants, to show them what an excellent application looked like. Luc understands how the pieces of a SaaS company fit together. He's a deep, holistic thinker with a gift for connecting systems and processes to individual results."

SB
Sarah Bellamy Director of Customer Support, Planning Center

"Luc has a rare ability to approach problems from fresh angles in a way that elevates the entire team. He's not afraid to share his honest opinion, and he always backs his ideas with thoughtful reasoning and a desire to make the team better. For me, Luc is a 10 out of 10 hire that you'll regret not hiring."

JT
Jacob Tilley Support Manager, Planning Center

"Luc consistently demonstrates the ability to break down complex issues, identify root causes, and deliver solutions that are both efficient and forward-thinking. Beyond his technical skills, Luc is an outstanding team player who collaborates effortlessly across functions. His blend of expertise, professionalism, and collaborative spirit sets him apart."

HG
Heather Gambrell VP, Business Banking Sales Manager

"He's an excellent QA engineer who's always thinking ahead, especially when it comes to using AI in creative ways. The QA tooling he built has a huge impact on our team's efficiency and really raised the bar for how we work. Luc is smart, innovative, and great to collaborate with."

NT
Nick Townsend QA Tester, Planning Center

"Luc is one of those people who, when he sees problems, he not only finds solutions, but creates resources and comes alongside people to make sure they understand and can use them well. He is wicked smart and super efficient, and someone who cares deeply about people succeeding. Anyone would be lucky to have Luc on their team. I know I was!"

RC
Raquel Carlson Customer Experience & Enablement Lead

"He is an exceptional QA engineer. His attention to detail, drive for excellence, and strong coordination skills consistently strengthened our releases and our team. Luc handles pressure with focus, advocates for doing the right thing, and brings a genuine desire to produce great work. Any team would benefit from his clarity, dedication, and high standards."

SM
Steph Munden Training Content & Coaching

"Luc learns new testing tools and frameworks remarkably quickly. More importantly, he documents what he learns and shares it effectively with the team. He helped build our QA Engineering processes from the ground up while keeping the team informed and engaged throughout the transition."

MR
Mark Ranallo Director of Platform Engineering, Planning Center

"You can tell his priorities are fully aligned with the product's users, surely inspired by his experience in Customer Support. In all professional interactions he exhibited the integrity and thoroughness that makes for a fantastic QA Engineer. Guaranteed to add value to any team. I enjoyed working with Luc tremendously!"

AT
Anthony Trombetta Front End Developer, Planning Center

"No matter how busy he was, he always made time to answer questions, teach, and share what he knew. He doesn't just say he loves new technology — he actively pursues it, constantly researching new QA methods and staying on top of industry trends in his own time. Luc is a dedicated professional and someone any organization would be lucky to have."

JM
Juan Medina Software Tester & QA Analyst, Planning Center

"Luc is one of those people who, when he sees problems, he not only finds solutions, but creates resources and comes alongside people to make sure they understand and can use them well. He is wicked smart and super efficient, and someone who cares deeply about people succeeding. Anyone would be lucky to have Luc on their team. I know I was!"

RC
Raquel Carlson Customer Experience & Enablement Lead

"He is an exceptional QA engineer. His attention to detail, drive for excellence, and strong coordination skills consistently strengthened our releases and our team. Luc handles pressure with focus, advocates for doing the right thing, and brings a genuine desire to produce great work. Any team would benefit from his clarity, dedication, and high standards."

SM
Steph Munden Training Content & Coaching

"Luc learns new testing tools and frameworks remarkably quickly. More importantly, he documents what he learns and shares it effectively with the team. He helped build our QA Engineering processes from the ground up while keeping the team informed and engaged throughout the transition."

MR
Mark Ranallo Director of Platform Engineering, Planning Center

"You can tell his priorities are fully aligned with the product's users, surely inspired by his experience in Customer Support. In all professional interactions he exhibited the integrity and thoroughness that makes for a fantastic QA Engineer. Guaranteed to add value to any team. I enjoyed working with Luc tremendously!"

AT
Anthony Trombetta Front End Developer, Planning Center

"No matter how busy he was, he always made time to answer questions, teach, and share what he knew. He doesn't just say he loves new technology — he actively pursues it, constantly researching new QA methods and staying on top of industry trends in his own time. Luc is a dedicated professional and someone any organization would be lucky to have."

JM
Juan Medina Software Tester & QA Analyst, Planning Center

"Luc has a gift for teaching practical skills in a way that immediately improves your work. He showed me how to look deeper, identify the need behind the need, and solve the problem a customer has not yet articulated. That skill alone has transformed my approach to service and leadership."

BB
Brandon Berg 9-Year Colleague, Planning Center

"Luc inspires greatness in everyone who encounters his work. No matter the task, he consistently identifies the right tools, builds sustainable processes with the future in mind, and empowers the people around him. He brings a rare blend of efficiency, foresight, and integrity — qualities that leave every team and project better than he found it."

MB
Michael Burnette Product Manager, Planning Center

"From Support to QA to QA Engineering, Luc has played a foundational role in shaping processes that our teams still rely on today. His ability to see both the big picture and the smallest details allowed him to build systems that were not only effective, but scalable and sustainable. What sets Luc apart is how deeply he invests in others."

AH
Alan Huerta Product Manager, Planning Center

"He's one of the most technically sharp QA professionals I've encountered. Luc has an exceptional talent for staying ahead of the curve on emerging technologies and tools. He doesn't just check boxes — he thinks critically about edge cases, user experience, and long-term maintainability."

CR
Clayton Rector QA Engineer, Planning Center

"Luc has a gift for teaching practical skills in a way that immediately improves your work. He showed me how to look deeper, identify the need behind the need, and solve the problem a customer has not yet articulated. That skill alone has transformed my approach to service and leadership."

BB
Brandon Berg 9-Year Colleague, Planning Center

"Luc inspires greatness in everyone who encounters his work. No matter the task, he consistently identifies the right tools, builds sustainable processes with the future in mind, and empowers the people around him. He brings a rare blend of efficiency, foresight, and integrity — qualities that leave every team and project better than he found it."

MB
Michael Burnette Product Manager, Planning Center

"From Support to QA to QA Engineering, Luc has played a foundational role in shaping processes that our teams still rely on today. His ability to see both the big picture and the smallest details allowed him to build systems that were not only effective, but scalable and sustainable. What sets Luc apart is how deeply he invests in others."

AH
Alan Huerta Product Manager, Planning Center

"He's one of the most technically sharp QA professionals I've encountered. Luc has an exceptional talent for staying ahead of the curve on emerging technologies and tools. He doesn't just check boxes — he thinks critically about edge cases, user experience, and long-term maintainability."

CR
Clayton Rector QA Engineer, Planning Center
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Let's connect

I'm exploring my next opportunity, whether that's QA engineering, technical advocacy, training, or building something from scratch. If you need someone who can find the gaps and close them, I'd love to talk.