CORNELIUS B. THERON

Senior Facilities, Ranch & Infrastructure Operations Specialist

Palm Beach County, FL | (561) 853-6892 | cornelius.theron@gmail.com

U.S. Permanent Resident | South African Defence Force Veteran

PROFESSIONAL SUMMARY

Multidisciplinary industrial facilities specialist, mechanical systems engineer, and lifelong horseman with over 35 years of hands-on physical plant management, commercial infrastructure maintenance, and working ranch operations. Extensive background spanning commercial equine boarding facilities, multi-species livestock husbandry, high-voltage distribution, backup generator power plants, well/irrigation systems, and structural building. Lifelong equine handler—riding since age 3, managing Arabian stallions, and owning/operating a full-service boarding ranch in Montana before returning to Wellington. Proven capability to live on-site, protect high-value animals and acreage, maintain heavy machinery, and provide dependable, 24/7 physical property oversight.

CORE OPERATIONAL CAPABILITIES

• Equine Care & Livestock Husbandry: Lifelong horse handling (riding since age 3), stallion management, boarding stable operations, feeding/nutrition protocols, turnout management, farrier/veterinary coordination, and multi-species livestock care (horses, alpacas, goats, poultry).
• Ranch Infrastructure & Grounds: Tractor operation, arena dragging/footing maintenance, pasture management, perimeter fencing, run-in sheds, paddock gates, tree/brush clearing, and winter/storm property prep.
• Mechanical & Power Infrastructure: Commercial backup generators (diesel, LP, continuous baseload), automatic transfer switches, heavy electrical switchgear, hydraulics, water well pumps, and pressure tank systems.
• Electrical, Life Safety & Security: NFPA 72 and NEC 101 standards, 3-phase commercial electrical wiring, circuit breaker diagnostics, security gate access controls, fiber optics, and perimeter surveillance.
• Structural Carpentry & Construction: Full-scope building maintenance, pole barns, roofing, plumbing rough-in/finish, masonry, timber framing, and storm/hurricane hardening.

PROFESSIONAL & RANCH EXPERIENCE

THERON TECHNOLOGIES & INFRASTRUCTURE | Palm Beach County, FL

Principal Systems Engineer & Founder | 2001 – Present (Continuous)

• Directed hands-on fabrication, electrical wiring, mechanical tolerances, and testing for industrial prime-power generators, heavy utility transport chassis, and microgrid systems.
• Engineered closed-loop atmospheric water extraction hardware, industrial pumping arrays, and automated filtration systems.
• Secured United States Patent (USPTO Patent Application No. 63/641,548) for continuous magnetic power generation systems.
• Maintained continuous 28-year residential and operational base in Wellington, Florida, handling all structural, electrical, pool, and mechanical facilities maintenance.

THERON EQUESTRIAN CONNECTION (TEC) | Montana

Owner & Ranch General Manager | 2014 – 2019

• Founded, developed, and managed a full-service equine boarding and livestock facility, providing daily care for personal horses (3) alongside client-boarded horses.
• Executed daily barn routines: individualized feed/supplement regimens, stall cleaning, turnout schedules, blanketing, and basic equine medical/wound treatment.
• Managed multi-species livestock husbandry, overseeing breeding, feeding, health, and containment of alpacas, goats, and poultry flocks.
• Directed complete ranch physical infrastructure: installation and repair of perimeter fencing, pasture rotation, run-in sheds, automatic heated waterers, freeze-protection plumbing, barn electrical, and heavy tractor/loader operations.

TYCO INTERNATIONAL | South Florida

Senior Systems Specialist / Engineer | Late 1990s – 2001

• Inspected, serviced, and certified mission-critical life-safety, fire alarm, and electrical control systems under strict NFPA 72 and NEC 101 standards.
• Conducted advanced systems diagnostics, high-voltage/low-voltage wiring, relay logic testing, and municipal code compliance across large commercial facilities.

ADT ELECTRONICS | South Florida

Senior Systems Specialist – Government & Enterprise Division | Mid – Late 1990s

• Awarded the ADT Club Excellence Award two consecutive years for top-tier technical diagnostics and service delivery.
• Hand-selected lead South Florida inspector for high-security financial institutions, government complexes, and Tier-1 corporate facilities.
• Installed and serviced enterprise access control, fiber optic networks, biometric scanners, and backup battery arrays.

SECURITY SYSTEMS (Acquired by Adelphia) / HONEYWELL / AMERICAN SECURITY | South Florida

Lead Systems & RF Infrastructure Specialist | Early – Mid 1990s

• Serviced commercial access networks, alarm systems, and emergency communications for major regional banks and commercial complexes.
• Erected and wired FCC-licensed commercial radio communication towers from Jupiter and downtown West Palm Beach to Lake Worth and Boca Raton.

MIAMI METRO ZOO (ZOO MIAMI) RECONSTRUCTION PROJECT | Miami, FL

Lead Infrastructure & Structural Specialist (Live-In) | 1992 – 1993

• Lived on-site inside the zoo for six continuous months following the catastrophic Category 5 destruction of Hurricane Andrew to direct physical plant and visitor infrastructure rebuilding.
• Structurally engineered, framed, and thatched authentic commercial tiki huts and shade pavilions—built to extreme wind loads and remaining intact and standing today.
• Reconstructed perimeter pedestrian walkways, bridges, and hydration stations (“watering holes”) encircling large-animal and predator enclosures.
• Handled rough plumbing, high-pressure water delivery, drainage grading, and heavy timber construction adjacent to sensitive zoological habitats.

SIEMENS (Circuit Breaker Division) | Johannesburg, South Africa

Industrial Electrical Specialist | Late 1980s

• Performed bench-testing, mechanical assembly, and calibration of heavy commercial and industrial circuit breakers, switchgear, and fault-interruption equipment.

CHUBB ELECTRONICS | Pretoria & Regional Operations, South Africa

Regional Supervisor & Lead Systems Technician | Mid – Late 1980s

• Promoted to Regional Supervisor to lead the acquisition and daily operations of competitor Andrews Alarms, directing a field staff of 30+ technicians.
• Ranked as the company’s highest Time & Material (T&M) revenue-producing technician in Pretoria through rapid diagnostic turnaround of complex electrical security systems.

LOW COST CONSTRUCTION | Cape Flats / DELFT, South Africa

General Contractor & Site Operations Manager | Early – Mid 1980s

• Directed mass residential community development and infrastructure construction in harsh arid terrain.
• Managed underground plumbing mains, electrical installations, grading, and structural bricklaying from raw ground to final occupancy.

LIFELONG EQUINE HERITAGE & HORSEMANSHIP

• Foundational Horsemanship (Pretoria, South Africa): Began riding and caring for horses at age 3; owned, conditioned, and worked family horse Kalahari until age 10.
• Arabian Stallion Management (Military Service Years): Co-owned, conditioned, and handled two full Arabian stallions alongside Cousin Herman McDonald throughout active operational and military reserve years.
• Commercial Boarding & Training Facilities (TEC Montana): Complete 5-year commercial ownership and operation of equestrian boarding facilities, managing feed programs, turnout, trail systems, and multi-species farm animals.

MILITARY SERVICE

SOUTH AFRICAN DEFENSE FORCE (SADF) – 7 SAI (Phalaborwa)

Infantry & Military Intelligence / Counter-Intelligence | 1982 – 1990

• Full-time active operational service (1982–1984) followed by annual operational reserve deployments through 1990 across border operational zones (Angola, Mozambique, Zimbabwe) and urban riot control detachments.
• Disciplined execution in field communications, perimeter defense, asset security, logistics under extreme conditions, and mechanical field repairs.

EDUCATION & ACCREDITATIONS

• University of the Witwatersrand (Wits) & UNISA (University of South Africa): Foundational coursework in Electrical Engineering, Mechanics, and Physical Sciences.
• U.S. Foreign Credential Evaluations (Accredited via UM, UF, FAU): Formal recognition of equivalent advanced standing in Applied Physics, Electrical & Electronic Engineering, RF Systems, and Advanced Electromagnetics.
• Afrikaanse Hoër Seunskool (Affies): Matriculation in Physical Sciences and Mathematics.
• U.S. Patent: USPTO Patent Application No. 63/641,548 (Permanent Magnetic Energy Systems).
• Technical Certifications & Licenses:
  • NFPA 72 Certified (National Fire Alarm & Signaling Code)
  • NEC 101 Certified (Life Safety Code)
  • Private Pilot License (PPL)
  • NAUI Dive Master / PADI Advanced Deep Diver