Work - Software Career

Considering that most of us spend at least 40 hours a week on "a job", one's life and work are closely mingled. Some people are defined by their work or choice of career. Some people are just making a living. Some people center their social life around people at work.

I have worked a wide variety of jobs and companies. The work pages are devoted to the influence of work on my life. Mainly the good things.

Software Career

My transition from an aerospace career to software career was forced and extremely unpleasant. I had been hired to be a team lead for stability and control engineering on the Gulfstream V project. When I arrived, there was already a number of managers in a battle to control that segment of the engineering staff, so although I managed work for my team of 4, I had no real authority or voice at the management level. I was excluded from essential meetings and had to deal with a manager that basically wanted me out of his way. Eventually he got his way and I was laid off in the final round of layoffs as Gulfstream dealt with roller-coaster funding and staffing for their new project.

My layoff happened during a great recession and consolidation of major aerospace companies. Many smaller companies effectively went out of business. It was impossible to get an interview with any of the aerospace companies when living in Savannah, Georgia. I was unemployed for nearly a year and only found a job by transitioning from aerospace engineering team lead at the top of my field to junior programmer at the local school district, making less money than I had out of college.

I am organizing this page with short descriptions. This is not a full list of engagements and jobs. I've had constracts as short as two weeks. So over a lot of years, a lot of things to list.


Savannah-Chatham County School Board

My work at the SCC Board focused on projects leading to increased use of client/server software, modern wide area network functionality, and Internet access for students throughout the school district.

My client/server efforts include the design and development of the Human Resources Decision Support System, which provides flexible analysis and reporting of employee information. Employee data is hosted on a central IBM mainframe, and regularly downloaded to Microsoft Access databases at Human Resource Department workstations.

The most visible result of the pursuit of Internet access has been publication of school district Web pages in cooperation with Savannah Online, Inc. I have been the District Webmaster in this effort (see http://www.savga.com). This was on of the first dozen school districts in the nation to have a website. The original website has been replaced many times over.

Tandy/Radio Shack

Supported the Radio Shack Design and Construction database, based on Microsoft Access. This complex system had over 70 users. I performed initial project definition for the Tandy Information Systems Virtual Library. The Virtual Library is a repository for corporate documents and standards based on Web server technology.

I designed and implemented MailR, a Microsoft Access application for tracking information requests for the Tandy Investor Relations office. This system replaces a CICS mainframe system. I supported installation and debugging of the Access Financial System, which collects the Tandy Corporation consolidated financial data. I provided support for some areas of the Tandy Legal Department database system.

Heritage Capital

Proposed and led the conversion of Heritage core business software from Paradox databases on Novell Netware file servers to client-server with Microsoft SQL Server on Windows NT. This included contact and evaluation of consultant support for network conversion and databases. Performed pilot conversions of several key packages and helped plan the overall conversion effort.

Performed upgrades of several existing Visual Basic programs, including software in the Accounting Department that used Btrieve database files. Defined and implemented upgrades to the Heritage mail list system. Created a hybrid Visual Basic-Paradox-Access program to track customer want lists against current inventory for sales staff (this was credited with over $20,000 in new sales its first week in release).

Lockheed Martin Tactical Aircraft Systems

Consulted on next-generation development of GEMD (General Exchange of Methods and Data), a project originally participated on in 1990 with General Dynamics. GEMD is a system of software that provides uniform tools and file formats for exchange of data models, such as aircraft descriptions for flight simulation. It is a key foundation element of the Lockheed corporate Virtual Product Development Initiative.

GEMD operates on a wide variety of computers, including UNIX, Windows, VAX, Harris, SGI, and RS 6000. Its broad array of tools includes graphical data displays on UNIX and Windows, as well as ties to Microsoft Office products such as Excel. Primary development was on Windows NT with Microsoft Visual C++ 5, building both routine libraries and COM components. Development research involved Java, CORBA, and ActiveX support, with several pilot tests underway.

The Sabre Group/American Airlines

Performed program analysis, test design, and documentation for Year 2000 operability compliance. Applications operated on Macintosh clients connected to Sabre system mainframes and Oracle databases on Sun systems. The applications were weather, flight and crew scheduling and planning, and various information systems at the American Airlines Strategic Operations Center. The applications were written in C++ using MacApp and Metrowerks Codewarrior.

United Stated Postal Service

Design and implementation of Version 2 of the USPS Energy Consumption Tracking Tool, a Web-based application for tracking and analyzing utilities and energy use for over 34,000 USPS facilities. This application uses over 90 MS SQL Server tables. It uses Cold Fusion and MS Internet Information Server, as well as original Windows NT services, Visual Basic, and Visual C++ programming to process large volumes of data into a Utilities data mart. The Web application provides server-side charts of energy consumption, EDI-sourced utility billing records, and other analysis data.

Lockheed Martin Tactical Aircraft Systems

A second contract engagement with Lockheed for enhancements to the GEMD system. This effort involved managing two other software developers doing pilot Java development. This happened while I was employed at Raymond James Consulting, which besides have a name that is easy to confuse with a national financial services firm, also appears to be out of businesses now. They specialized in computer infrastructure and software development consulting. At least one "graduate" went on to join Microsoft in Seattle as a manager.

Raymond James consulting had an interesting course in consulting, Raymond James Consulting Class

J.C. Penney Media

Implemented a client-server system for tracking inventory of merchandise items for catalog photography. The system was written in Visual Basic 6 against a MS SQL Server 7 database of about 40 tables, and 50 views and stored procedures. The multi-user system provided application-based security and configured according to assigned user roles.

HealthVision

Various roles for a leading-edge provider of Web portals for health care organizations. HealthVision's web sites were based on Windows NT, Microsoft Site Server, SQL Server, and LDAP. Roles include development staff coordinator for production site defect management, including quick site enhancements. Member of the site rollout team. Develop COM components and DTS packages for site data feeds.

J.C. Penney Internet Store Group

ASP development with Microsoft Commerce Server, including Visual Basic component development (COM+) for Windows 2000 server deployment and MS SQL Server 2000. Responsible for writing various ASP pages and Visual Basic component classes for the Internet Store rewrite. Effort was completed with all documentation and made it into the production Website for the holiday season.

Project Lead, Lennox International ECommerce Group

Mentor and supervise a team of coders to upgrade and improve the DaveNet Lennox dealer network website. Work with management, infrastructure staff, and help desk staff to support dealer customers. ASP and ASP.NET development with Microsoft IIS 5 and SQL Server 2000 database, including Visual Basic component development (COM+) for Windows 2000 server deployment. Plan and guide significant website upgrades, including scale-up, security/access, management, .NET migration, and basic architecture. Develop and implement several key systems, including ordering systems against SAP backend, a customer leads tracking system, web configuration management, application monitoring, site administration, and so on.

DaveNet was a complex system supported by a very small staff of developers. Some coders had almost no experience. Some coders had hobbies that took up a lot of their time, thanks to Lennox politics that was acceptable. The top management of the system was the Marketing department, where we did have an ally that tried to do the right thing. This PDF of a Marketing status report shows how much was demanded from our team. And also that Marketing sometimes can't produce good PowerPoint.

DaveNet Status 2002

Schwartz and Associates

Produced a back office console for office and customer management based on the Microsoft Portal Starter Kit in ASP.NET. This console was integrated with the mortgage processing tool by Schwartz and Associates, DocsDirect. The back office console required over two dozen business components, upgrades to the Microsoft Portal framework, and intensive use of ASP.NET user controls, treeview control, and complex, multi-frame pages.

Imagine Solutions

Performed development of components for custom Kofax imaging workflow in VB 6. Supported customer software testing at CitiFinancial in St. Louis.

Centex Home Equity

Centex Home Equity Corporation was a sub-prime lender in the mortgage industry. The firm makes heavy use of Web applications to run a data-intensive business, from HR functions through Marketing and Sales. The systems involved heavy ASP, Javascript, COM, and SQL Server (tuned T-SQL) development in support of complex CHEC Intranet and Internet websites. Performed C# development in ASP.NET and Winforms.

Sprint/Nextel

Development for the Nextel Store Information System (SIS). SIS is an ASP.NET/C# Web application for managing Nextel store construction, store management and employees, demo phones, and employee business phones. SIS uses an Oracle database and interfaces with the GERS retail enterprise system. Developed associated applications, including on-demand, web-based PDF printing of Nextel store price labels.

Internal Revenue Service

Performed design and development of a Tax Computation Component for the Unattended Case Processing (UCP) Application for the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). This component is built using Microsoft .NET technologies, including the C# language, ADO.NET, and Visual Studio 2005. This component was based on existing VB6 components. The work was completed with full documentation under a 3 month contract.

MetroPCS

Performed emergency finish-out work on two Microsoft Access applications under a two week contract. The work involved migrating about 35 tables and 200 queries from Access to Microsoft SQL Server, as well as updating the Access applications to work with the new SQL server database schemas. Design, implementation, and test documents were prepared for each application.

Conexis

Conexis performs outsourced billing services for COBRA and health care accounts for several major companies and insurance firms. Worked on a major overhaul of the health account claim system, plus maintenance and upgrades of claims and administration systems in C#, VB6, and SQL Server.

Federation of State Medical Boards

FSMB tracks physician licensing and history, including state medical board actions and licensing examinations. Performed maintenance and conversion of VB6 applications to .NET 2.0 in C#. Migrated websites from ASP and ASP.NET 1.1 to ASP.NET 2.0.

Bechtel National

Supported upgrades to a complex Web-based application for Bechtel contract management. Upgrades involved ASP, ASP.NET, VB6, VB.NET, C#, various third party controls and several AJAX libraries, with data stored in an Oracle database. Supported upgrades to a medium scale Web-based application for Bechtel vendor audits that involved ASP.NET, VB.NET, C#, various AJAX libraries, and an Oracle database. Created a Website in ASP.NET and C# to display weather station data on a SharePoint portal.

Advanced Call Center Technologies

Performed architecture, design and development of an internal Website based on ASP.NET 3.5, MVC 1, and Oracle Database. The Project Staffing Website manages numerous login IDs for personnel as well as project assignments.

Oak Ridge Associated Universities/ORISE

Created about 75% of the United States Preventive Service Task Force websites, both public access and Task Force management. http://www.uspreventiveservicestaskforce.org Designed and built the content management system, documentation review system, recommendation review scheduling system, recommendation public surveys system, and various major subsystems. The effort was performed in Agile Scrum, where I worked as Scrum Master for several months. The two websites are hosted in Amazon Web Services.

Performed upgrades and additions for the Veterans Administration Emergency Management non-public website. Public details can be found at: http://www.va.gov/vhaemergencymanagement

Performed upgrades and additions for the CDC FluOnCall call center website. Information on the program can be found here: http://www.aapcc.org/about/flu-on-call

Worked on a Lupus app for the CDC. The app is used by Lupus patients to track symptoms, activities, diet, medication, and doctor appointments. The app is written in Cordova/PhoneGap. The app uses a server Web application through several dozen JSON API calls. The Web application provides administrative and reporting functions.

Rewrote the 15 year-old Nuclear Effluent Database website for the NRC. The application is now Microsoft MVC in C#, using SQL Server, Bootstrap, and jQuery. As this is written, final deployment is waiting on some additional polishing of content. https://www.reirs.com/effluent/

Worked on a team creating a website to accept proposals for Zika research for the Florida Department of Health. The application was Microsoft MVC in C#, using SQL Server, Bootstrap, and jQuery. Here is the website: http://www.floridahealth.gov/provider-and-partner-resources/research/zika-research.html

Worked with a team updating a national security exercise management application. The revisions included Elasticsearch and Angular 2 technologies with Web services provided through ASP.NET. Microsoft technologies were used, including Visual Studio 2015/.NET 4.5, MVC, the Razor view engine, C#, SQL Server 2014, and Entity Framework 6.1. Delivery included heavy use of JQuery, Javascript, Bootstrap, CSS, and components such as JQuery DataTable and Select2.

Upgrading internal applications to current software practices using C#, EF 6, MVC, and SQL Server 2014.