Bio

Here's some biographical data.

What I do

I'm a UNIX systems administrator at Bank of America Specialized Delivery Solutions, a division of Bank of America. We provide technical support to the Libris division. I maintain systems that handle tax-return processing for several states, among other things. This division was originally part of Fleet Bank before it was acquired by Bank of America.

What I used to do

In 2003, I was self-employed, creating web pages and providing technical support to local Mac users. Unfortunately, the business did not grow quickly enough to provide a sustainable income. I am no longer accepting new clients.

Until March of 2002, I worked for Global Crossing Telecommunications, on the Internet Services Administration team. This team was responsible for maintaining Global Crossing's dialup and dedicated Internet service offerings. My title was Rochester Systems Administration Team Lead and Internet Administrator III. That's a fancy way of saying that I was a senior administrator in charge of keeping a major ISP's systems running smoothly, and a junior manager in charge of several other administrators. Following Global Crossing's well-publicized bankrupcy, I was laid off.

I did some independent consulting work, including one job at a small local ISP that shall remain nameless to protect the clueless. (Have you ever asked your Internet service provider if they have an actual computer room, or just a closet with some computer racks in it?)

I was a contractor with Ajilon. They brought me on as a "strategic hire," which is to say, they hired me without any idea what they'd do with me. Unfortunately, they hired me during a slump in the demand for experienced UNIX administrators, and after two months or so I was laid off to seek my own fortunes. They treated me well and honorably, and I don't hold this against them--you can only pay somebody to sit at home for so long! I would definitely recommend Ajilon to anyone seeking employment as a computer contractor/consultant.

I was a contractor with Mindex Technologies, a Rochester-based technology services firm. My assignment was with the Eastman Kodak Company, where I was a UNIX Systems Administrator. I maintained the UNIX systems used in the Analytical Technology Division of Kodak's Research and Development area. My biggest responsiblity was Year 2000 compliance.

Before that, I was a systems analyst for ACC TeleCom in Rochester, NY, a provider of telecommunications services that was acquired by Teleport Communications Group (TCG), which has since merged with AT&T. I was responsible for ACC's United States Internet Service Provider operation, ACC iNet. At its peak, iNet served over 7,000 students and faculty of major New York universities such as Syracuse University, the University of Rochester, and the State University of New York at Geneseo. ACC owned Internet Canada, a large Canadian ISP, and provided U.S. Internet services to colleges, universities, and corporations in partnership with ICan. ICan became ACC GlobalNet. When ACC merged with TCG, and the resultant company was purchased by AT&T, ACC GlobalNet was replaced by AT&T's Internet services. ACC's long distance network will be disconnected by the end of 1999, because it is not Year 2000 Compliant, according to CNN.

Other previous jobs include:

• Student at the University of Rochester in Rochester, New York. I'm a cognitive psychology major, with a minor in English literature. I've got all the credits I need for my major, but I'm three elective courses short.

I also used to do some other things, until I had to quit because I became a part-time student:

• Student Problem Mail Consultant for the University Computing Center.
• UNIX Technical Assistant with the UCC, working with the Unix Group, including creating and maintaining local utility programs and handling some "postmaster" duties.

Hobbies

• Reading, particularly science fiction, fantasy, and suspense novels. You can see some books I've read on my Library pages, or see a list of my all-time favorites. There are even links to Amazon.com, if you feel like making a purchase. Be warned: I haven't kept these lists up to date.
• Human factors -- the science of designing items with humans in mind.
• Dreaming of purchasing a reasonably large old Victorian farmhouse and refurbishing it with modern amenities. Watching Kevin O'Connor and Norm Abrams on This Old House is an important part of this process.
• Cooking -- check out my favorite dish.
• Macintosh computers, such as the one that originally created this home page. I love working with my dual-processor Power Mac G5 running Mac OS X.

Other

Perhaps you'd like to know more about the music I like.

Learn more about my woes with my 1996 Dodge Intrepid ES to find out why I didn't lease a second one.

I leased a 1999 Saab 9⁵ SE V6 sedan. It's got its own page now! I adore this car, and I wish I still had it!

I now own a 2000 Saab 9⁵ SE V6 SportWagon.

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