Professional Overview

Programmer: Decades of experience as a programmer, system designer, and project manager.

Salesforce Administrator: Shared responsibility for administering a Salesforce implementation since 2014. Certified Salesforce Administrator since 2017.

Web Developer: Founded WebFeats (Dallas' first independent Web-development company) in 1995.

Writer: Authored several books and more than a dozen magazine and newspaper articles on various computer-related subjects, as well as numerous reference and training manuals.

Consultant: Self-employed computer consultant for most of the last 30+ years. Strong experience in:
• Designing, developing, and maintaining "user-friendly" database systems.
• Creating database/Web interfaces.
• Integrating data from various sources and dissimilar systems.

Primary System Development Technologies

Visual FoxPro: 30+ years experience (dBase, FoxBase, and FoxPro).
HTML: 20+ years experience.
SQL: 15+ years experience (SQL Server, Oracle SQL, iSeries/DB2 SQL).

Professional History

November 2007 – November 2019: RigData / S&P Global Platts / Drillinginfo / Enverus, Fort Worth (contractor)
[Visual FoxPro 7, SQL Server 2008, Salesforce, TeleMagic API]
• Created an application to re-engineer procedures for maintaining oil driller contact and status data.
• Converted a legacy FoxPro system to a SQL Server database.
• Converted a legacy TeleMagic CRM system to Salesforce.
• Shared administrative responsibilities for a corporate Salesforce CRM system.

June 2008 – June 2018: Rug Anchor, Plano (contractor)
[ColdFusion MX8, SQL Server 2005, PayPal]
• Created and maintained an eCommerce website for a startup consumer products company.

March 2008 – January 2009: RunningTrax, Wellington, FL (contractor)
[ColdFusion MX8, SQL Server 2005, Google Maps API, Facebook API/FBML]
• Created an interactive website and database for an Internet startup.

February 2007 – May 2007: Hardie's, Dallas (contractor)
[Visual FoxPro 6]
• Created extensive enhancements for a corporate ERP system.

October 2006 – December 2006: Superior Livestock Auctions, Fort Worth (contractor)
[ColdFusion MX7, XHTML, MS-SQL 2005 database and stored procedures]
• Created an intranet application to track auction clients, contracts, and buyers.

April 2006 – October 2006: Lain, Faulkner, Dallas (contractor)
[Visual FoxPro 9]
• Performed a forensic analysis of an undocumented 20-year-old inventory system.
• Deposed as an expert witness in a $50-million lawsuit.

December 2004 – February 2006: Nursefinders, Arlington (employee)
[ColdFusion MX6, Visual FoxPro 8, FoxPro 2.6, DB2 SQL]
• Supervised the development of extranet software that administered the "travel" nurse program.
• Supervised the development of extranet software that allowed clients to schedule nurse work shifts.
• Developed extensive web-based executive summaries with graphs and drill-down capabilities.
• Developed a system to identify worked hospital shifts that had not been billed to clients.
• Developed programs to notify support personnel via email when automated fax system failed.
• Developed software to convert business data from legacy system to new home-care system.
• Designed and developed an interface between the new home-care system and the payroll system.
• Maintained the system that administered nurse-recruiting functions at dozens of Nursefinders’ offices.

2000 – 2004: WynTrac and Wyndham Jade Travel, Plano (contractor)
[ColdFusion 5, Visual FoxPro 6, FoxPro 2.6, Oracle SQL]
• Supervised the development of a web-based event-management system for hotels.
• Developed a system to track housing deposit reservations.
• Developed a system to track event registration cancellations.
• Developed dozens of management reports for internal use.
• Created an interface to VeriSign website to automate downloading of credit card processing data.
• Created an interface between event registration website and travel system for air and car reservations.
• Provided support for conversion of FoxPro- and ColdFusion-based business management system.

2002: Wireless Services and Communications, Plano (contractor)
[FoxPro, Excel]
• Developed a system to analyze wireless bills and suggest alternate rate plans for cost savings.
• Developed a system to identify wireless system overcharges and recommend refunds.

1997 – 1999: Adams Golf, Plano (contractor)
[FoxPro, SQL Server]
• Re-engineered the returns process.
• Created software to manage the collections process.
• Created software to interface between the accounting system and the UPS website.

1995 – present: WebFeats, Dallas (owner)
[HTML, ColdFusion, iHTML, FoxPro, MS-SQL]
• Created and maintained websites for corporate clients including HeartPlace and Cellular One Group.

1992 – 1997: Brinks Home Security, Carrollton (contractor)
[FoxPro]
• Created and maintained systems that processed all Brinks commissions nationwide.

1985 – 1997: AT&T Wireless, Dallas; Cellular One, Austin, Oklahoma City, Kansas City (contractor)
[FoxPro]
• Developed commission systems for cellular service sales in a variety of sales channels.
• Developed software to manage subscriber activity and billing/usage data.
• Developed software that managed phone-number inventory and issued those numbers to sales agents.
• Developed software that created myriad management reports.

1980 – 1989: Texas Instruments, Richardson (contractor)
• Wrote (and supervised the writing of) a variety of software and hardware reference manuals.

What I Do

Turnkey Project Implementer: I specialize in creating and implementing computer-based solutions. My personal communication skills allow me to explore the problem with the personnel who are most affected by it; my analysis experience enables me to determine the optimal solution. I can create specifications to any desired level of detail. I can design and create an entire system, including the architecture and structure of the underlying database and the user interface (Web-based or otherwise). My professional documentation background helps me to develop functional, technical, and user documentation, and my training experience allows me to instruct those who will actually be relying on the system. Although I typically work alone, I have experience coordinating small groups of developers – I'm good at motivating them, and they enjoy working for and with me. In short: You give me the problem, I deliver the solution.

Data Wrangler: I have been working with various forms of computer-based data for more than 20 years. I can create new databases to form the foundation of new projects; I can analyze existing data to extract its hidden meaning; I can convert data between various formats so that it can be more easily viewed and manipulated by business analysts. In essence, I coax complex data to reveal its secrets, and I present it in a form that can be easily understood.

Website Creator: I have been creating websites since the World Wide Web was in its infancy. I specialize in creating websites that are rich in information. Some of the websites I create are data-centric, involving the integration of the Web with various databases. Other sites are static, relying less on data and more on the organization and presentation of voluminous amounts of material. All my websites have one thing in common: They clearly communicate their intended messages to their target audiences.

Communicator: Not only am I an excellent communicator in person, my written communication skills are superb. I have written everything from reference manuals to magazine articles to books (and even award-winning short stories). In fact, I would have to say that communication is the primary goal of all my work – no matter how sophisticated the technology behind a software system or a website, that technology is useless unless it effectively communicates its purposes and results. Technology without communication is pure sizzle. Communication brings value to technology.

Certification

Salesforce Administration (2017)

Books

Understanding Artificial Intelligence
Texas Instruments (1985), Radio Shack (1986), Howard W. Sams & Co. (1986, 1988)

Cracking the Peanut: Your IBM PCjr Companion
Wordware (1984), Prentice-Hall (1984)

Dream Girl and Other Stories
xBook (2013)

Magazine Articles

CyberBiz (a biweekly column about business-related uses of the Internet), The Met (1995)
Billing Systems: They Aren't Just for Billing Anymore, Cellular Business (November 1992)
Conferencing Software Facilitates Organizational Groupwork, Link-Up (May/June 1991)
U.S. Customs Clears Imports Electronically, MIS Week (August 7 1989)
The EDI-Fication of Texas Instruments, CIO (September 1988)
The Network Nation Emerges, Management Review (August 1986)

Education

Undergraduate Degree: Samford University (Birmingham, AL)