Professional Accomplishments

Information System Design:

Designed and built the world's first commercial distributed database application in 1985 when that very concept was still being discussed in academia. The system used a strategy of loosely coupled single- and multi-user personal computers scattered internationally. Remote locations connected to the central control system using packet-switched networks accessed by dial-up lines (there was no widely deployed ethernet at that time). Devised the rule-set based on discrete mathematics that managed the proper access and distribution of the data records throughout the network. Currency and subset evaluations made when the remote computer connected determined when record forwarding was necessary and appropriate.

Econometric Price Forecasting:

Programmed a complex price forecasting model for the used boat market based on a multi-parametric non-linear statistical model. This model has been refined and evolved over the course of 25 years and is still used to produce the BUC Used Boat Price Guide, the foremost authoritative guide for the recreational used boat market. Wrote the custom analysis and prediction software for these models, some based on Baysian statistical analysis. The model accurately forecasts market value for boats ranging from under 20 feet to over 100 feet. In order to accommodate the huge price range from a few hundred dollars to millions of dollars, the software automatically does piecewise statistical analysis over an n-dimensional domain and then smooths the curves at the boundaries.

Database Search Technology:

Designed and programmed a search engine capable of quickly finding and scoring matches from thousands of sales listings to meet a user's requirements for a used boat. This fuzzy search engine, in use at www.BucNet.com, is completely unique in the Internet boat listing market and was granted a patent (Patent No. 7,158,989) for it's technology. The engine first limits the search to a part of the data warehouse using a statistical analysis of the user's requirements, then it uses a fuzzy scoring to present the user with the closest matches.

Artificial Intelligence:

Designed a program to match an inadequate, and sometimes inaccurate, description of a boat against a knowledge base of nearly a million boat records. This program is based on combining Artificial Intelligence programming techniques with fuzzy variable concepts, and is in use at www.BucValu.com (free) and www.BucValuPro.com (paid subscriptions). The program has a hit percentage over 95% and is able to correct the user's description of the boat he was seeking. When the user's query is ambiguous, the program correctly offers multiple alternatives.

Software Project Manager:

Managed a team of 15 programmers at Coulter Electronics using the chief programmer paradigm. Developed a custom macro set to insure consistent, readable code in assembly language. Introduced pre-project specifications to Coulter Electronics which, along with project control techniques, allowed one project to come in three weeks ahead of schedule, just in time for a major convention resulting in immediate sales revenue.

Real Time Operating System:

Designed and programmed a multi-tasking real time operating system in assembly language to control electro-mechanical functions of an automated clinical chemistry analyzer for medical laboratories. Also designed the hardware interfaces and drive electronics for some of the components. Patents were granted for some of the novel techniques made possible by the real-time programming.

Network Design and Implementation:

Designed and built a complete company network solution which has an internal intranet behind a firewall, a DMZ for web and mail servers and an external redundant connection to the Internet. In order to achieve the greatest reliability, two different Internet Service Provider's (ISPs) are used, and routing is accomplished with Border Gateway Protocol (BGP) and an Autonomous System Network (ASN). The web servers are balanced with redundant ServerIron traffic management switches. Have a working knowledge of networking and protocols, along with Cisco router and Pix firewall command languages.

Financial Database:

Designed and programmed a sales journal system using the (original) Ingres database and a combination of it's 4gl and C programming languages.

Quality Assurance:

Implemented a Quality Assurance program for purchased equipment for ADT Security Systems. Specified security and reliability requirements to be met by outside vendors. Designed and wrote lot sampling test specifications.

Marketing Management:

As the Texas Instruments (TI) Systems Engineering Manager for 13 east coast states plus the District of Columbia, created personal planning conferences that helped subordinates focus on the objectives of their work. The 5 Sales Engineers under my supervision won $100,000,000 (1984) in Very Large Scale Integration (VLSI) business. Developed a management information system to track the organizations sales activities which was later adopted nation-wide by Texas Instruments.

Technical Marketing:

As the TI Systems Engineer for Florida, provided technical support and training to field sales and customers. Won $2,000,000 (1983) dollars in new microprocessor business. Analyzed market trends and functional end-equipment requirements. Performed “ease-of-use” audits of new software and system development tools as part of the feedback path to engineering.