Infrastructure and Application Support
College:
Gary earned his Associates in Applied Science (AAS) degree in Computer Programming from Alexandria Technical and Community College in Alexandria, Minnesota. His coursework provided a strong foundation in both technical and general education subjects. He received hands-on training in programming languages including Assembler, COBOL, SQL, C+, and RPG, while also studying the history of computing. His general studies included Public Speaking, Psychology, Business Law, Ethics, and Advanced Mathematics—skills that would later support his leadership and analytical capabilities.
While attending college, Gary participated in the school's work-study program, gaining early exposure to mainframe operations. Each night, he was responsible for monitoring and executing data backups on the school's AS400 system. His shift concluded with a graceful shutdown of the AS400 mainframe, reinforcing his understanding of system integrity and operational discipline.
Computer Operator:
Gary strengthened his IT support expertise during overnight operations at Thomson Reuters (formerly West Publishing), mastering mainframe and Novell system monitoring, batch processing, and operational workflows. He managed batch job schedules for financial and Westlaw updates, performed nightly system checks, and executed controlled restarts of CICS regions to ensure uptime and data integrity.
In addition to mainframe duties, Gary supported Unix environments—handling monitoring, backups, and reboots. He received targeted training in ADABAS and CICS and rotated through weekend shifts to assist with critical system maintenance, reinforcing his technical versatility and operational discipline.
Sr. Computer Operator:
Gary was promoted to Senior Computer Operator, gaining deep experience in mainframe maintenance, DASD management, and weekend overnight operations. He expanded his IT support skills by working with emerging Windows-based servers alongside legacy systems.
He led onboarding improvements for new operators, formalizing training protocols and creating tools to track proficiency—enhancing team readiness across shifts. Later, transitioning to the day shift, Gary supported both technical and business staff directly, strengthening his user-facing support and cross-functional collaboration.
Lead Computer Operator:
As Lead Operator, Gary provided frontline IT support across data center operations, mentoring staff and ensuring smooth shift transitions. He led the replacement of a failed payroll sealer, managing vendor evaluations and securing approval for a new system.
He represented the Data Center on the Service Center Advisory Board, testing new platforms and reporting issues to improve rollout success. Gary also led a Business Continuity Planning (BCP) refresh across three sites, developing automation scripts to standardize application configurations and validate system resilience.
Later, he built a custom Shift Report system using MS Access, SQL, and VB scripting to improve reporting and vendor tracking. The tool supported both IT and security teams and remained in use for over a decade—demonstrating Gary’s long-term impact on operational support and infrastructure reliability.
Data Center Support Analyst:
As Data Center Support Analyst, Gary provided hands-on support for mission-critical infrastructure, maintaining system uptime and reliability. He enhanced key programs like Business Continuity Planning (BCP) and the Shift Report system.
Expanding into application support, Gary managed Finance & Risk (F&R) platforms, including a tax application used by Fortune 500 clients—performing nightly restarts and coordinating update deployments. He documented changes and closed Service Center requests to ensure smooth operations.
During high-risk PDU maintenance events, Gary led system checks, real-time monitoring, and communications across business and infrastructure teams. His leadership ensured safe execution and full restoration of power redundancy.
To improve project delivery, Gary launched and led a bi-weekly status meeting that drove accountability and progress across data center initiatives—establishing a long-standing framework for operational transparency and execution.