My wife Sandy and I, along with our Yorkies Brinsley
[8] and Haddy [1.5], live just across the new bridge in Charleston,
SC in a new home we designed and built (see pics at
http://www.Dowells.info).
I have 3 grown sons who live with their families in Chicago, the Denver
area, and in Colorado Springs. Colorado. Sandy's daughter Allison and grandson live here, and Allison's twin Ethan, wife Nancy, and grand
daughter Zeta live at sea between Mexico and Los Angeles.
My primary business focus is helping companies
and organizations use the Internet to
improve results and grow local and global
business. I'm also a visiting Professor of Information
Technology at the Citadel School of Business (click
here for info about the course I am teaching there now).
I run a small company that specializes in
using online and online-assisted facilitation
to develop and maintain management
and business skills. I believe that
online learning technologies should support
and enhance the role of managers and trainers in achieving an
appropriate balance among the traditional, self-paced, just-in-time and
any-time/any-place learning environments. For more see
www.BestManagers.net.
I am a
1956 graduate of the United States Military Academy, commissioned in the
Air Force. During my military career I was a doctoral candidate at the
American and Stanford Universities, was graduated from the National
Defense University, received training in information technology
management at the MIT Sloan School of Management and was certified by
the Air Force in Advanced Systems Acquisition Management. I also was a
faculty member at the United States Air Force Academy and the American
University. During my three combat tours in Southeast Asia as a fighter
and bomber pilot I was awarded two Distinguished Flying Crosses, 14 Air
Medals, and the Bronze Star.
My private sector career includes technology
management, government contracting, executive experience, technology
company entrepreurship, management training and business consulting.
I've held corporate responsibilities from Staff Member through Chairman,
Board of Directors.
Since 1991 I've concentrated on creating new
jobs by promoting entrepreneurial business growth and other economic
development activities. In March 1993, I became the Chief
Executive Officer of the Software Valley Corporation, a state-wide
organization created to promote community and
economic development in West Virginia. I helped to deploy the National Guard's Distance Learning Training (still DLN
to me) demonstration
project, a national system of shared-used
community information centers supporting the creation of high value
jobs, business growth and economic development. In 1997 I started my own
business,
Technology Business Services, Inc.
My other technology experience includes serving as a
corporate CIO, managing a division developing advanced business software
applications, directing a major information technology effort supporting
the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, contributing to
developing a strategic planning system for the $6 billion IRS Tax System
modernization effort, supporting the FAA modernization of the US
airways system and developing recommendations for modernizing the World
Wide Military Command and Control System.
When not helping others use the Internet to prosper, and
preparing for and conducting my classes aimed at helping my students understand
how information technology can dramatically improve personal and business
results, I'm a Rotarian, fitness advocate (see
www.Best-Fitness-Program.com) [and recently certified as a Pilates mat
instructor].
I have been a Board member of the Free
Enterprise Foundation since 2007. The FEF is is an action oriented advocate of a
Free Enterprise System in which ethics and social responsibility are fundamental
values. In August 2009 I became Dean of the organization to lead the effort to
establish the FEF as the premier institution teaching business ethics and
principled leadership globally. See more at
http://YouTube.com/ethicalstandard.
My 2006 Christmas present to Sandy was a new Tivo with dual
tuners, including linking it and my Tivo (she hates my programs
-- and others -- that I watch) to our home network*, and converting her favorite CDs to MP3 format.
My 2008 present was an iPod and supporting speaker system.
*We designed our new house over five years ago and I tried
then to have the latest and greatest of home networking technologies -- with one remote control,
etc. Well, the wired network linked all the stationary computers -- but the
laptop always wanted to be somewhere where connecting it to the closest outlet
was a pain. And, the DLP-TV over the fireplace, behind the hiding panel, was
just too much bother. And -- the wireless omni-remote control was/is
directional -- but not aimed at the watched TV. So the new TV control is
standard direct aim IR, and
I swapped my router for one with combined hardwire and wireless which easily
links our "his" and "hers" Tivos to the home network AND frees the laptop from
wired confines. [Of course - that did not work and "her" remote controls her
Tivo.]
NOTE: the latest additions to my
"toys" is an iPhone and 17" Mac Book PRO -- partitioned to support both Apple
and PC programs.
PS: I just started the
following MeetUp group. Take a look.
Cadet HEROs Fund Freedom by Jarret Sonta
http://community.intuit.com/contests/dFkddezkqqllv...
