Nicholas S. York, CDP

nick@polital.com

30 Phyllis Lane

Fairfield, NJ 07004

(973) 575‑5582

Career Summary

I am a data processing professional with over twenty-five years of experience in information processing. For twelve years I took on increasingly challenging systems design and implementation projects. Since then, I have managed software development groups, a systems engineering department, and have led teams of professionals implementing state government applications. My strong background in operating system internals, application software and data communications, qualifies me to make a meaningful contribution to a project involving one or more of these areas.

Educational Background

1971‑75 Pratt Institute, Brooklyn, NY

MS in Computer Science.

1965‑69 The Cooper Union, Cooper Square, NY

BS in Physics.

Related Work Experience

11/01-Pres Independent Contractor, Polital Enterprises LLC. Primary contributor on ASP applications using Microsoft Access, SQL, Visual Interdev and Visual Studio .NET.

4/98-11/01 SkyTel Communications, Manager of Research & Development. Assumed responsibility for a group developing and maintaining automated paging systems.

· The team was responsible for upgrading an existing automated paging system to a web based Windows NT platform. The system interfaced with customer host computers using various protocols. Personally developed utilities for problem analysis using Visual C++ V6.0.

· We assisted with the implementation of an Oracle based work flow system using Vantive™ on Sun workstations. I personally developed Perl scripts to send email when specific events occur.

· Developed a web based application to display paging vendor outage information at customer service workstations to improve customer service.

· Made extensive use of C++, Perl, Visual Interdev, vbScript ASP, and Microsoft Access.

10/93-4/98 EDS/Automated Wagering Division of Video Lottery Technologies, Project/Product Manager.

· Led team installing an instant (scratch) ticket accounting system for the Montana Lottery (Cyber 932 running NOS/VE using COBOL).

· Prior to that, coordinated efforts to provide upgraded lottery systems (RS6000 based running AIX using C++ and Oracle) to the Norwegian national lottery.

· As Product Manager, determined instant ticket system requirements and wrote specifications for the development group.

· Made extensive use of SDLC and Microsoft Project in the management process.

· Technical contributor to Lottery RFP responses.

· Wrote several small Windows applications (including help facilities) using Delphi and Java.

3/93-10/93 Concurrent Technologies Corp., Project Manager. I was the fifth employee in a small consulting firm specializing in financial reporting and networking.

· Responsible for all aspects of implementing a document distribution system in Windows 3.1 using C++ and Novell 3.11 LAN architecture. Left due to cancellation of the contract by the customer.

8/88‑3/93 Automated Wagering Division of Video Lottery Technologies, Inc. Project Leader. Assumed responsibility for the development of software for a new instant ticket accounting system (CDC Cyber 932 using Cybil and COBOL).

· Duties included managing the team preparing the specification and writing the software.

· Technical liaison with other groups involved in the project

· Responsible for overall project tracking.

· Had final design authority for the mainframe portion of the system.

· Earlier projects included managing a group providing design, and implementation support for lottery Internal Control Systems written in C++ on SUN Sparc Workstations and in COBOL on IBM 4341.

1985‑7/88 National Data Corporation/Electronic Data Systems, Fairfield, NJ. Manager of Systems Engineering. Managed the group providing engineering support for time‑shared services.

· Position reported to the General Manager of the facility and required working closely with the Quality Assurance and Operations managers to ensure meeting performance standards.

· Responsible for all software development and maintenance.

· Provided in-house maintenance for 15 mainframes (VAX, DECsystem10 and DECsystem20)

· Maintained communications facilities supporting over 1000 users (PDP-11).

· Prepared formal technical proposals including GSA/TSP contracts.

6/69‑1/85 Rapidata/National Data Corp., Fairfield, NJ. Supervisor of Remote Access Systems Group. Led a group of six system programmers responsible for all operating system software. Prior to that I held progressively more responsible positions as a System Programmer, a Programmer Analyst, and a Lead Programmer Analyst.

· As Systems Programmer, was responsible for the design and implementation of major software packages such as text editors, sorts, data bases, and language processors in various assembler languages and many individual programs written in FORTRAN, BASIC, and PASCAL.

· As Programmer Analyst, was responsible for time-sharing system support and development, including the operating system, disk dump/restore, and the tape archival storage system.

· As Lead Programmer Analyst, projects included leading a group creating microprocessor based communications interfaces on the Intel iSBC 80/30 and 544 using PL/M and ICE-85.

Professional Courses

Fundamentals of Management VAX/VMS Systems Management

Management Styles Fundamentals of UNIX

Basic Accounting and Finance UNIX Internals Seminar

Leadership Workshop TOPS‑10 Monitor Internals

Time Management TOPS‑10 Monitor Structures

Effective Listening RSTS/E Monitor Internals

Data Modeling Civil Treatment for Managers

The Legal Record The Accounting Game

Managing for Performance Stress Management

Professional Affiliations

Member ACM.

Certificate in Data Processing (CDP) awarded by the Institute for the Certification of Computer Professionals in January, 1985

Selected Accomplishments

Sales RFP Application (2001-pres.). A nationwide POS display manufacturing company based in Minneapolis with an office in Clifton NJ needed to automate their request for proposal tracking system. After initial requirements analysis I developed a specification for the project. Working with two other independent contractors we implemented the initial system (I wrote about 80% of the ASP code and did the database design). After three months of testing using only projects for the Clifton site the application went nationwide (six main sites). I have been upgrading and maintaining the site during 2003.

RadioExpress 2000 Automated Paging Software (2000). One of my primary responsibilities as Manager of R&D at Skytel was to replace the existing Intel 80486 based automated paging systems in use be several customers. The system was obsolete, could not be easily managed remotely, and required custom work to support each client’s communications needs. We decided that a browser based front end to a paging server would address each of these concerns. My team of three people specified, designed, and developed the new software while supporting the existing customer base. We used C++, Visual Interdev, and Microsoft Access targeted to a Windows NT platform. We selected generic products to simplify interfacing with diverse customer equipment in the future.

Customer Audit Tracking System (1999). The SkyTel R&D group is responsible for conducting audits of customer pagers. This consists of using automated paging systems to send messages to a large number of paging subscribers asking them to contact someone to confirm that their pager is in use. I personally developed (in Perl) a software package for managing the lists of subscriber information, creating input files for the automated paging system, extracting message delivery information from the paging system logs, and creating a feedback spreadsheet to the audit requestor detailing message delivery results.

Integrated Instant Ticket Accounting System (1992). Starting in early 1991 I assisted in the production of a design document for a computer system to be used by state lotteries. This system was designed to automate the validation of, and accounting for, scratch game tickets. Upon award of a contract to provide the system to the State of Florida, I was put in charge of the team working with Florida Lottery personnel to do the detailed design of the system. Twenty-three documents covering all aspects of the system were produced in three months. When the project entered the implementation stage, I led the group writing the mainframe application software portion of the system (twelve CDC and six Florida Lottery people) and assisted in coordinating the efforts of groups in Minnesota and Hackensack working on the point of sale terminal software. During the acceptance testing phase, I worked closely with the customer's test team. We rated the problems found according to their impact on the start-up goal and tracked correction of the critical items. The system became operational on June 1, 1992 and has met all of the customer's expectations.

Delaware LOTTO*AMERICA installation (1991). As ICS project leader for Automated Wagering I led the team responsible for installing a set of 'C' programs on the Lottery's SUN UNIX based work stations to verify the number of winning LOTTO*AMERICA tickets sold. In early 1992, we modified the system to handle a new game (POWER*BALL).

Pennsylvania Lottery Float Cash Reduction (1990). As ICS project leader for Automated Wagering I led the team responsible for modifying accounting software and procedures to recapture $15 million held by Lottery retailers. Working with PA Lottery and CDC operations personnel, I identified the changes to be made to existing reports and procedures used by retailers, the lottery accounting department, and CDC operations. After writing and obtaining approval of a comprehensive specification, I developed and tracked the implementation plan which included participation by lottery and operations staff as well as programmers.

Montana Lottery Internal Control System Installation (1990). With less than three weeks remaining to start up (two to the acceptance test) I was given responsibility for implementing the COBOL programs used to verify sales and winners for the Multi‑State Lottery Association (MUSL). I wrote a functional specification for review by MUSL and the Montana Lottery. Working with an IBM consultant, we coded and tested in Hackensack before transferring to an IBM 4341 at a service bureau in Olympia, WA. There we made changes to allow an auditor to verify operator input in an IBM environment and to use the service bureau's tape management system. We met both deadlines.

System Integration Automation (1990). Although I was not involved in system integration at CDC, I noticed that the SI department was spending an inordinate amount of time performing repetitive source code maintenance tasks. I produced command language routines which automate these functions. SI now has a set of NOS/VE SCL procedures that detects differences in a pair of source code libraries, prepares a library of the changes, and creates additional SCL command procedures which compile all changed modules, verify the compilations, and create new object libraries.

Washington State TANDEM Lotto Prize Verification System (1989). Working with a TANDEM consultant and a staff programmer, we designed and wrote two COBOL programs and a set of TACL procedures to extract winning Lotto tickets. The system uses TACL to control the daily tape load and screening runs and to pass input parameters to the actual verification program. Problems included tape I/O throughput and a COBOL problem using ALTERNATE AREAS with a partitioned file.

Federal Election Commission RFP Preparation (1987). As manager of Systems Engineering for National Data Corporation I led the team preparing the response to the technical portion of the RFP. This included preparation of the system configuration, data communications network design, software requirements, site preparation, disaster planning, operations staffing, and pricing.

Day/Time System (1985). As a Lead Programmer/Analyst for Rapidata, I led two programmers implementing a microprocessor based unit to allow all of our time‑sharing systems to present the same time. I had to design and build a mini‑executive in an iSBC 80/30 to control several iSBC 544 boards each connected to 1‑4 mainframes. We coded in INTEL PL/M and tested and debugged using ICE-85. I was assigned to this project after it was stalled for months. I wrote an implementation plan and got it approved. We made all the dates (with minor adjustments for unforeseen events).

Irving Bank Interface (1978). As a Programmer/Analyst I created a microcomputer based unit to interface our 2780 type network to Irving Bank's CHIPS/SWIFT network. I selected the hardware to be used (iSBC 80/30 and 544, INTEL development system, ICE-85), provided input for the pricing, wrote the proposal, and did the implementation. My system passed the CHIPS/SWIFT acceptance test in only seventeen weeks. I then wrote an operator's manual and internal documentation (functional and implementation).

ACTS Computing Acquisition (1974). While a System Programmer for Rapidata, I modified our version of the Honeywell timesharing executive to transparently execute object programs running under a version of this operating system with a different set of extensions. Working with technicians from ACTS, I identified all areas of incompatibility, figured out ways to resolve conflicts, and implemented the changes.