User:B3d

Jim Herrmann

Early Life

My name is Jim Herrmann and I was born at the Allen County Hospital in Iola, Kansas. My home town is Kincaid, Kansas. My father was a farmer, so I grew up on the farm. I went to Crest USD 479 schools. I attended Crest High School in Colony, Kansas, and was quarterback of the football team, played basketball and track, was Secretary and President of the FFA chapter, I excelled in Math and science, and graduated as salutatorian of my class of 31 kids.

I attended college at Wichita State University, where I was on rowing crew, learned to play guitar, was in several rock and roll bands (B3D, DONT WALK, and Intuit), and graduated cum laude with a BSEE. While working on the degree, I had a cooperative education job with Boeing Military Airplane Company, who I then went to work for full time upon graduating.

Work History

While working at Boeing, I received training as an IDMS DBA. I received numerous training classes and became an expert on the software and began designing data bases. I also learned the REXX programming language under VM/CMS. I have used REXX extensively throughout my career.

My first job in Kansas City was for Boatmen's Bank in Kansas City, Missouri. After Boatmen's wanted to relocated me to St.Louis, I took a job with the USDA/ASCS where I learned DB2 which altered my career trajectory. I used REXX and ISPF to create a menu based system to help programmers create JCL for doing their work, and also create IDMS data base utility jobs to help the DBA staff with their jobs. While at the USDA, I was in the agency choir, and I got approval and created a USDA Band, which we called "To Be Announced", which played rock and roll music at various agency functions. I was a "term" employee at the USDA, and after the 3 years of the term were up, I moved back to the private sector.

I worked at Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas City as a DB2 DBA on MVS starting in 1994. From there I moved on to become a contractor at Payless Cashways as a DB2 DBA and data base designer. There I also worked extensively with OS/2, and became very proficient with LogicWorks ERwin (later purchased by Platinum Software and then by Computer Associates). When that contract ended, as Payless Cashways was spiraling down, I got a contract at Employers Reinsurance Corporation in 1998 and 99, during the Y2K frenzy.

In 2000, I went to work for IBM where I became trained in SQL replication in DB2 and DB2 Connect. At the time, I couldn't take the extensive travel that IBM required, so I left to take a job closer to home as my young children were being homeschooled, and I needed to be home at night. So, I got a job at Kansas City Southern Railway (KCSR), first as a contractor, then as an employee. I was there as an employee long enough to get vested in the Railroad Retirement System and alternative to Social Security.

While at KCSR, I was tasked with finding a new SQL query tool for the developers to use, and I found the Advanced Query Tool. I liked it so much, as did the developers, that I eventually created it's Wikipedia page. I have no connection to the creator of AQT. I simply like the product, and find it very easy to use and superior to all other query tools I have ever used. I have purchased my own license and use it at clients that I have with my own company IT Depends.

To be continued USMC, Net Standard, The Fillmore Group, Chase, TxMQ and FEMA, SEH, State Street, IT Depends

Family History

During a training trip to Boston, MA, I met a woman (Christian Lamb) whom I later married (1989) and we had two children (Thomas (1990) and Amy (1992)). We were married at the Sedgwick County courthouse, and soon moved to Kansas City, Kansas, where we lived for 22 years. We did secular homeschooling for our children until they were in college.

In early 2011 I separated from Christian. Later that same year I met Linda Erday, whom I married in June of 2014. She has two children, Emily and Corey, who would now be my step children.

Musical History

Early Bands in Wichita, KS:

B3D, DONT WALK, and Intuit

During the 1990's I was in Kansas City Classic rock cover bands Reflections, Gridlock and Boomerz.

Three albums:

2007 - Sing Truth To Power - Solo as Jim Herrmann
2008 - We ARE The People - With the band "The Herrmannators"
2011 - 11 - Solo as JL Herrmann

Contributions

Advanced Query Tool, an SQL query tool