Ben Richardson

IMS Database Systems Programmer and IMS Database Administrator @ American Airlines

About

I love to solve problems. I remember my favorite toy, the "erector set", and learning basic mechanical concepts from making things. I imagined the motor being able to turn the propeller of an airplane -- only to realize the limitations and later the concept of horsepower-to-weight ratio. I built models, then model rockets, and balsa wood airplanes with internal combustion engines. I added a camera as the rocket payload and photographed the North Moore HS during a physical science class. I learnt to develop film, black & white first, later Ektachrome with the difficult E-6 process and later the streamlined E-7. I graduated from college but was still frustrated by not having taken the "vocational" classes in high school. I was turned away from the small engine repairs and welding classes by a well meaning guidance counsellor who felt I should concentrate on college and career oriented classes. So after graduation from UNC-Greensboro I immediately signed up for motorcycle maintenance and small engine repair with the community college. After that, welding for 4 courses and then HVAC-R. I love to travel. I went to NYC in high school for a symposium at Columbia University for yearbook editors. I took in plays and saw the almost completed WTC buildings. Later AT&T sent me to Hopewell NJ for weeks of training and again I was able to visit NYC, more sights and plays and even Simon & Garfunkel in Central Park quite by accident. AT&T sent me to class in Chicago, Boston, Las Vegas, Orlando, etc. I enjoyed staying in the Copley Plaza hotel, observing that the brass railings of the grand staircase were polished daily. It was the week when window glass first fell from the John Hancock building across the street and made the national news -- although I don't think there were any injuries. Now I've also travelled to Kauai'i and the inside and outside passages of Alaska by cruise ship. I've visited Serbia and Bosnia (4 trips) with my friends, and made many new friends there.

Country

United States

City

Glendale

Industry

Information Technology & Services

Skill

Mainframe, DB2, COBOL, JCL, z/OS, MVS, IBM Mainframe, TSO, CICS, Disaster Recovery, VSAM, Databases, Fileaid, SQL, Database Administration, Database Admin, IMS DB/DC, Microsoft SQL Server, Relational Databases, Production Support

Experience

IMS Database Systems Programmer and IMS Database Administrator

American Airlines

2017-5 - Present · 9 yrs 5 mos

Phoenix, Arizona Area

Sr. Technical Advisor - SCEPTRE Database Administrator

PDS

2017-5 - Present · 9 yrs 5 mos

Tempe, AZ

Technical Advisor -- Database Administrator

CVS Health

1995-6 - 2017-5 · 22 yrs

Scottsdale, Arizona

IMS and DB2 systems programmer, adding DBA experience in IMS, DB2, MS SQL from 1997 to present. Transitioning from PCS Health Systems to CVS Caremark at Fortune number 12 in 2014. Eliminated IMS U0842/U0844 abends using a very straight forward implementation of SMS and standardized extent sizes. Extended this solution into production DB2 environments to eliminate problems with too many extents and tables not able to extend. Recently involved with HALDB implementation for extending life of legacy IMS databases. HALDB allows IMS databases to grow well beyond original design limits and provides for true 24/7 availability. Datacenter consolidation project moved outsources at Perot Systems (Pittsburgh) and ACS (Dallas) into the Scottsdale facility where I work. Other acquisitions have also moved here and expanded the number of platforms and databases we service.

Owner - Sole Proprietor

Richardson HVAC

1989-5 - 2017-5 · 28 yrs 1 mo

Glendale, AZ

Residential and Commercial refrigeration services. EPA Universal refrigerant handling certification.

Owner - Sole Proprietor

Ben Richardson Photography

1971 - 2017-5 · 46 yrs

Glendale, AZ

Previously newspaper and yearbook photographer and editor. On location studio for Proms and church directories. Home studio for portraits. Custom copying and restoration. Limited mounting and framing available.

Board of Administration

Glendale First Church of the Nazarene

2010 - 2016 · 6 yrs

Glendale, Arizona

Pastoral search committee, Building and grounds committee, Nominating committee

Senior Systems Programmer

American Express

1989-5 - 1995-6 · 6 yrs 2 mos

Phoenix, Arizona Area

IMS and DB2 systems programmer during Global Datacenter Consolidation projects.

Staff Member

AT&T

1980-8 - 1989-5 · 8 yrs 10 mos

Greensboro, North Carolina

Programming COBOL for batch and IMS full function transactions. Transitioned to IMS systems programmer in 1983. Maintained software using SMP/4 and SMP/E. Supported exits in HL/ASM and PL/I. Modified systems dataset naming to conform to new corporate central support model and new RACF security naming standards. Renamed 30,000 datasets in one year. Received team and individual merit awards.

Programmer 1

Burlington Fabrics

1979-6 - 1980-8 · 1 yr 3 mos

3330 West Friendly Ave. Greensboro, NC 27410

I worked for the Burlington Management Services Corp (BMSC), and specifically for the Fleet Services Division. Under the direction of James N. Miller, PhD (Statistics), I retrieved historical data and produced customized reports to analyze TCO for vehicles by ATA system codes in intervals of hours or miles operated. The reports were sold or provided as a service to assist Fleet Services customers in making informed purchase decisions.