RICHARD D.

DIXON
* rda4d32a@westpost.net
327 Concord Court * Hershey, Pennsylvania 17033 * 717.533.3296 * 610.763.1263
ANALYST * * * * * Team Building & Leadership - Analytical & Strategic Planni
ng - Project Management/Development
Business * Systems * Application Programs
Versatile IT professional with more than 25 years of experience in manufacturing
, retailing, industry, health-care, and federal environments. More than 12 year
s in role as Business/Systems Analyst gathering business requirements, documenti
ng functional specifications, testing scenarios and documentation. Outstanding h
istory of building and maintaining relationships, earning trust, respect, and bu
siness from diverse groups of people through dependability, communication skills
, strategic vision, technical excellence, and meticulous follow-through. Results
-driven and successful in driving operational growth, leading start-up and turna
round efforts, and maximizing opportunities. Expert diagnostic and needs assessm
ent skills. Tackled business challenges by presenting cost-effective, customized
solutions appropriate for the company's or client's size, scope, and mission. P
roactively monitored systems often times preventing situations from becoming iss
ues.
Wrote software for multiple mainframes, UNIX (HPUX/AIX) systems as well as Windo
ws servers and PC's; 8 years experience with COBOL, 10 years SQL, 5 years with G
UI Web Design, 5 years HTML, 3 years VB4-VB6, 1 year VB.Net, ASP.Net, C++, JavaS
cript; 6 years experience with Oracle; 11 years experience with UNIX, 6 months e
xperience with Sybase; proficient in use of Microsoft tools including Visio, Pow
erPoint, MS Project, and MS Access.
PROFESSIONAL BACKGROUND
IT Director, Yale Electric Supply Co, Harrisburg, PA: Aug 2008 - Aug 2010
70 million dollar (sales per year) electrical supply distributor with ten locati
ons and a central warehouse that utilized wireless bar code technology. Respons
ible for managing enterprise system (hardware and software) and upgrading softwa
re to current release. Responsible for running end of day and end of month proce
sses and responding to user needs by creating customized reports.
* Reduced nightly processing time by more than 1 hour by modifying software para
meters
* Reduced monthly processing by 2 hours by modifying software parameters and rew
riting 50 reports to use SQL queries that did not have to be run during the actu
al month end close assuring the system would be available for business the follo
wing day
* Reviewed and evaluated data communication invoices; determined what data commu
nication services were obsolete; reduced data communication expenses by 16%
* Collaborated with team members to develop a new data communication structure t
hat would significantly reduce the number of data communication suppliers thereb
y reducing costs by 70% and improving reliability
* Conferred with users to determine reporting needs; using SQL, MS Access and Cr
ystal reports, created specialized reports for vendors, marketing, management, a
ccounts payable, inventory control and telemarketing sales
* Created system solutions that reduced clerical rebate processing effort by 90%
Consultant (PRN), Hershey, PA: Jan 2008 - Jan 2009
* An employee of a major central PA hospital was charged with creating weekly/mo
nthly/yearly length of stay reports. The necessary data was not available in th
e hospital's database. I designed, developed, and implemented a Length of Stay
reporting system for top management at the hospital. The reports were used to m
easure improvement (reductions) in length of stay. Reporting periods were modif
ied by changing database variables instead of changing program code
Information Specialist, EDS, Mechanicsburg, PA: Oct 2007- Aug 2008
Working on a government contract at a military installation was a member of a te
am that converted a multifaceted military maintenance planning system from a Syb
ase database to an Oracle 10g database both running on IBM UNIX systems.
* Verified customer user account permissions were correct, ensured that software
was functioning and in accordance with written user system documentation/specif
ications
* Recorded coding errors for verification and subsequent corrections to maintain
systems' safety and readiness for multi-billion dollar assets
* Examined Visual Basic screens, COBOL batch programs, Oracle triggers as well a
s monitored procedures for necessary enhancements and corrections. Made necessa
ry corrections where necessary
IT Programming Instructor (Grades 10-12), Berks Career & Technology Center (BCTC
), Oley, PA: Oct 2002-2007
A public vocational school located in Berks County, PA, responsible for creating
lesson plans and classroom instruction for 10-12 grade students from 10 school
districts. Instruction focused on current software including the following: Visu
al Basic.Net, ASP.net, C#, HTML, JavaScript, C++, SQL, COBOL, RPG, and Basic Dat
abase Concepts. Reviewed principles associated with Software Development Lifecyc
le and basic computer concepts.
* Designed and developed a relational database, data entry programs, and web-bas
ed queries related to all PDE Subject Standards and Anchors for every Learning G
uide. All inquiries completed in less than two seconds. Data from the database w
as inserted into every Learning Guide (MS Word documents) that identified how th
e lesson would reinforce key subject concepts in English, Math, Science, Reading
etc.
* Generated and executed a web-based classroom management database system, which
was used for classroom management and student instruction
* Maintained Windows 2000 server, Windows NT PDC & BDC, and 26 laboratory PCs, w
ith additional SQL server, MySQL, and MS Access for student laboratory that were
accessed by web pages through IIS
* Collaborated with fellow Programming Instructor in creating distance learning
curriculum

Oracle DBA, Agere Systems/Lucent Technologies, Breinigsville, PA: 2001-2002

Formerly the manufacturing arm of ATT with multiple locations around the world,
responsible for handling the Optical Package Product Line including Oracle admin
istration and coordinated hardware repairs with HP. At peak production the fact
ory produced $ 50,000 of revenue/hour; production was 7 x 24. System was availa
ble for the factory continuously except for one Sunday evening per month to allo
w for installation of software and hardware patches. Responsibilities grew to wh
ere I was the DBA for all production lines in the factory. Repeatedly called on
to consult and resolve problems that eluded others.
* Executed primary DBA duties for three HP UNIX servers running Oracle 8i, as we
ll as supported DBA with two additional HP UNIX servers located at other sites r
unning Oracle 8i
* Successfully participated in three Oracle database recoveries at two different
company locations. Recoveries were necessary do to hardware/infrastructure fai
lures
* Designed, developed, and installed an automated factory notification system (v
oice, web, email), which allowed the manufacturing and testing equipment to run
unattended
* Part of a team that implemented bar code methodology throughout the factory to
facilitate automatic communication with Oracle databases to increase accuracy a
nd reduce human intervention and significantly reducing labor costs
* Ensured that all database queries were returned to automated manufacturing sys
tems in less than three seconds regardless of the aspect of the query. Three se
cond queries reduced the need for additional manufacturing equipment thereby red
ucing equipment costs, personnel costs and factory floor space expenses
* Part of a team that designed, developed, and implemented a paperless process i
n less than eight weeks; enabled documents to be stored in an Oracle database th
us reducing labor costs; documents were viewed using a Web application; test res
ults of our products were electronically sent to customers
Database Programmer: 1997-2001
* Met business objectives by designing, developing and delivering complex ad-hoc
reports and databases to manage business processes (financial, operational), wh
ich required querying data from multiple databases
* Successfully transferred Oracle database to new hardware and to Oracle 8i
* Responsible for Y2K testing for the entire manufacturing facility including si
gning off on successful testing; installed UNIX patches
* Performed as Oracle DBA for one Oracle instance; generated server software (qu
eries, inserts and updates) to accommodate requests from automated assembly and
test equipment
* Provided assistance for engineers in writing special one-time quality control
queries; evaluated them for automated reporting; helped assembly and test set pr
ogrammers in writing code to communicate properly with the Oracle servers
* The database team was recognized as the primary point of contact for all compu
ter issues for the factory
* Ensured that production levels mandated by management were continually met by
providing response times of three seconds or less
* Provided 7x24 on-call service for two weeks out of every five weeks for the en
tire factory, including all Oracle instances and UNIX issues. If the primary on-
call person could not solve problem or respond, personnel would contact me.
Senior Programmer, CompSource, Wyomissing, PA: 1995-1997
Small software company that obtained a Natural Gas transmission control system;
and provided technical and business consulting for other companies. Tasks includ
ed developing and modifying test set automation software used to test fiber opti
c communication devices.
* Successfully moved a Lucent computerized manufacturing production line 22 mile
s to a new facility and connected the equipment to a new server and database. T
he production line was up and running on schedule.
* Moved the Oracle instance to the new location and modified all processes to op
erate correctly on the new server and a higher Oracle release level
* Provided Analyst/Programming support for automated product testing equipment a
t AT&T Clark NJ undersea cable factory
* Worked on Natural Gas Control System upgrade for UGI in Reading, PA
Project Leader/Project Manager (Sperry Corporation), UNISYS, Blue Bell, PA: 1978
-1995
Conducted project meetings to assess the status of projects, led program walkthr
oughs to verify standards were met; completed reports and presentations, updated
stakeholders on the status of projects, discussed sensitive report findings wit
h clients.
* Used a phased implementation approach to immediately satisfy the urgent needs
of our Federal Sales Division. Enhancements were delivered as scheduled. The F
ederal Sales Division was completely satisfied with solution devised and impleme
nted.
* Managed the merging of Burroughs and Sperry merger's combined Billing System.
This involved identifying Burroughs billing business needs and documenting the
necessary modifications in the Sperry's billing system.
* Led program walkthroughs to verify standards were met; documented system defic
iencies and bug fixes; instituted signoff procedures to assure documentation was
current prior to releasing new versions of programs for production. This proce
ss was developed a year before corporate policies were instituted.
* Led a team in modernizing the billing system (4 digit dates) and utilizing new
er database technology. Programming was not started until clear accurate specif
ications were completed on a program. Programs all followed standardized naming
conventions and layout to facilitate ease of modification. All programs were d
esigned to print error messages and close normally without causing a core dump.
The printed error message made rerunning the program easy.
FORMAL EDUCATION
Master of Business Administration, Major in Accounting and Computer Science, Tem
ple University, Philadelphia, PA
Bachelor of Science in Political Science and Music, Indiana University, Blooming
ton, IN