International Business Machines

July 1982 – September 1991

After graduating college (with unimpressive grades), I was hired as a systems engineer at 2625 Townsgate Rd., Westlake Village, California. This facility was a part of the Federal Systems Division. I was required to obtain a SECRET security clearance in order to be hired. My first project was supporting the Defense Support Program (DSP), a program of the United States Space Force that operated reconnaissance satellites to detect missile or spacecraft launches and nuclear explosions using infrared sensors. The movie “War Games” (1983) mentions a possible “DSP malfunction.” My first boss was Betty Kron, and my second was Ernie Souza. After that, I was promoted to a first line manager position.
In 1987, the facility at Westlake Village was shutdown and the entire staff were offered their same job located at 6300 Diagonal Hwy, Boulder, Colorado. I was a little intimidated to move away from my family in California. But, I enjoyed living in Colorado quite a bit. I love the 4 seasons and all the trees.
In Boulder, I continued as a manager of Systems Engineering, then manager of a Computer Laboratory, and finally as a Cost Estimator. By the way, I did achieve a professional certification in cost estimating. But in 1991, I became concerned about staying at IBM for the rest of my professional life. I joined IBM 2 months before my 20th birthday, and I couldn’t see myself having a 40 year career there. IBM was struggling to remain profitable and competitive with 374,000 employees worldwide. They offered buy-outs, and I took it. In retrospect, I didn’t have a good plan for where my career was headed. But, I never regretted leaving IBM for greater adventures.