Steven D. Stern
I am currently Chief Technology Officer for an association of commercial real estate professionals, responsible for the maintaining and improving internal IT & Telecommunications infrastructure and developing a strategy to extend the association's technology to permit it to develop new programs for its members, increase its membership, and extend its reach globally.
Doing business as Stern Data Solutions, I was an independent consultant providing a range of services to small businesses and non-profits. I provided strategic technology planning as well as offer hands-on support for computer systems, networks, and services. I also developed websites using industry-standard open source tools like Apache, PHP, MySQL and LINUX.
As Executive Director of Computing Services for the University of Chicago Graduate School of Business (GSB), I was responsible for the systems and software used for email, file and print services, and faculty and student research. In the seven years I worked at the GSB, we developed and implemented at least two generations of administrative systems for the school. The current generation supports the School's nationally recognized career services functions, alumni and development functions, and a complete student information and registration system including a system through which students compete for courses in a market driven auction. Functionality is distributed through client-server tools used by the staff and web-based systems used by students. All is supported by a single, integrated relational database that provides a repository of information tracking everyone from initial inquiry into the School's programs through their success as alumni.
At the GSB, I focused on improving the quality and reliability of services provided by Computing Services. One of the most important mechanisms to this end was the development of standards and policies that defined the services we offered and the expectations of our customers. Computing Services could not tell anyone what computer, software, or operating system to use, but we could tell them what we could support and why our choices were reasonable. I worked with the Deans, a committee of faculty, and many of the staff to learn their needs and to develop their ownership in the result. In keeping with the School's core beliefs, we did not impose arbitrary rules but set a market in which people would choose to come to the standards. Our systems and support organizations became well regarded because the standards and policies created a coherent environment in which our people could do their jobs well.
I managed a multi-million dollar budget, supervised a large staff, and functioned as a part of the School's senior staff. I also represented the GSB within the larger University's technology community, often working with senior managers and the CIO to set the larger technology agenda, coordinate initiatives, and look for opportunities to streamline processes and procedures. I was also active in a group called BCD, representing the computing directors at the top 20 U.S. schools of business.
One of the most exciting things I did at the GSB was to develop and manage the technology plan for the GSB's new building. We knew we had to build something that was (to use the hackneyed phrase) state of the art. I worked with audovisual consultants, architects, network engineers, and experts from other leading business schools to design classrooms with advanced but usable technology and widespread wireless networking. When the building is completed in 2004, the GSB should have a building that will have technology ready for its time.
I got into computing because I wanted to understand how things work. My first real job was technical writing. At JMB, I had to learn how systems worked well enough to document them for the programmers and explain them to the users. This evolved into writing programs, then running the systems, managing the inevitable replacements and upgrades, and into designing and implementing a network of heterogeneous systems. I learned how to exchange data with other systems, both within the company and with our partners and vendors. In fact, in 1984, I co-developed and wrote the Tandem side of a protocol that Tandem used to print to HP's new 45ppm laser printing system. I put in the first email system (MS Mail running on LanManager), and then I figured out how to use it to exchange mail and documents with our lawyers, getting payback within days based just on fax and messenger costs. I love learning how to make things like this work and appreciate the elegance of well designed systems.
Steven D. Stern
Email: steve (at) sterndata (dot) com