RESUME
Dean Blehert
Words & Pictures East Coast, LLC
11919 Moss Point Lane, Reston VA 20194
703-471-7907
email: Contact form
Web: http://www.blehert.com
OBJECTIVE:
I have skills and experience as a manager, computer programmer,
microcomputer product evaluator, technical writer, proposal
evaluator, writer, researcher and editor, and as a micro-computer
network designer. Ideally, I would like to continue to be
employed in a consultant capacity. My specialty is thorough
examination and assimilation of data to analyze and resolve
problems. I feel my best use is as a generalist, performing
tasks requiring intelligence, a willingness to ask questions,
and the ability to communicate what I find.
Summary of computer-related qualifications:
I acquired most of my experience in computer technology and
proposal writing while employed as a Network Sales Engineer
at Government Technology Services, Inc. (GTSI) from 1989 to
1991 and from work there as a consultant, 1991 through 1998.
The following resume, written several years ago, is valid
up to 1999. After that period I retired from technical work,
returning in March-April, 2001, to help out on a government
bid at GTSI. I have not done technical writing, bid research
or RFP work since 2001. Since that time I have continued to
write. (I'm a poet and have had 7 books of my work published.)
I've also been active in various forms of volunteer work.
But, as far as computer-oriented work is concerned, I've been
retired since April, 2001. This absence from technical work
means I'll need to do some rapid catch-up on current technology,
but my writing skills and my ability to learn and assimilate
the details of an area and to reason are higher than ever.
1991 to 1999: Computer Bids Consultant
I have worked with companies (including GTSI) in large bid
procurement preparation. Most of my work has been with GTSI,
with another major stint at EDS, preparing the network computing
section of a response for an EDS proposal.
During this time, I participated in at least 20 procurements
at GTSI, including various Treasury Dept., Army, NASA (SEWP
I and SEWP II), and Air Force (Desk-Top V) procurements, some
large (hundreds of millions over several years), others small
and specialized (e.g., a contract for installing fiber optic
networks at Army bases in Germany). They include contracts
with thousands of separate items (e.g., ISA) and contracts
for single items (e.g., Network server software for NASA SEWP
II.) While my functions varied from contract to contract,
some of the skills areas are: (1.) Researching on the Web
and in magazines and by phone calls to vendors to locate products
meeting bid specifications; (2.) Testing products to determine
whether or not they meet specifications -- nearly always software
(spreadsheets, graphics, databases, word processing, compilers);
(3.) Writing RFP responses, (usually technical, but I have
also written warranty- maintenance, business plans and other
response material); (4.) Editing responses written by others;
(5.) Studying vendor questions and Government responses to
determine how these affect bid strategy or to locate feasible
strategies; (6.) Researching new technical or other standards
that come up, finding products that meet these standards and/or
writing a response that shows how our products meet these
standards. (For example, the first time an RFP required Energy-Star
compliance, I was assigned research that standard. The first
time an RFP stressed a solution with a low Total Cost of Ownership,
I was assigned to research that criterion and provide a rationale,
based on that criterion, for our proposed solution); (7.)
studying RFPs to determine whether or not GTSI should respond
to them and to prepare a report, outlining the basic features
and difficulties of the RFP and how they make it a suitable
project for GTSI (or not); (8.) Researching RFPs to determine
whether a proposed strategy is feasible; (9.) Researching
competitors to find out how they've priced products on recent
procurements; (10.) Checking various on-line sources looking
for Government contracts on which GTSI might profitably bid.
1989 to 1991: Network Sales Engineer, GTSI.
I helped sales people deal with government customers interested
in ordering local area networks (LANs). I met with customers,
worked out their needs and configured networks designed to
meet those needs. During this time I received training from
3Com, Banyan, IBM and Novell, becoming a fully certified Novell
engineer. I installed or helped install and/or debug a few
networks, but mainly I worked on the pre-sale design and proposal,
and checked out and corrected--technically and stylistically--all
proposals by the other network sales engineers. In addition,
I helped GTSI write several multi-million- dollar network
proposals, most of which they won.
1988 to 1989: Tech. Consultant, Major Business Opportunities
Division, GTSI
This section of the company responds to large government RFPs
for microcomputer hardware and software. The four bids on
which I worked over this period were each worth hundreds of
millions or billions of dollars. I worked as technical consultant
to the product managers, suggested products, made certain
that products chosen (software and peripherals) were compliant.
I researched and wrote nearly all the technical responses
on the first large bid GTSI won (Navy Companion).
1985 to 1988: Technical Support Manager, GTSI
GTSI sells several thousand different microcomputer products
from a few hundred manufacturers. It was my job to support
all of them. Customers would call with questions or difficulties,
and I'd get them an answer or solution. If I didn't know the
answer myself, I'd phone vendor technical support until I
had a complete solution. I handled both pre- and post-sale
questions. While I held this post, it grew from single-manned
to 14 people, with myself as the chief. (I left the position
for wider responsibility.) During this time, in addition to
handling technical calls and managerial duties, I organized
a large library of technical product literature, did minor
fixes on in-house software and hardware, wrote programs, and
trained GTSI staff, helped establish the Tech. Support electronic
bulletin board and network, organized vendor training for
technical support representatives, and wrote several technical-guideline
documents for use by sales people.
1983 to 1985: Various computer consulting jobs
As programmer/consultant at the Advisory Committee for Intergovernmental
Relations (ACIR), I used mainframe PL1 to download a large
database from a mainframe computer to a microcomputer. Then
I used dBASE II to organize the data and import it into Lotus
123, where I developed macros to generate the desired reports.
The purpose of the project was to develop a statistical model
to help find an equitable way to return certain federal functions
to state control. As trainee/programmer for AQUAS, Inc., I
did mainframe programming, using PL1, SPSS, JCL, Wilbur, and
TSO, and microcomputer dBASE II programming. I created most
of the programs (about 250) for the accounting, billing and
payroll functions of a courier system, using dBase and wrote
the documentation for that system. I also learned the basics
of COBOL, SAS, and other mainframe languages and applications,
and did a small project in RPG II.
Prior to this time, my job experience was not computer related,
although I should mention that I was an Assistant Professor
of English Literature and Creative Writing at Cornell University
in Ithaca, New York from 1967 to 1969. I left to pursue other
interests.
Publications:
1985: I wrote three workbooks for Ashton-Tate, including Introduction
to dBASE III Plus Programming.
Education 1963 to 1967: Graduate student/Teaching
Asst. at Stanford University. Completed MA in English, 1966.
Completed all work toward PhD. in English except thesis (never
completed). I was a Woodrow Wilson Fellow and a Woodrow Wilson
Dissertation Fellow.
1959-1963: Attended University of Minnesota, completed BA's
in English and Math. (double major), graduated Summa Cum Laude,
Phi Beta Kappa, All College Scholar.
1956-1959: Attended Central High School in St. Paul, Minnesota.
Since leaving graduate school in 1967, I have received training
in various subjects (professional counseling, communication
skills) and taught myself other skills (computer programming).
Skills:
I have expert knowledge of dBASE II and III Plus and am more
or less familiar with at least 100 different microcomputer
software packages of all sorts. I've worked extensively with
several word processing packages (WordStar, Word Perfect,
Word), AutoCad, Lotus 123, SuperCalc, Paradox, R:BASE 5000,
Guru, etc., and, from my years evaluating products at GTSI,
I've become able to learn and use a software package quickly.
I have some familiarity with BASIC, COBOL, and FORTRAN, though
I'd have to relearn these, since I haven't used them for years.
I have expert knowledge of PL1 (somewhat rusty now) and fair
knowledge of JCL, Wilbur, and TSO.
I have installed most types of peripheral boards in IBM- compatible
microcomputers and am broadly familiar with the characteristics
of a wide range of monitors, hard drives, graphics standards,
printers, plotters, scanners, and mice. I am a skilled technical
writer.
I have a good memory and quickly grasp written material, including
manuals and government specifications. While working on bids,
I seldom missed details and often caught errors that others
missed.
I have management skills. During the period I managed the
Technical Support Dept. at GTSI, the department was productive
and received many commendations for its work. It was never
a problem area for higher executives.
I am also a poet. My poems have been published in Modern Haiku,
Kansas Quarterly Review, Crosscurrents, Light, Reston Review,
Krax, Carousel, View From the Loft, Gold Dust, Dark Horse,
Bogg, Visions, The Lyric, Lip Service, The Federal Poet, Admiror,
Wild Rose, Wild Rose 2, Golden Horses (an anthology) and other
poetry publications.
I have 6 published books of my poems (Dear Reader, 1976, Admiral
Books, L.A., The Naked Clowns, 1982, Great Western, Glendale,
CA, Poems for Adults and Other Children, 1989, Pogment Press,
Reston, VA), and one chapbook (Family Pictures, 1979, Wild
Rose Press, L.A.).
Salary:
Negotiable or on a per-contract basis
References:
Jim Dunn
Principal, Red Team Consulting
1984 Isaac Newton Sq. #300
Reston, VA 20190
(o) 703-787-9009
(c) 703-328-4466
james.dunn@redteamconsulting.com
Mark Kevitt
Chief Operating Officer
Distributed Website Corporation
mark@dwebsite.com
727 489-2660
727 481-2612 cell
|
