Technical aptitude has been at the root of my introduction to greater opportunities. Early familiarity with computers and code enabled the positioning that opened doors for me as more and more processes that were part of my work moved into the digital realm. In addition, my skills with these systems allowed me to tackle additional tasks and responsibilities, finding digital solutions for people approaching problems with traditional processes.
Despite my history in the position of Director of Information Technology in the past, I have elected to utilize my skills to inform positions closer to direct revenue generation like those in Marketing. As a result the fast-moving I.T. field has continued moving, and although I am happy to offer my expertise in the systems and technologies with which I am thoroughly familiar, I am also happy to be working with a strong and well-informed team of I.T. professionals specifically dedicated to all the facets of compliance, security, integrity, and transparency required by that demanding discipine in a public company.
Casino CRM Expertise
We live in a new age of cloud-based customer relationship management and marketing systems like Salesforce, if you work with data in an industry and enterprise that permits its portability into other systems. In Colorado, as in many other regulated gaming jurisdictions, and in our organization, tight control on the portability of personally identifiable data has kept casino patron data from fully moving into the cloud-based, drag-and-drop, SaaS future.
Historically though, casino CRM systems are tightly regulated and located on internal networks on physical and subsequently virtualized servers, often using a MS SQL database as underpinning for an application layer developed in .NET or other technologies. These are still proprietary, massive, and exclusive CRM deployments due to their cost. I have years of experience in multiple facets/applications of two of the primary manufacturer's systems: Light & Wonder's (formerly Scientific Games, and previously Bally's) Casino Marketplace/Slot Data System, and Aristocrat Gaming's OASIS slot system.
I.T. Direction
My Information Technology Direction experience at the Golden Casino Group extends from data storage, access management, backup, and disaster recovery planning of a domain network servicing three casinos; through audio-visual content development and management; and into software development project management, server virtualization and management, and uptime redundancy and support for Exchange, ISA, and slot system CRM installations, among many others.
I was proud to lead a team of dedicated and knowledgable analysts, and to manage their growth and development. I advocated for elevated positioning of I.T. security and infrastructure concerns within the enterprise's list of priorities.
Freelance Consultant
For a time I was privileged to be able to offer freelance database reporting and querying skills to Shuffle Master Incorporated in Nevada, now known as SHFL Entertainment. Cutsom reporting solutions needed to be developed for an upgrade in Microsft Dynamics ERP software at the enterprise, involving both remote and on-site work, using SQL as well as SSRS.
In addition, before returning to the Golden Casino Group in the role of Director of I.T., I was able to offer my old employers my freelance services to continue helping support them in the unique database and software solutions that had been deployed at the property, both by myself and by third party providers. Much of this work involved database support and configuration as well as basic I.T. historical systems knowledge and support.
Systems Analyst
A key position that led to advancement of my casino career was my position within the Golden Casino Group as an I.T. Systems Analyst, secured after leaving the Slot department, working for the Mardi Gras Casino in Black Hawk. Shortly after, the Mardi Gras Casino property and the Golden Gates and Jazz Alley casino properties in Black Hawk were purchased and consolidated by Golden Gaming out of Nevada. This ownership transition involved a transition from the previous Bally/SDS slot system over to Aristocrat OASIS for all properties.
All aspects of I.T. basic support were involved in this position, from basic hardware work supporting peripherals at the front line, to basic user support, to pulling and terming cable across various high-ceiling cavernous casino interiors with labyrinthine structure hidden above the drop ceilings. Eventually the position would expand with more of a basis in business problem analysis and development of technical solutions, including creation of a virtual drawing system not offered by the CRM manufacturer.
Analog to Digital Workflow Conversions
I joined KTVD UPN20 at a key point in the transition from older analog methods of authoring both print and video content to newer digital methods. When I first started at the station as Art Director, there was still a photographic stat camera in the office along with a drawer full of various sizes of halftones, to accomplish old-school photographic cut-and-literal-paste graphic design layout for print ads. I didn't know how to use it. I had come to this position from Kinko's, offering graphic design and desktop layout on a walk-up as-you-wait basis in Computer Services. This experience positioned me nicely for the business' transition to digital layout and design tools and methods. Eventually I would recommend replacing expensive oursourced ad slick production for newspaper placement with an in-house 1200 DPI laser printer using wax-safe apaper, achieving the same results at significant cost savings in the long-term.
Subsequently I would advise the Promotions Manager in the purchase of a Mac design station (the blue and white G3!) to explore motion graphics and design. Following that, the station would explore Avid offline video editing workstations, and my assistance would prove helpful in integrating them into an existing graphics and online editing workflow. Very soon, offline editing and motion graphics were the meat and potatoes of my day-to-day design work. I would find ways to recreate this workflow in the future for casinos to satisfy their media and motion graphics needs in-house.
Technical Support
My technical aptitude I must credit to my parents in its origins: when other kids got a Nintendo Entertainment System for Christmas, my parent got me a Commodore 64. A childhood filled with coding graphics and programs there helped me throughout school and, after graduation from university, helped me feel at home in a telephone technical support role found through the Weld County Jobs Service. This position for Sykes Enterprises handled telephone technical support for the Apple Proforma and PowerMac line of desktop computers, including the DOS-compatible PowerMac 8100 which contained two logic boards within it: a PowerPC IBM board for the Mac side and a completely separate Intel logic board for the PC "compatibility."
This experience helped me into a new position at the college Kinko's running the Computer Services department, which offered rudimentary desktop publishing as well as by-the-hour rentable Mac computer systems (System 6!) and printers, which I supported. Upon leaving Greeley I was able to transfer within the company to the much busier Computer Services at the Denver Tech Center location, which was echoed by an appropriate shift in the work done from school-focused projects to business-focused work.
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Dana demonstrated a strong desire to understand all facets of the technology department as it related to a casino environment while working with our team. Dana continually expanded his breath of knowledge in the areas of networking, communications, software development and database administration. There was no challenge Dana couldn't handle and was always eager to except. Dana was a team player, a person who thought outside the box and always came to work with a positive can do attitude. A winner in every way!
