ETS is pleased to welcome the following three new employees, who will provide District users with higher levels of technical support in their respective areas.

Bill Matsumoto, Instructional Technology Solutions Systems Engineer

Bill is responsible for technology in the District's multimedia classrooms -- filling a position that has been vacant for over a year. He will work on ideas and implementations of technologies to enhance the classroom experience. This includes specifying, acquiring and installing new and upgraded technology in the classrooms -- working closely with technical support representatives from each college.

Bill brings more than 10 years of experience to his new job. Until recently, he was an information technology/audiovisual consultant. Prior to being an independent, he worked for Nohau in Campbell, a company that provides in-circuit emulation tools for engineers of embedded systems. At Nohau, he managed technical support and engineering services. Bill earned his B.S. degree in computer engineering from Chico State University.

"Bill brings a good combination of expertise in the audiovisual arena and networking and desktop support," says Sharon Luciw, Network and Client Services director. "We are pleased to have him join the ETS team."

District faculty and staff should work through their key campus contacts regarding classroom technologies: Penny Patz (patzpenny@fhda.edu) at Foothill and Donna Jones-Dulin (jonesdulindonna@fhda.edu) and Christina Espinosa-Pieb (espinosapiebchristina@fhda.edu) at De Anza. Bill's email address is matsumotobill@fhda.edu.

Dan Frandy, Senior Workstation Technician

Dan recently joined Foothill Technology Services as a senior workstation technician, a desperately needed position that had been vacant for one year. He is a resource for other technicians in the department -- helping them resolve difficulties with Call Center trouble tickets for both hardware and software issues.

One of Dan's chief responsibilities is to keep Foothill software current, refreshing it once a quarter for instructors. This includes implementing updates and patches, and making sure computers have the correct software installed for teaching purposes.

Dan also serves as the main technical support contact for the Krause Center for Innovation at Foothill. "He supports the entire infrastructure at the Krause Center for Innovation, including 200 PCs and Macs, the wireless lab and the wireless cafe," says Technology Services Supervisor John Vandercook. "Technology users at the Center should see an improvement in the level of support they receive now that Dan is on board."

Prior to joining the District, Dan operated a computer and network consulting firm for nearly three years. He also worked for NorthPoint Communications, a DSL reseller, as lead helpdesk analyst and lead WAN technician -- and for the Rosai Group in San Francisco as a Mac technician. Dan earned his B.S. degree in mathematics in 1995 from CSU Stanislaus.

Dan's email is frandydan@fhda.edu, but users should continue to contact the Call Center to open trouble tickets for software or hardware problems.

Mahmood Hasan, Systems and Network Programmer II

Mahmood, who also goes by Hasan, replaces Joseph Bocchieri -- who is retiring from his position as systems and network programmer II.

In his new position, Hasan administers and maintains the District's OpenVMS cluster systems. This includes installing, upgrading and configuring OpenVMS-related software and patches, including monitoring and security software.

Hasan also performs programming and support duties for systems, applications, operations and users as needed. He reviews and maintains system logs and reports, and uses various programs to generate reports to evaluate and improve system performance. His job also includes managing databases, maintaining a TAPE backup/archiving process, and ensuring that the District's Administration System for the OpenVMS platform operates correctly. In addition, he provides backup support for UNIX-based systems.

"Hasan has a long history with the District that began in 1987 when he was a computer operator in what was then called the Data Services Department," says Tom Roza, supervisor, Systems and Operations. "Over time, Hasan moved into more system support-related responsibilities, which is where he began to develop his skills as a systems programmer."

In 1999, Hasan left the District and worked at Oracle and overseas in England. In 2002, he returned to the District as a contractor in the role of systems programmer before accepting the permanent position in January 2005.

Hasan can be reached at hasanmahmood@fhda.edu.