Instructors

	BASIS Training Instructors

	Jeff Ash	Jeff, BASIS Software Engineer, joined the company in 1998. Jeff's concentration is on the development of the database portion of the BBj® system including the SQL engine, JDBC driver, ODBC driver, IDE data dictionary module, and the Enterprise Manager. Programming since the age of 10 and professionally since the age of 16, Jeff earned a Bachelor of Science in Information Technology. He has gained a wealth of knowledge in a variety of programming languages, technologies, and disciplines. His skill set includes SQL, Hibernate, database analysis and design, complex database report design, database-driven Web application development, Java, C, C++, Visual Basic, PHP, ASP, HTML, Java Script, Oracle PL/SQL, Oracle Forms, and Eclipse plug-in development.

	Nick Decker	Nick, BASIS Engineering Services Supervisor, has been contributing to the success of the BASIS engineering team since 1990. Nick directs the development of the BBx products, oversees the day-to-day workflow, and is a strong and frequent presenter at BASIS technical conferences. Programming for over 20 years, Nick's experience includes BBx, Visual Basic, Perl, SQL, JavaScript, Java, and more recently, developing Web and CGI applications. An accomplished graphic designer, Nick designed various skins and user interfaces for multiple media players, desktop shells, and Web sites. In his free time, he authors freeware programs including SysMetrix, a system monitoring utility used around the world. Nick earned a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from the University of New Mexico.

	Robert Del Prete	Robert, a Quality Assurance Engineer, has over 15 years combined experience in technical support and quality assurance with BASIS and Intuit. Robert first joined the support department at BASIS in 1997, then migrated to the QA department in 1999. In addition to implementing new technology demos and Advantage articles, he is responsible for creating, running, and maintaining the automated testing at BASIS, including nightly SQL, BBx, BBj, and IBM Rational Robot tests for GUI. Robert is also skilled with Perl programming and UNIX scripting. He earned a bachelor's degree in Business Administration from Eastern New Mexico University.

	Jim Douglas	Jim, BASIS Software Engineer Contractor, first began developing with MAI Business BASIC in 1984 and then BBx in its infancy. Later, he co-founded an e-commerce software development company and in 1996, after 7 years of entrepreneurship, joined BASIS International as a full-time Contract Software Developer. Jim plays an integral role in the development of the language, tools, utilities, and most recently, the Barista Application Workbench. He further assists the developer community by applying his application development experience, helping customers migrate through the various BBx generations. Jim's breadth of programming history combined with his depth of BBx experience and keen understanding of all BASIS generations is a valuable resource to BASIS.

	Shaun Haney	Shaun, a Quality Assurance Engineer, has a Bachelor's degree in Computer Science and 10 years combined experience as a software engineer and quality assurance engineer. Shaun has worked with various programming languages and tools including BASIC, C/C++, Visual Studio, Java and Tcl/Tk. Prior to joining BASIS, Shaun worked for Northrop Grumman in their Mission Systems division, developing and maintaining simulators and satellite control systems.

	Christine Hawkins	Christine, an Application Developer, came to BASIS in 2007 as the project manager for the wide-scale development of AddonSoftware by Barista. She also works in Barista development and enjoys conducting Barista training courses. Before coming to BASIS, Christine worked with MicroAccounting Systems, Inc. on the early conversion of AddonSoftware into a graphical format, using the rapid development environment that later became Barista. Christine has always enjoyed applications development, and spent several years designing, implementing, interfacing, and supporting practice management, transcription, and computerized image storage systems in the radiology industry, both as an employee and owner of her own software company. In addition to Business BASIC, her development experience includes MySQL, PHP, VBA, Perl, and JavaScript, as well as working with HIPAA electronic billing and remittance processing, and HL7 interfaces. Christine has an Associate's degree in Computer Science as well as a Bachelor's degree in Information Technology.

	Brian Hipple	Brian, BASIS Software Test Engineering Supervisor, possesses a wealth of proven BBx, Java, Visual C++, and C development experience. Prior to joining BASIS, Brian spent over nine years developing business applications for such Fortune 500 companies as Microsoft, Wal-Mart, and Phillips Petroleum. Since joining BASIS in 1998, Brian has contributed greatly to the development of the PRO/5 family of products and the newest BBx generation, BBj. He has also developed several internal projects including the BASIS QA Memo Web Service. Brian is Web Services certified and an honors graduate from New Mexico State University with a Bachelor of Business Administration in Business Computer Systems.

	Jerry Karasz	Jerry, a Software Architect, joined the BASIS team in January of 2014. His 20+ year software development career has spanned the government and commercial sectors, and includes multiple industries such as high powered microwave systems, communications, banking, paper production, airport management, satellite ground stations, telemetry signal correlation and analysis, physical security, aircraft trainers, and software test management. He also has seven years of software system test experience and is a Certified Project Manager. In earlier careers, Jerry was an airborne weather operator in the US Air Force, and a civilian aerial photographer for the US Navy. Jerry has a Bachelor's degree in Applied Mathematics with a minor in Computer Science from the University of New Mexico, and specializes in design, infrastructure, communications protocols, and user interfaces.

	Mike Phelps	Mike, a Software Engineer, had an interesting previous life doing church work in Germany, piloting rescue and special ops helicopters for the US Air Force, and writing flight simulation/mission rehearsal software for Lockheed Martin in C and C++. Since joining BASIS in 1999, Mike has concentrated on the BBj character user interface and developer tools such as the BASIS IDE. Mike holds a Bachelor of Science in Engineering Design Technology and a Master of Science in Computer Information Systems.

	Stephan Wald	Director of Sales and Technical Service for BASIS Europe Distribution, distributes and supports all BBx generations in Europe, and extends and enhances the existing reseller network and strategic customer base. Stephan, a self-educated programmer for over 20 years, began his career with /M/A/I equipment and authored a Windows terminal emulator for /M/A/I 4315 screens which sold in the late 90s under the name TERM43. During the years that followed, Stephan wrote software and supported applications for the healthcare, construction, wholesale and retail, manufacturing, and airport industries. His programming experience includes BBx products as well as OpenBASIC, C and Visual C++, Pascal, HTML, DHTML and JavaScript, various SQLs, and the administration of Linux, SCO UNIX, Windows server platforms and networks. .

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Instructors