Career and
Education Overview
for Mike
Kimbro...
While I'm presently serving humanity from behind the counter of a pawn shop, just prior to that I was working in the IT field, busy as a system administrator and providing on-site and telephone support for the hardware components of a PC based automated pharmacy system. Earlier careers included 3 years in the automotive sales business, a couple years exploring the world of apartment property management, eight years of IT management and on-site computer support experience, preceded by seven years of experience in software/hardware sales, preceded by seven years in the data processing industry in administrative and on-site service capacities. While some might try to hang upon me the label 'job hopper', I prefer the term 'seniority challenged'. ;~) Here’s a little more detail:
2010 Cash America International, Grapevine, Texas USA
Starting a new career at the Grapevine location of Cash America Pawn Shops, which has it's headquarters just down the road in Fort Worth, TX.
2009 ProviderMeds Management ( aka OnSiteRx & ProvideRx ), Grapevine, Texas USA
I was the first line on-site and telephone support person for the Microsoft Windows based automatic medicine dispensing machines which ProviderMeds sells to the senior care industry, including nursing homes. Covering a territory which included nursing homes in Waco, Dallas, Wichita Falls, Mesquite, SW Fort Worth, and one just West of Sherman, I was on-call 24 hours per day, 7 day per week, 28 or 29 days per month. The hours were more than I could handle, and the looming prospect of taking on homes in Austin and San Antonio sent shivers down my spine. Finally, my attitude went to hell and "one day the axe just fell"...quoting from Bob Dylan's song "Tangled Up In Blue." Co-workers included Robert Smith, Blake Best, Reef Gillam, Mark Vaughan, Kirk Peterson, Terry Allard, and Stewart Stephens.
2008 BNSF Logistics International, Grapevine, Texas USA
DFL was purchased in the Spring of 2008 by BNSF Logistics of Springdale, AR. I continued the same IT related responsibilities.
2007 Diversified Freight Logistics, Grapevine, Texas
Made the move back into MIS thanks to the good folks at DFL. Coworkers included Blaine Cantrell, Bob Ryan, Debbie Morrison, Rena Foster, Mike Kraatz, Peter Kouwen, Doug Huseby, Mike Huseby, Michael Badorf, Phillip Walsh, Mike Lancaster, plus Courtney Ashley and Steve Canada in our Tulsa office, Robert Rico and Jessica Nichols in our Houston, and Debbie Freeman in our New Orleans office.
2006 - 2007 Park Place Motorcars, Dallas, Texas
Making the conversion from domestic to import to answer the highest calling which a man can receive in the car business...to sell Park Place Mercedes-Benz automobiles. Working at a state of the art facility located on Lemmon Avenue just south of Dallas Love Field. Serving Dallas County and nearby Highland Park, this Mercedes Benz and Porsche dealership is located just a short distance north of the Dallas Uptown and Dallas Oaklawn areas. Co-workers included Bret Stuart, Mike Wasserman, Rainer, Shilo, Bill, Stacey, Les, James, Bobby, Winston, Ned, Sue, Mark, Hesham, Ted, Neil, Robert, David, Kevin Kleine, Jennifer Lubkin, Kenneth, Kal, Ana, Lindsey, Cheri, Jason, Tara, Laura, and Jodi.
2004 - 2005 Payton-Wright Ford, Grapevine, Texas (now Grapevine Ford)
Learning the car and truck sales ropes, while working with some really good people. Spent time in both new and pre-owned auto sales, as well as in the internet department. Earned Certification from Ford on new and CPO vehicles. Co-workers included Mike Ruscoe, John Sinclair, Maurice Bell, Dennis White, James Kaylor, Brandon Minatra, Dan Weiss, Marc Fowler, Dirk Sauerwine, Scott Leflett, Bret Stuart, Dan Weiss, Brett Stuart, Chuck Sprong, Debbie McNeily, Richard Deiss, Paul Savoie, Scott Cates, Merle Zmak, Jim Love, Andrew Cook, Tom Owings, Beth Stephens, Billy Crisp, Mark Lancaster, Nelson Sears, Kim Thomas, James Healy, Larry Patton, Pam Mitchell, Jack Debose, Rodney Hester, Tim Strain, Paul Stenta, Pete Silva, Heather Marek, Oscar Casas, Barney Roger, Nathan Noble, JD Krupika, Bruce Berman, Robert Williamson, Jim Lambert, Sam Inthalansy, Anthony Gieser, Michael Almanza, Ida Edminston, Mark Peaden, Igor Manestar, Jaclyn Clark, Darryl Hopkins, Mike Kenyon, Rocio Johnson, Paul van de Water, John Stone, Bud Spratlin, Paul Barrows, Mike Keithley, Larry Patton, Freddy Powers II, Sam Atchley, and many more.
2003 - 2004 Chapel Hill Apartments, Lewisville, TX
Leasing consultant at one of the premier communities in the Dallas/Fort Worth area.
Co-workers: Tina Terrazas, Joe McCalib, Ernie Flanders, Gina Seese, Robbie Irving, Patricia Minor, Debi Carr, Trish Hale, Cesar Mejia, Paige Edwards, Jason Boley, Kate Fagan, Sandy Gifford, Gene Parish, Maribel Terrazas, BJ Thomas, Jessica Laranang, Carol Zipfel, Kristi Turner, Sabrina Tyson, David Rush, and many others.
2002 BG Personnel Services, DFW, TX
A working education of the multi-family property management industry through temporary assignments at numerous apartments across the DFW area.
Manager: Robert Cote.
2001 Kimbro Consulting,
Grapevine, TX
Investigated the need for mass transit in the many cities of the DFW area which are not served or inadequately serviced by the local transit authorities. This research was the basis for creation of my site:
Bus Service Concepts for North Texas
1998 - 2000 Chromalloy Dallas, Farmers Branch, TX
MIS Manager for this manufacturer of jet and turbine engine components, with just over 100 computer users scattered over five plants in North Texas and one in Mexico. Duties included installation of LAN and WAN throughout the organization, as well as the day to day oversight of the firm’s servers and IBM AS/400. As a member of the implementation team, assisted in the conversion of the firm’s manufacturing, distribution, and accounting software from AS400 to Y2K compliant LAN based platform. In spite of resistance from the HQ corporate staff ("it's a product in search of a purpose!"), I installed and implemented a pair of Citrix Winframe Servers to permit trouble free running of our Symix Syteline applications at our four remote plants over high speed radio links. Our division was the first in Chromalloy Gas Turbine Corporation to implement Citrix Winframe (now called Citrix Presentation Server), and a year later it was on the corporate IT's list of recommended platforms.
Co-works: Jerry Hellmund, David Johnson, Stan Shankle, Gene Stewart, Kathy Johnson, and many others.
1993 - 1998 Kimbro Consulting, Colleyville, TX
Provided on-site support for IBM System/36, AS/400, and PC based LAN accounts in Dallas/Fort
Worth area,
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1991 - 1993 Choice Solutions, Inc., Colleyville, TX
One of three founding partners in this computer integration company (along with Idaho's Don R. Rowe and England's Mark J. Littlefield) which initially "grey marketed" IBM AS400 Systems, then later moved to service the LAN and WAN side of the IBM Midrange marketplace.
Co-workers: Vickie Jones, Don Rowe, Joel Embry, Todd Ramage, Dan Crook.
1989 - 1991 XL/Datacomp, Inc., Irving, TX
Moved to yet another firm which specialized in the "grey marketing" of IBM Mid-Range Systems. Responsible for coverage of IBM AS400, System36 and System/38 users in parts of Dallas, then later in the entire Fort Worth area. Assisted Anderson Consulting in the sale of XL/Datacomp's XL/Mac Pac manufacturing software at Senisys in McKinney, TX. It was noteworthy because at one point during the sales cycle the Senisys CEO--responding to a highly polished "trial close"--personally kicked the entire sales team out of the building. During this period the industry standard sales plan provided for commission of 20-30% of profit on a hardware sale. As the corporate sales manager lowered commissions on a hardware sale from 19% of profit when I joined in 1989 to only 10% of profit in 1991, I was forced to join a mass exodus of the company's knowledgeable computer sales folk when IBM pulled our "business partner" status. Left with essentially bean counters in the sales positions, the company folded two years later.
Co-workers: Don Cooper, Paul Cathcart, John Rusk, Jerry Munson, Gary Anderson, Terry Rabe and many others.
1982 - 1988 LeasPak International, Bedford, TX
Initially
brought on as administration manager due to familiarity with IBM's
administrative workings, then later promoted to
Vice President -
Operations. Moved over to the sales staff
dealing with both new (gray market) and used IBM Midrange (System/34, System/36, and System/38) computer
hardware/software. Expertise was honed in the sales and installation of
various IBM remote communications products (5251-12, 5294, 5394), and the
associated modems, modem eliminators, and DSU-CSU products. In 1986-1987,
responsible for the sale of System36 based turnkey data processing solutions
for wholesale distributors of finished goods, and well as the hardware
representative in the sale of Henry Munson's solution for U.S. Customs House
Brokers. In 1988, the exit of former IBM
Salesman Rush Greer opened the door for me to concentrate primarily in
the sale of Bill Scott's IBM System/36 based
"Jobber" software to
petroleum remarketers (aka: petroleum jobbers) and
convenience store operators in North Carolina, Maryland, Virginia, and
Kentucky.
Co-workers: Larry R. Craig, Don R. Rowe, Mark J. Littlefield, Peter Harrop, Jana Reeves, Laurie Johnson, Janet Cain, Vickie Jones, Dick Speck, Jan Carroll, Gary Anderson, Kevin Probst, Mike Shelton, Doug Bonestroo, Vicki Hawn, Ron West, Rush Greer, Mark Fowler, Linda Fleshman and many others.
1980 - 1981 IBM Corporation, Dallas, TX
Transferred to Dallas, where I trained and worked as a “CE” (Customer Engineer) for IBM Office Products Division (OPD). Products serviced included typewriters and dictation equipment, initially covering a downtown Dallas territory, and later a North Dallas territory. This is where I grew to love the on-site interaction with my customers.
Co-workers: Robert LaBlanc, Bob Jaworski, Paul Monroe and many others.
1977 - 1979 IBM Corporation, Louisville, KY
Held various administrative positions in the IBM’s ‘OP’ and ‘OS’ divisions, including order entry, accounts receivable, supplies, and rentals. The secret to my meteoric rise at IBM...I married Debra, my boss' daughter.
Co-workers: Hank Boyer, Sue Parham, George McGowen, Linda Blume, Celia Preston, Art Dickerson, George Davis, Bill Hillman, Jim Jackson, Chris Anderson, Bob Bashore, Bill Cobb, Nick Miller, Frank Eaton, Charlie Sego and many others.
1977 IBM Corporation, Louisville, KY
Installer for IBM Office Products (OP) Division typewriters and dictation equipment.
Co-workers: Richard Eaton, Howard Martin, John Linney.
Education:
University of Louisville, Louisville, Kentucky
Washington University, St. Louis, Missouri (a winter term class in Engineering Statics)
DePauw University, Greencastle, Indiana
Iroquois High School, Louisville, Kentucky
North Phoenix High School, Phoenix, Arizona
Emerson Elementary School, Phoenix, Arizona
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