Not only is it an IT Strategies International goal to offer expert computer consulting services to the global community, but it helps to have the staff reflect our world partners – just ask Rajan Bhardwaj.
"I had an interest in computers and computer programming and how they related to the business world," says Bhardwaj. "Especially so during the Dot.com boom."
Bhardwaj hails from India, most assuredly a long way from the Las Vegas Valley. After he met and wed his wife in his native country, Bhardwaj followed her to the U.S. in 1992, where she already held citizenship status.
"It was easy to apply for citizenship because of my wife," Bhardwaj notes. "Even though she is of Indian descent, she was born and raised in the U.S."
Not so easy was the transition into American life. Already possessing a handle on the English language, Bhardwaj found it wasn't so easy to incorporate the many slang words or, at times, make himself understood. And where the number one mode of transportation, driving, would never prove bothersome to the majority of us, Bhardwaj had never even driven a car before. And then there was the matter of learning to drive in freezing temperatures.
"The first place we settled here was in Rockville, Maryland," Bhardwaj remembers. "I still had to learn how to drive, so I found myself battling that weather everyday. We moved to Washington, D.C. not long after that because there were Metro train stations everywhere. Winter over there is absolutely brutal."
After earning a bachelor of science degree in Information Systems from George Mason University, IT Strategies recruited Bhardwaj in March of 2000 to work for its GIS Team in the Resources department of the Las Vegas Valley Water District, where he currently develops oracle applications and its respective databases. He has found a new life in Las Vegas and is content he and his family made the move here.
"I like Las Vegas. The cost of living is lower than that of Arlington, the entertainment industry provides a variety of things to do and see, and overall it's just a more relaxed atmosphere," Bhardwaj says. "Plus, the weather is unbeatable."
Bhardwaj foresees a promising future for IT consulting, claiming the potential for growth is immense as more and more companies are turning to consultants.
"Companies will always need consultants to help them understand the technology and use the software, build databases and provide support. These kinds of jobs cannot be outsourced," says Bhardwaj.
IT Strategies Brings on New Consultants
To Handle Quality IT Work for Clients
IT Strategies has hired a handful of new consultants that are bringing their expertise to the firm's clients in Southern Nevada. With a slew of experience behind them, IT Strategies is pleased to welcome the following new team members to their impressive staff:
Gary Cotter has been hired as general technical support consultant and has been assigned to the City of Las Vegas. In this position, Cotter is responsible for providing expert computer consultation, troubleshooting and assisting with various technology projects. Before joining IT Strategies, he served as a consultant for CIBER, Inc., where he was the Unisys system technical designer for Capital One. Prior to that, he served as a consultant for Epitec Group, Inc., where he was responsible for installing a Financial Behavioral Scoring system for Ford Motor Credit. With more than 24 years of information technology experience, Cotter is a certified expert in Unisys and IBM mainframes. He is trained on such software as CICS, DOS, Windows and DMS II.
Theresa Quinn is a senior consultant for the leading Nevada information technology consulting firm. She provides analyst support to various departments at the Las Vegas Valley Water District. Bringing 20 years of system development to IT Strategies, Quinn previously served as a product-training specialist for IMPAC Medical Systems, Inc. in Las Vegas, where she facilitated client training and developed procedure documentation. In addition, she served as application developer for the Las Vegas Valley Water District/Southern Nevada Water Authority, researching systems, developing test plans, and performing quality assurance testing of management software and systems. Completing various leadership development and management programs, Quinn was noted as an Ambassador of Courtesy for the Las Vegas Valley Water District in 1999.
Rodolfo Nerio joined the firm as a consultant and is assigned to the Las Vegas Valley Water District, where he will handle system implementation for the engineering and operations departments. He has extensive experience and certifications in the information technology field. In other positions, he has served as an independent consultant for the City of San Antonio, acting as a data conversion analyst, and as a lead consultant for the City of Milwaukee. He also worked as a consultant for Archstone Real Estate Company and for the Security Capital Group Real Estate Company. Nerio earned his bachelor of science degree in Computer Science at Corpus Christi State University in Corpus Christi, Tex., and his master of arts degree in Computer Resources Information Management at Webster University in St. Louis, Mo.
IT Strategies Consultant Mayri Hebert Leaves Behind
Military Career to Pursue IT Consulting
Mayri Hebert knows what it's like to be in a male-dominated industry. She pursued a career in information technology at a time when men were more prone to hold such positions. But before this, she served in the military, becoming one of the first women to undergo training with men.
"It's been interesting," Hebert says about her career choices. "When you're in the military or in a business office, you will always find people who encourage you. And I found that it didn't really matter whether you're a man or a woman, it was how well you could do the job. All I needed was an opportunity to prove myself."
Hebert's career has proven to be a family tradition. She has followed in the footsteps of her father, who was a test pilot in the Air Force and who also worked on the pre-Space Shuttle program. Her son also is in the military, serving in Psychological Operations in the Army. He recently was sent to Iraq.
Unlike her father and son, however, Hebert encountered the military life from a female perspective. When she initially entered the Army in 1978, she received basic training in the Women's Army Corps. Once she completed the training, they disbanded the Women's Army Corps. and she was thrust into the regular Army with the other women, where they underwent extreme physical training and weapons training qualifications.
"I was one of the first women to go through training side by side with men," she recalls. "It was an interesting time of transition. Some of the men didn't support our being there at all, while others said they were impressed with our capabilities and the addition of women helped boost morale."
After she left her military post, Hebert again followed in her father's footsteps by working for the Space Shuttle project. She worked in Palmdale, Calif., where the Space Shuttle was built and tested, handling the data management software library where she maintained software for testing the on-board systems for the Space Shuttle fleet. After this project, she was transferred to Pascagoula, Mississippi to set up a software library supporting the Navy 'AEGIS' and 'LHD' class ships.
"I really enjoyed working in the defense industry, but the employment became unstable and there were many layoffs," Hebert says. "I was approached to get into consulting because of my information technology background, and I've been doing that ever since."
While she has fond memories of her military service and time spent working on the Space Shuttle projects, she says she is now content serving as an information technology consultant for IT Strategies. She accepted the Las Vegas position almost three years ago after she completed a project in Texas.
"I really wanted to come back to the West Coast, so I was excited when IT Strategies called me and made an offer," she says. "It's been a great move."
Hebert, who is assigned to the Las Vegas Valley Water District, is pleased with her career choices. Her only regret is not signing up to join the Army Reserves at the time she was able to. But, her support of military personnel still runs rampant. She finds other ways to help troops and their kin. Among them were an IT Strategies project in which she and other IT Strategies staff went to a Las Vegas elementary school to assist children in sending supportive e-mail messages to troops serving in the recent war. She was pleased with how much students already know about computers and technology.
"The younger generation is already comfortable with using computers," she noted. "There may be many more entering the information technology industry in the future."
IT Strategies Consultant Howard Norton
Finds True Career Passion After Making Major Job Switch
(Las Vegas) – Howard Norton, an IT Strategies consultant since March of 2003, has always been a bit technical – just in different areas.
In the last few years, at age 48, Norton switched from fixing sewing machines to fixing computer systems. It was a major career transition that has since left him extremely pleased with his job choice and eager to learn more in the information technology field.
"It was a big difference," Norton said. "I never thought I would end up in IT. When I was in the garment industry, I wanted to become a manager at some point. I never thought about computers. They were something out there that somebody else used."
But now Norton can't get enough of them. As a consultant assigned to the Las Vegas Valley Water District, Norton upgraded the district's 1600-plus computer system from Office 97 to Office 2000 and now handles support for the Help Desk, assisting them with any questions involving Word, Excel, Access and Office 2000 customization needs. He also develops and maintains Access databases, as well as specialized Excel spreadsheets. Norton is so enthusiastic about information technology, that he has returned to school to earn his Bachelor's degree in Information Technology from the University of Phoenix and plans to pursue his Master's degree in Computer Science.
He's come a long way since his sewing machine days, in which he worked as a machine mechanic for 27 years. Norton had worked for a garment manufacturing factory in Utah that had decided to move to Mexico. When they closed the factory and eliminated everyone's jobs, the employees contacted the federal government for help. They received benefits to attend school and study other interests. That's when Norton decided to pursue a technology education.
"It was a lucrative job market with some high-paying positions," he said. "That's why I was interested in exploring it."
After obtaining his education in 1999, Norton decided to move to Las Vegas with his wife. They had honeymooned in Las Vegas in 1991 and knew they wanted to retire in the growing city. Before they relocated, Norton and one of his sons visited Las Vegas and "beat the pavement" looking for new jobs. Once Norton moved here, he found his first position in nine days. He taught computer networking at ITT Institute and then worked for the call center, Clientlogic. Seven months later, he accepted a position at Spherion Technology, which was a field Help Desk business that supported 5000 users. He received many promotions at Spherion, but then opted to accept a position with IT Strategies in 2003.
When he looks back on his past, Norton admits he wishes he entered the information technology industry much sooner.
"I find my IT career a lot more rewarding than I did as a sewing machine mechanic," he said. "In the IT industry, I help people and can actually see something getting done. In five years time, I came from not knowing how to turn on a computer to training other people how to use them. It's very gratifying for me."
