More SQLskills community mentoring

As an update to our current round of SQLskills community mentoring (round 4 – see post here), Joe and Erin are now mentoring people they’ve met at Immersion Events here in Chicago.

Joe will be mentoring Riley Logan, who attended IE2 in Chicago last week and IE1 in Bellevue last summer.  In his own words:

I was born and raised in Tuscaloosa, AL, where I also attended the University of Alabama, earning a degree in Management Information Systems. After graduating in 2005, I began working as a programmer at the Walmart Home Office in Bentonville, Arkansas. Though my title was programmer, I was placed on the Open Systems Database Engineering team, where I began working as an Informix, DB2, and SQL Server DBA. Initially, Informix was my primary platform of focus.

However, in 2006, Walmart’s IS Department brought a SQL Server PFE on site on a permanent basis. That PFE, Shep Sheppard, began mentoring me by teaching me the more technical aspects of SQL Server (Thank you, Shep!). Not long after his arrival, our senior SQL Server DBA left the team and, I suppose, the rest is history. I’m currently a SQL Server DBA for Tyson Foods where my primary responsibilities are designing, optimizing, and/or troubleshooting OLTP and data warehouse solutions so that, ultimately, people can eat more chicken.

Outside of spending time with my beautiful and wonderful wife, Amy, I enjoy playing jazz guitar and exercising (while trying to not create the need for another orthopedic surgery). I also enjoy studying the Bible and apologetics, economics (both current and historical), investing, ancient Greek, and some occasional philosophy and logic.

Erin will be mentoring Amy Herndon, who is attending IEDev in Chicago right now and IE2 in Bellevue last summer. In her own words:

I’m currently a database engineering team lead at a global, mid-size, financial firm. My primary role is database development, designing and creating systems that scale, and are secure and stable. I drive and evangelize process improvement, development to delivery, and change in my department to bring firm technology and practices up to current standards.

I graduated from St. Edwards University with an MBA and undergraduate degree in Computer Systems Management. I hold an MCITP in 2008, and am currently studying for MCM. I have worked in information technology for 16 years, 8 of those years as a SQL Server DBA. My previous career experience was serving as a database administrator at the Texas Legislative Council, a support agency for the Texas Legislature and surrounding state agencies.

I have 3 favorite things: SQL Server, computer gaming, and teaching aerobics and weight training classes at the gym.

Twitter tag – but I’m still learning the art of twittering: @AAwesomeAmy

Congratulations to them both!

2 thoughts on “More SQLskills community mentoring

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Other articles

Imagine feeling confident enough to handle whatever your database throws at you.

With training and consulting from SQLskills, you’ll be able to solve big problems, elevate your team’s capacity, and take control of your data career.