I'm glad you asked! My name is Gary Weldon.
My early endeavors in tech involved jockeying a pile of Windows 95 floppy disks and re-imaging IBM i486 machines to peddle for extra cash in the local Pennysaver classifieds, and building out token ring networks using parts I scavenged from a recycler in Sacramento, in preparation for my first contract job with IBM replacing AS400 systems across State Farm offices all over California. And cursing Windows NT for its lack of driver support, but suffering through it because its 64-bit architecture was so much more stable than older versions of Windows. I'm a tinkerer by nature, driven by natural curiosity. While my kids enjoyed Pirates of the Caribbean at Disneyland during our annual trips, I was the nerd squinting over the side of the boat to catch a glimpse of the pneumatics and mechanics that were so beautifully masqueraded by Disney Imagineers back in the late 60's to create these wonderfully immersive experiences. I grew up in a family-owned automotive shop with a wrench in my hand, where we built off-road desert pre-runners, boats and hot-rodded Volkswagens. I built my first car before I was old enough to drive it. Those formative years were the catalyst that would eventually lead me to technology. While working on cars and configuring a VPN tunnel may seem like different realms, the underlying discipline is the same: learning how to make sense of complex concepts and mechanisms in order to build a serviceable skillset. It is this core problem-solving mindset that has served me well throughout my technology career. It's a process I truly enjoy, and through the constant ebb and flow of new technology, it's a never-ending journey of learning and application. All of this is just a fancy way of saying I like to build things and fix things.
I was lucky to come from a family where values like work ethic, character, tenacity, and integrity were massively important. These have been the cornerstones of my work life. I am a strong believer in delivering value to whomever I work for, or with. I don't pass the buck when faced with a challenge. I dig my heels in. I don't seek the path that's easiest, but rather the path that leads me to the best end-result. Not just for my employer, but for myself, through personal accountability and the desire to operate at a high level.
Those of us who have worked in technology for a long time understand its unique dynamic within the ecosystem of a company. We are typically a liability. We don't produce revenue. We are the shadow operatives, working diligently and autonomously to keep the lights on. Ultimately, it is important to understand that our job is not simply to "fix things," but to serve the company mission, whatever it is. I worked for Kaiser for just over a decade, where doctors relied on the technology tools we supported to administer life-saving care. Understanding our responsibility in the delivery of that care, although indirect, was a critical component of the job. Currently, I work for a large wine company. While we aren't out there saving lives, I approach my work with the same dedication to excellence. It is my job to ensure that our respective departments are operating efficiently so that they can serve our customers in the hospitality, retail and wholesale space. We do this by building and sustaining robust environments of high reliability, and delivering best-in-class technology solutions. Tech is industry-agnostic; everyone needs it. Its impact is significant. As a technology professional, it is this basic philosophy that gets me out of bed every morning. Sure, I want to earn a paycheck. But I also want to be impactful.
I value relationships; building, nurturing and maintaining them in a way that is symbiotic. It is important for me to establish myself as a reliable and trusted resource. I want my clients to know that when they call on me, I become their advocate. Sometimes this requires tact and diplomacy. Sometimes you find yourself the springboard for frustration and impatience. I learned long ago that you can effectively defuse tense interactions by simple redirection. "Hey, I'm on your team. I know this is important to you, I acknowledge that it's a pain point, and I'm making a commitment to you that I will see it through to resolution. Now let's get this fixed for you." Of course, this only works when you mean it, and actually make good on that promise. Whether it's the CEO or the cleaning person, everyone wants validation, acknowledgement and respect. When you give it graciously, backed by the confidence of experience and an elite skillset, you can have a positive, tangible impact. My natural disposition is even-keeled. While empathetic, I am not reactionary. It's very hard to push my buttons. At times I've had to step in and be the heavy when a junior resource has crumbled under pressure, rendered by an aggressive end-user or a challenging technical problem. This is where I thrive. I am certainly not the most talented tech, but I know with confidence I can usually find a way to get it done. And if I can't, I am resourceful enough to find the answers, or engage the right people to provide guidance.
Having worked in technology for close to 3 decades, the list of platforms I've worked on and software I've supported is exhaustive, many of which are long forgotten or obsolete. Rather than list them all, here's the truncated version.
Technical
February, 2019 - Current
Director of Information Technology
Boisset Collection, St. Helena CA
Boisset is a France-based wine company with a large presence in the Napa Valley region. I maintain and support the technology
infrastructure for multiple properties throughout Napa and Sonoma counties including 5 wineries,
store, retail and deli locations, and several satellite tasting rooms. Over the last 5 years I have transformed the infrastructure by eliminating most on-premise dependencies in favor of best-in-class cloud solutions including the Office 365 suite, Azure AD, Meraki, and a host of enterprise security platforms including CrowdStrike, Proofpoint, and Entra. I also manage the department budget, drive project initiatives, vendor relationships and a small team of technicians to support our 300+ end-users.
January, 2010 - January, 2019
Software & Systems Developer
Photamate, Clearlake Oaks CA
For nearly a decade I designed and implemented a well-known and successful automated photo
processing system used in the exhibition, event and attraction industries. Currently in use world-wide by
major entertainment franchises including Marvel, Universal and NBC for attractions including Avengers, Harry Potter, NFL Experience, SNL, Game of Thrones, Star Trek, Downton Abbey, Titanic, Mythbusters, Barbie, CSI and countless others. Included a multi-node software platform and photo kiosk system designed for automated customer capture, barcode association, green screen, template processing, search, preview, purchase and fulfillment. I traveled extensively all over the globe to implement these systems and train operational staff. Other notable development projects include desktop and mobile apps for two Mattel products (the toy company), and the Dabitz system for FibreCraft, an interactive activity product for young people sold at national retailers including Michaels.
January, 2001 - January, 2012
IT Field Services Lead
Kaiser Permanente, Vacaville CA
As lead and senior technician I served as a primary intermediary to hospital, outpatient and remote
facilities for application, hardware, network and end-user support. Led the local support team including internal
and contracted support technicians. Supported an enterprise user base of 1500+ physicians and health care
staff. Managed over 7000 desktop workstations and laptops. Responsible for 25 application, file and
print servers. Administration and deployment of desktop and laptop workstations, servers, printers and mainframe devices for hospital and outpatient facilities. Helped facilitate the tech infrastructure buildout of two new hospitals.
December 1999 - February 2001
Technical Support Supervisor
Multitude Inc., South San Francisco CA
Multitude was an early pioneer of VoIP client/server technology, with a desktop client that ran on a proprietary network with a user base of over 2 million. Supervised a team of 20 techs providing network and application support to our user base. Troubleshooting connectivity
to the network, proxy server and firewall configuration, hardware configuration, Windows support,
some HTML for web-enabled products and working directly with customers from all over the world to provide excellent technical support and customer service.
December 1997 - October 1999
Field Technician
IBM, Bloomington Ill (fully remote)
2 year contract position installing NT BDC servers, workstations and printers to replace AS400 terminals for a nationwide enterprise
rollout for State Farm Inc. Installed over 120 IBM Netfinity BDC servers in offices throughout Northern California.
About Me
Here are a few fun factoids about me outside of work.
I live in Lake County, California, a rural area about two hours northwest of San Francisco. It's home to California's largest natural lake, which is regarded as one of the best bass fishing lakes in the country and home to many national tournaments. It's also home to a dormant volcano, Mt. Konocti. I've been married to my Hawaiian bride for 23 years and have 4 amazing kids. My oldest son Randall served in Afghanistan and lives in Washington State where he currently drives for FedEx. My middle son Jakobi works in Army intelligence and is currently stationed in South Korea. My daughter Maile is a college advisor for the University of California (coincidentally, she graduated from UC Davis). My youngest son Kai is currently going to school, working part time, and is a phenomenally talented multi-instrumentalist. I am a very fortunate guy!
Projects
Personal content…