Thomas A. Schweich

                                                             3008 Fairview Avenue

                                                         Alameda, California  94501

Residence: 1-510-865-5778                      tas4@schweich.com                    Mobile: 1-510-701-3418

                                                                    SUMMARY

Fourteen years of experience in desert botany field work and nine years of experience in herbarium curation of plant specimen vouchers.

Forty years of increasing responsibility with management and information systems experience within trans­por­tation, biotechnology, and information technology industries.  Major strengths include management process, customer support, business analysis and problem solving. Current skills in networking, and additional skills in applications development, data administration, voice and data communications systems, office auto­ma­tion, and computer system performance measurement. A straight-forward, service-oriented, quick learner who takes a long-term strategic view.

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

Independent Botanist and Vegetation Analyst, Mojave National Preserve, CA,  1993-2007

  • In the Hole-in-the-Wall and Wild Horse Mesa area of the now Mojave National Preserve, measured multiple transects in Pinyon-Juniper woodland, analyzed patterns of vegetation, analyzed weather data for nearby cooperative weather stations, and presented paper (Schweich, 1995) at the 1995 Desert Research Symposium. Prepared location map with ArcMap GIS utilizing digital line graph, elevation model, and orthophoto data. Republished paper at: http://www.schweich.com/midhillsA.html
  • Repurposed one transect from the project above to study population dynamics of Salvia dorrii (Kellogg) Abrams ssp. pilosa (A. Gray) J. L. Strachan & Rev. Individual plants were identified. Physical size and life cycle data were collected annually for eight years. In 2005, the plot was burned by wildfire, effectively terminating the study. Now using the same plot to study fire recovery.  Some very preliminary results are published at: http://www.schweich.com/fireA.html
  • Established experimental plots of Desert Elkweed Swertia albomarginata (S. Watson) Kuntze in the Mid Hills, Mojave National Preserve, California.  Individual plants are identified and physical size and life cycle data collected. Prepared location map with ArcMap GIS utilizing digital line graph, elevation model, and orthophoto data.  The study spans 11 years and is on-going. Prepared 35mm slides and presented paper (Schweich, 1999) at 1999 Desert Research Symposium. Republished paper at:  http://www.schweich.com/swealbA.html.

·        To build the Carl Purpus web site (http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/Purpus/index.html), designed, programmed in Visual Basic, and implemented a Microsoft Access data base containing web site elements such as articles, letters, locations, and collections. The data base automatically generates hypertext links from cross reference tables. 

Generalized the database so that it can prepare multiple web sites of similar structure but different content. Now use the database to generate my personal web site (http://www.schweich.com) and the Annie Alexander web site.  The database also integrates my field notes with voucher labels for my plant collections, observations and collections by others, and prepares geographical plant lists.

UNIVERSITY AND JEPSON HERBARIA, University of California, Berkeley, CA. Visiting Scholar and Research Associate, 1998-2007.

  • Prepared a proposal and received funding for Lawrence C. Heckard Memorial Fund grant to scan and process field notes and photographs from the 1939 and 1940 field notebooks of Annie Alexander and Louise Kellogg. Used the images to prepare a web site of text and commentary on the University and Jepson Herbaria web server.   The URL of the web site is: http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/Alexander/indexA.html
  • Presented a paper about the Eastern Mojave Desert plant collections of Annie M. Alexander and Louise Kellogg (Schweich, 2001) at the 2001 Desert Research Symposium.
  • While a herbarium volunteer, mounted and strapped specimens from current backlog. Filed new vouchers and vouchers returning from loans. Marked vouchers needing to be processed by SMASCH, and copied vouchers of species listed in the California Heritage Plant data base. Checked determinations using Jepson Manual and online data bases, such as CalFlora, the USDA Plants data base, or Index Kewensis. Consulted with herbarium staff on difficult or unclear filing questions. Prepared genus and species folders when required for taxa new to the herbarium or when the number of vouchers exceeded existing folder capacity.

SODA SPRINGS DESERT STUDIES CENTER, Zyzzx, CA. Research Associate, 1996-2007.

  • Associated with the Soda Springs Desert Studies Center at the request of the National Park Service, so that my research in Mojave National Preserve could be tracked administratively. 
  • Continuing National Park Service-authorized research in Mojave National Preserve. This includes collecting field specimens, which are mounted and housed at the Mojave National Preserve herbarium at Zyzzx and UC Berkeley.

Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) Volunteer, Alameda, CA 2006-2007

  • Currently in training with the Alameda Fire Department for assignment to an Alameda CERT team.
  • Reviewed available data bases for tracking CERT volunteers and their training, recommended that a data base available from the Bergen, NJ, Fire Department be adopted. Wrote a requirements document and program document.  Modified the data base to meet the needs of Alameda CERT. 

IBM GLOBAL SERVICES, San Francisco, CA 1994 - 2007

  • For a major biotechnical firm, which has outsourced IT operations to IBM, managed the network team.  Assisted development of network strategy, defined network projects, prepared capital and operating budgets, initiated, managed and completed network expansion and improvement projects. Managed problem and change management processes, and made daily task assignments.  Defined management processes and wrote desk procedures for management of the customer network.  Major projects completed by network team were:
    • Managed the project managers in a 2½ year Campus LAN Refresh project completely replacing an obsolete OSI Layer 2 network with a three-tiered architecture having core and distribution layers operating at Layer 3.  Reconstructed network includes QoS processing based upon IBM Global IP Telephony templates, and is VoIP-ready. 
    • Completely rehabilitated the network management system; taking the system from obsolete and unused status to becoming a key monitoring system. Also implemented monitoring of UPS status for the first time at this customer. Managed the implementation of CiscoWorks on a UNIX platform.  Wrote Standard Operating Procedures, and managed maintenance of the system to become an essential part of daily network support.  
    • Analyzed Cisco SMARTnet maintenance contracts.  Recommended that On-Site support be dropped from future contracts because the customer had not requested a Cisco engineer on-site in the past two years.  This saved about 25% for Cisco SMARTnet services.
    • In four separate projects, managed implementation of Internet VPNs: built VPNs between European hub location and small European sales office, between the four major customer in the United States and Europe, between two locations in the United States to provide emergency network capacity, and between a US and a European location to replace an VPN built on non-standard equipment.
    • Installed Real Time Intrusion Detection devices in DMZ, defined processes for responding to intrusion incidents, and took action when intrusion incidents occurred. Implemented monthly vulnerability scanning of routers, switches and servers visible to the Internet.  Implemented ethical hacking services against key Internet visible servers. 
    • In support of an Extranet connection between the customer’s network and a vendor, prepared technical requirements document and network design and reviewed with vendor’s network engineers, then managed installation of vendor’s router, configuration of firewalls and routers to establish a new “Extranet” network in the DMZ, then updated customer’s Perimeter Security Operations document to describe the requirements and implementation of the connection between the Chiron and the Galileo network.
    • Reviewed requirements for a wireless LAN to Emergency Response Team (ERT) vehicle.  Conducted interviews with Facilities Operations and with Environmental Health and Safety.  Wrote requirements statements, and reviewed possible alternative technical solutions.  Determined that a wireless LAN during a possible emergency would not meet business requirements because any emergency would threaten LAN operations.  Recommended an applications-based solution to Chiron applications business analysts. 
    • Assisted customer to define “Good Network Practices” and architectural requirements for “Mission Critical Network Devices.” Assessed data closets and equipment, designed closet upgrades to meet customer standards, managed project to upgrade closets, and resolved issues of safety and security with the customer.
  • Led an engagement to assess network and other IT infrastructure of a newly acquired subsidiary of a luxury goods retail business, designed a new network to corporate architectural standards, and specified Cisco network and Hewlett-Packard server hardware.  In continuing infrastructure consultant role, advised client on desktop and laptop issues, construction of a standard desktop image, implemen­tation of network services, and instal­lation and support of ware­house system comprised of RS/6000 servers and wireless handheld terminals. Defined resource requirements, located resources, and implemented support contracts. 
  • For a domestic rollout of Frame Relay network and Cisco network equipment at 2500 locations, designed and constructed a Microsoft Access data base to plan and track access among four vendors.
  • Led the AD/M Support Team of 8-12 technical staff for a complex e-Business marketing, order entry and order status application. Defined support roles and responsibilities, designed support and change management processes, determined requirements and built development and integration test environments. Established support, testing, code management, and system management processes for this application comprising four business units, with web, data base, transaction and ERP servers in UNIX, Windows NT and OS/390 environments running in four data centers.
  • For an international rollout of network, Exchange and desktops at a transportation company, wrote the proposals, and constructed the overall project plan. Managed the design of Local Area Networks for 105 locations, constructed a data base to contain site surveys, network designs, equipment specifications and configuration statements, managed the preparation of router and switch configurations, and prepared budgeting and financial reports from the data base.
  • For a transportation company, managed a portion of a cross-country data center relocation, focusing on the old data center operations and operations hand-off to the new data center staff.  Developed and executed project plan to de-install the old data center computer hardware, environmental equipment, fixtures and cabling, and return the floor space to the lessor.  Data center relocation was completed on schedule.  Old data center clean-out was completed ahead of schedule and under budget.
  • For a distribution and integration business that is growing rapidly through acquisitions, analyzed business requirements and information technology architecture requirements for an upgraded UNIX application environment and improved network resiliency. Also identified organizational issues, recommended management actions, and prepared implementation plan.
  • In a managed operations contract, defined special projects, wrote enabling contract schedules, managed small special projects, designed and built a special projects tracking data base, managed special projects progress and issues with customer, defined IBM, customer and IBM‑customer interface processes, clarified IBM and customer roles and responsibilities, analyzed service requirements and negotiated contract terms with customer, delivered materials to customer on their intranet, wrote and analyzed contract amendments, prepared management foils for use with IBM employees and customer staff.
  • For a customer Network Systems Engineering group, analyzed business functions and assigned tasks, determined skills required in technical environments, measured actual skills and manpower hours worked, analyzed gaps in skills and manpower, recommended actions to close gaps.
  • Developed plans and proposals for benchmark and stress testing of secure credit card application servers for Internet commerce.
  • Clarified management objectives for customer satisfaction measurement system, analyzed objectives from customer point of view, and determined that most management objectives did not translate well into customer terms.  Management chose not to proceed with measurement program because anticipated value would probably not be realized.

SOUTHERN PACIFIC TRANSPORTATION COMPANY, San Francisco, CA 1967 – 1994, with titles starting at Systems Associate, and ending at Manager, Office Systems and End User Support (1967 - 1994)

  • Guided and managed growth of end user computing to provide personal computer, local area network, integrated LAN services, electronic mail, and data administration services and support.  Staff expanded to 30 people from three, and the number of users grew to over 7,000 from less than 30.  Developed and managed $6 million annual operating budget and $1 million capital budget.
  • Consolidated three help desks into one location, cross-trained support staff on multiple platforms, designed and installed multiple-split automatic call director (ACD), problem management and customer satisfaction measurement, resulting in abandoned calls reduced from 20% to 12% and customer satisfaction rating increased from 80% to 97%.
  • Established goals for VM/CMS performance, designed and implemented per­for­mance sampling plan, analyzed statistics, tuned system and acquired hardware to improve performance.  All goals for performance were met, developing problems were detected and action taken before performance became unacceptable.
  • Took over responsibility for existing VM/CMS time sharing system for end user computing.  Supervised two systems programmers.  Developed documentation for end users.  Provided end user support.  Taught VM/CMS classes.  Designed, coded and tested an MVS-based accounting system for VM/CMS user billing and charge back, which included capacity planning data base.
  • Analyzed empty railroad equipment distribution practices and how they related to per diem equipment usage payments among railroads.
  • Designed and implemented system to collect customer estimates of freight car loadings through sales forces.
  • Devised a "transportation problem" algorithm that could be solved with a grease pencil on an acetate sheet to optimally assign empty tri-level flatcars to loading points, resulting in fleet carrying capacity increasing by 24% without having to acquire additional equipment.
  • Conducted numerous Industrial Engineering and Operations Research studies in the functional areas of railroad operations, logistics, equipment maintenance, crew dispatching, and financial analysis.  Techniques applied include linear pro­gram­ming, simulation, operation analysis, multivariate statistics, and cash flow analysis.

EDUCATION

M.B.A. University of Oregon, Eugene, OR

B.S. - Industrial Engineering, California State Polytechnic College, San Luis Obispo, CA

PAPERS PUBLISHED

Schweich, Thomas A. 2001. The Eastern Mojave Desert plant collections of Annie M. Alexander and Louise Kellogg, 1939-1941. The Changing Face of the East Mojave Desert. California State University, Desert Studies Consortium.

Schweich, Thomas A., 2000. Designing a Hundred LAN Installations in a Changing Environment. IBM Enterprise Systems Management ShareNet Conference. September 2000.

Schweich, Thomas A., 1999. Two occurrences of Desert Elkweed Swertia albomarginata (S. Watson) Kuntze Gentianaceae in the Mid Hills, Mojave National Preserve, California, USA. San Bernardino County Museum Association Quarterly. 46(3), Summer 1999

Schweich, Thomas A., 1995. The vegetation of Lobo Point and North Wild Horse Mesa, Eastern Mojave Desert, San Bernardino County, California. San Bernardino County Museum Association Quarterly. 42(3), Summer 1995, pp. 93-98.

Schweich, Thomas A., and Warren B. Brown, 1972. A New Analysis of Railroad Yard Operations, Railway Management Review. P. 12-27.

Schweich, Thomas A., 1971. TMIS -- A Terminal Management Control System. Meeting Preprint 1430, Joint ASCE-ASME Transportation Engineering Meeting, July 26 - 30, 1971. Seattle, Washington.