William F. Pentz
Employment History
Teaching - 1968 - 1999
After early computer hardware and software successes I went to work for UC Davis as their computer hardware lab teaching assistant where I taught their digital electronics class, their FORTRAN and Assembler classes, and served as their scientific programmer. Consistent project successes earned me an interesting role where I traded project help for units. I liked to teach and do research. I helped develop quite a few University of California patented agricultural, medical devices, prosthesis and air quality measurement tools. I liked the university life so much that when I returned from Vietnam in 1970 I worked for the Claremont Colleges. I disliked the Southern California smog so I returned to CSU Sacramento where I researched and developed early microprocessor based computers. Although I specialized in biomedical computer hardware and control systems, I taught computer science engineering beginning and advanced classes including programming languages, project management, systems analysis, and personal computer hardware/software courses for CSUS, UC Davis and National University. As one of the earliest microprocessor pioneers (see Digi Barn Computer History Museum Article) I set up the first PC labs for UC Davis, CSU Sacramento, and National University. I innovated and taught many early personal computer courses and still enjoy seeing my efforts evolve.
1999 - Present
My own wood dust triggered respiratory problems forced me into an early retirement and inspired me to invent better dust controls to fix up my own work shop. I wanted to keep my favorite hobby and three generations of woodworking tools. Most small shop dust collection only collects the larger sawdust and chips letting the most hazardous fine dust build to dangerously high levels, so my engineering skills let me design better dust collection solutions. My very pleased respiratory doctor pushed me hard to share what I learned and my personal solutions to help others avoid respiratory problems similar to mine. What I shared left a way too busy job to support my Cyclone and Dust Collection Research web pages.
2002 - June 2004
California Employment Development Department (EDD) Information Security Branch, Senior Data Processing Analyst – Although my worsening health forced me to work from home, still I served as information security senior analyst, team leader, and representative to the Statewide Information Security Team. I wrote the EDD Information Security Policy which became the basis for the California Statewide Information Security Policy. In June 2004 my doctors called time and required me to medically retire after completing 37 years service with the State of California.
1990 - 2002
California Employment Development Department (EDD) Staff Data Processing Analyst - I served as a project analyst leading work teams to repair and replace mainframe computer software systems with distributed networked servers and personal computers. My responsibilities included design, implementation and oversight of the EDD statewide network with 12,000 desktop PCs, 4,000 portable PCs, and 800 servers.
1987 - 1990
Acting Chief, DPM III/CEA II Bureau of Automotive Repair (BAR) - The California Legislature required the BAR to fix the serious problems with the $2.4 billion dollar a year Smog Check Program in one year or they promised to kill that program. The Governor’s Office drafted me against my wishes to make repair. They needed my engineering, automotive, computer and air quality experience to make a much more accurate tamper proof vehicle emissions analyzer. They made me acting director to oversee repairs. I managed 634 State staff and 34 State Facilities. My organization oversaw and licensed 12,000 private Smog Check contractors and licensed over 8,000 private Smog Check facilities. Also we oversaw 24,000 private California auto dealership and auto repair facilities. As principal engineer and project leader my team developed the tamper proof and much easier to use BAR-90 computer based vehicle emissions analyzer that automatically reported emission test results. The BAR-90 remains the world vehicle emissions standard. Although this effort proved successful and the Legislature extended program funding, I overdid badly seriously harming my health. My doctors required an extended medical leave. The State gave me paid time off in appreciation for saving the Smog Check Program. Voluntarily I demoted to accept a much less stressful job helping EDD implement their statewide personal computer and database network.
1984 - 1987
As a Staff EDP Acquisition Specialist in the California Office of Procurement, I led teams of senior staff and managers to plan, organize, and conduct formal ($100,000+) competitive procurement for computer goods and services. We issued bid solicitation documents, negotiated vendor contract language, evaluated vendor proposals, and executed purchase orders. As the departmental computer engineer I reviewed all State formal EDP bid technical specifications, prepared the technical specifications to create the California Computer Source (State PC Store), authored the State Administrative Manual sections on computer acquisition, and wrote the performance requirements used for all State EDP purchases. I personally conducted the bidding that bought every personal computer, minicomputer and host computer for all California city colleges, State universities, University of California campuses, and State agencies. I overhauled the State's bidding process to use electronic spreadsheets. Also I helped create the life cycle costing process to ensure quality long lasting purchases in lieu of cheap but short lived efforts. I helped change California law to require these innovations in all State, county and local government purchases. My efforts received high praise and the top position on the State's most senior data processing manager (DPM III) hiring list. I accepted the Chief position for the State Teacher’s Credentialing Program but the Governor's Office instead assigned me to fix the troubled Bureau of Automotive Repair Smog Check Program.
1976 - 1984
Department of Social Services Computer Programmer, Analyst, Staff Analyst, & acting Data Processing Manger III - I helped build many DSS information systems and continued to serve with the Governor’s Office as part of their Information Technology Group where I helped write the State standard for State computer, telecommunication, office automation, and personal computers purchases. I developed the State’s Information Systems training program. My department loaned me to serve as acting chief to help create the California Department of Energy. I managed our Telecommunications, Training, Office Automation, Systems Software, and Systems Analysis groups plus our Computer Operations, Key Data Entry, and Production Controls units.
1972 - 1976
CSUS Computer Engineering Instructor, Programmer Department of Health, Project leader Department of Health – serving to write and debug large mainframe computer systems. Based on my work at UC Davis and CSU Sacramento the Governor’s office drafted me to become Special Project Director building a long term patient tracking system that received awards from the AMA, FDA and California Medical Assn. They then assigned me to oversee building the first automated accounting system for the Department of Health followed by my developing many new programs for the State of California.
1964 - 1972
In my younger years I was a real go getter starting a gardening and snow blowing business. In high school I worked in the family home construction business plus built an even larger yard care business that I sold to a commercial firm when I left to attend the Air Force Academy. I returned to attend UC Davis and continued to work construction plus as a lab assistant. A roommate and I built a successful furniture and cabinetry business where we built the interiors for a number of businesses including the first Old Spaghetti Factory. I then built a firm for myself starting a pillow business which did well. I sold that business and used the proceeds to build a popular bar restaurant and even more popular radio station where I became a fairly well known DJ and managed to get syndicated. I also fronted the money to launch four automotive garages and started a property management firm. My time for my businesses rapidly decreased as I became ever more interested in school, teaching, working as a scientific computer programmer, and helping to build various projects at UC Davis. I was drafted and fled to an Air Force Reserve unit only to get activated and serve under fire as a tail gunner in the Vietnam War in 1970. I returned to find my business interests in ruins and UC Davis unwilling to let veterans return to college. My father had some serious health problems so I relocated to Southern California, worked as computer operations supervisor for the Claremont Colleges, and helped my family. When my father recovered I joined CSU Sacramento as technician responsible for completing graduate student projects and soon advanced to full time instructor both at CSUS and UC Davis.
Education and Military
At UC Davis I majored in both mechanical engineering and pre-medicine pioneering one of the first biomedical engineering degrees. I was drafted into the Vietnam War mess before graduating, but had so many units that UC Davis granted me a general BS degree with minors in mechanical engineering, pre-medicine, chemistry, biology, math, psychology and physics. After my Vietnam service I returned to college both teaching and taking classes. I earned an additional BS in Computer Hardware Engineering plus completed MS degrees in Computer Software and Computer Hardware Engineering at CSU, Sacramento with a 3.98+ GPA.
I fled my military draft notice and joined the Air Force Reserves. While in training the military gave me some awards for reworking how they calculate weight and balance for planes and my revised methods became the current world standard. That earned me a spot promotion but did not save me from getting activated and serving one tour under fire as an aircraft tail gunner in the Vietnam War in 1970. I rapidly advanced from student to Flight Instructor Loadmaster. After completing my initial six year tour and developing a good reputation for training, I accepted a extension of my service to help start and train staff for the Federal Air Marshal Program. I accepted an honorable discharge with 3500+ Flight hours in 1980.
Personal
I am family oriented and have long been active in my local community helping with my children's school and other public service work. The Boy Scouts gave me a thirty five year service pin but I also coached soccer and managed a Little League baseball team plus assisted with a swim team and Girl Scouts. Since retiring I have lots of hobbies, but tend to be far busier than when I worked full time mostly helping with dust collection. I garden, read, write, play the saxophone, clarinet, plus a little keyboard and am learning the guitar, do woodworking, model railroading, make beer, and build personal computers.
Publications and Presentations
AMA and FDA, Computerized Tracking of the Aging Process. Journal of the ACM, KOKO, A Heuristic Chess Program. American Farmer's Association, Influence of Building Shape on Internal Temperature. UC Regents, Implementation of a Grape Picking Harvester. CA District Attorney Association, Recovery of Child Support Payments via Tax Refund Intercepts. CA State Welfare Association, Computer Detection of Welfare Fraud. Co-authored the State of California Microcomputer Policy and Standards. Task force member, CA Cable Commission. Founding member of Sacramento Microcomputer Users Group. Speaker to AMA, FDA, and National Peace Officer's Assn. on microcomputer applications, selection, and acquisitions. Author, CA Master Services Agreement for hiring EDP contract programmers and analysts. Consultant to the International Association of Financial Planners and CA Farmer's Association. Reference analyst to Prudential Bache, Dean Witter Reynolds, and Merrill Lynch. Analyst and speaker to the CA Assembly Ways and Means Committee on performance of the State Deferred Compensation Program. National speaker on microcomputer selection, acquisition and management for Clearinghouse on Licensure, Enforcement, and Regulation (CLEAR). Speaker, to CIA on PC computer crime and prevention. I helped with two books, "Staying Healthy with the Seasons", 1990 and "Better Health Through Nutrition" 1991.References available upon request.
