Messages in FedEx ITD Retiree Breakfast Club group.
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Gary Phillips7/3/2013
True. I forgot sbout Antony. Roy Beard may have been the 3rd sr mgd?
Gary Phillips7/3/2013
Terry Cox was the net eng mgr under Antony when I moved to net eng.
Jimmy Glenn Burk7/3/2013
Tidbits: I worked in Zapmail for a year, before Jim Barksdale transferred me to Gil Mook's area in Satellite Systems. I was shortly, forced into management(I had previous mgmt experience before coming to FedEx) and the first person I hired was Terry Cox, from his Mgr Job in Net Engineering. His replacement, as I remember was Mike McCarty. Antony also transferred to Satellite Systems with several in his group to develop models for Satellite traffic and planning. Later, when Alan McArtor was taking the head of the FAA, many reorg rumors were rustsling about. Antony decided who he wanted to work for, and over the weekend, just moved his entire department to a new location, without any approvals, except probably Ron Ponder's. Antony moved to Ed Whites department in Computer Ops.
Gary Phillips7/3/2013
Interesting stuff happened bsck in the day it seemed .Antony always pretty did what he wsnted.
Mike McCarty (from IBM in Dallas) did repksce Terry.
Jill mentioned the old double wide days. As I remember Network Eng at that time..it was Terry Cox, Eddy Honeycutt, Denise Wood, Jill Bradberry, Msrtha Ditto, maybe Kay Moody and myself. Not sure if I missed anyone.We were totally separated from the folks as t 2955. We had a bbq grill out back and had cookouts at times. Remember watching the Tigers '85 run th o the finsl four in the trailor.
Subject: Finally! They are going to ticket people that go too slow in the left lane!
Dan Elliot7/3/2013
Finally! They are going to ticket people that go too slow in the left lane!
Subject: Around 1981 or 82, COSMOS was written in assembly language and ran on an IBM mainframe under the ACP ...
Jimmy Glenn Burk7/8/2013
Around 1981 or 82, COSMOS was written in assembly language and ran on an IBM mainframe under the ACP(airline control program); Most all other apps were written in COBOL for billing and backend systems under IMS. Ops Research went to PL/1. DADS was about the only minicomputer application, written in assembler on a DEC computer.
There 20+ Customer automation Apple II's in the field written in Basic. The IBM PC had just been released but there were no apps for it.There were over 25 applications identified that weren't mainframe or minicomputer, but microcomputer based. Many of these were in the SuperHub.Jim Barksdale formed a new group to handle these micro apps.What was this new group called?Who did he make the Director of this group?
Jimmy Glenn Burk7/8/2013
The Group was called Telematics. JLB promoted David John, his office mgr to the MD position. Managers reporting to him were Chuck Deiotte, Herman Derbort (both who have passed away) and later, Jim Candler. I was selected as a manager but turned down the offer and transferred to Ron Ponder, so I could continue in a technical direction.
Charlie Derrick7/8/2013
Where is David these days?
Jimmy Glenn Burk7/8/2013
When I retired, David was working in the Air Ops group, but I think he has retired since then. He was on facebook, but I don't see his profile.
Chris Apalodimas7/9/2013
COSMOS to IMS: I worked on the original emulation that we did with IBM on how to convert from ACP to IMS. Daryl Skoog was manager of the DBA group at the time. . want to say 1980-81?
We provided some basic transaction profiles that they (IBM) ran at the Raleigh System center. Eventually, Bart Simpson volunteered from the DBA group and was assigned to COS & helped get COSMOS into IMS.
Subject: FedEx Trivia Quiz
Jimmy Glenn Burk7/8/2013
FedEx Trivia QuizWho is this person?He was SVP Sales for Zapmail, became EVP or equivalent COO of Federal Express; sometimes called 'little Ceasar' by some in Sales.
Jimmy Glenn Burk7/8/2013
Answer: Bill Razzouk
Debora Williams Waller9/9/2013
Ahhhh ZapMail where I felt like I work 8 days a week and 25 hours a day. I remember driving home one evening after a big snow fall. Cars abandoned on the side of the roads.
Subject: Name this Person a doctoral graduate of Mississippi State University 2nd mgmt leader of Ops Research ...
Jimmy Glenn Burk7/8/2013
Name this Person
a doctoral graduate of Mississippi State University
2nd mgmt leader of Ops Research
Tour of duty in Advanced Research group
The second SVP of IT
Jim Bentley7/8/2013
Was it Ronny J??
Jimmy Glenn Burk7/8/2013
Jim you are correct? Dr. Ron J. Ponder
Jimmy Glenn Burk7/8/2013
Dennis Jones was actually the 3rd SVP of IT.
Buddy Johnson7/8/2013
Ron Ponder. I met him when he was working on PhD at Miss State.
Jimmy Glenn Burk7/10/2013
I made a typo above: Ron Ponder was 3rd SVP of IT: Charlie Brandon, Jim Barksdale, Ron Ponder, Dennis Jones and then Rob Carter were the SVPs/CIO's
Subject: Sherry Aaholm, new position
Jimmy Glenn Burk7/8/2013
Sherry Aaholm, new position
Subject: New Position for Govan Hornor: Chief Information Officer at Distributors Corporation of America (DCA ...
Jimmy Glenn Burk7/8/2013
New Position for Govan Hornor: Chief Information Officer at Distributors Corporation of America (DCA)
Dan Elliot7/8/2013
Wow, that's a step up...
Linda Cook Thorn7/8/2013
Wow! So happy for him!
Subject: http://www.marketwire.com/press-release/cummins-names-sherry-aaholm-chief-information-officer-nyse-c ...
Dan Elliot7/8/2013
Buddy Johnson7/8/2013
Yea. And, I kinda laughed at the comment from Cummins on her "People first" program. From the small group meeting I was in with her and random other IT folks, it was all about her. Not sad to see her leave.
Gary Phillips7/9/2013
Gary Phillips has accepted the position of Chief Research Officer of daytime TV and local area fishing ponds.
Subject: This may have been posted previously, can't remember:
Jimmy Glenn Burk7/9/2013
This may have been posted previously, can't remember:
Carla Slattery Moore7/9/2013
Thank you for sharing. It was good to hear Winn's voice again.
Subject: FedEx Trivia Question
Jimmy Glenn Burk7/10/2013
FedEx Trivia QuestionWhen FedEx package volume got up to 100,000 per night FWS proclaimed that a 96% successful delivery rate was not enough. We had 4000 customers we disappointed every day. He projected the volume to go to 1,000,000 per night where we would disappoint 40,000 customers each day(at 96% service level)Air and Ground Ops were continually saying...we need more money to improve service levels, and decrease failures.At some point, FedEx created over 200 new positions and gave everyone 3-5 days training to redefine how we did things.What were these new positions called?
Carolyn Fiveash Perkins7/10/2013
Quality Specialists
Jimmy Glenn Burk7/10/2013
Carolyn got the right answer. Quality Specialists and sometimes were called Quality Administrators. These positions were eliminated in the 90's or integrated into other workgroups.
Deby Abbott Jolley7/10/2013
Was that when they started training everyone on TQA?
Jimmy Glenn Burk7/10/2013
I think it was: Focus groups, Pareto diagrams, QAT's etc
Deby Abbott Jolley7/10/2013
Yep - I remember all that in the early 90's - and then they re-launched that program as Quality Driven Management (QDM) in 2009-ish.
Charlie Derrick7/11/2013
Q=P!
Subject: FedEx Trivia Quiz? Around 1991, Dr. Ron Ponder left the FedEx CIO position to become the COO of Spri ...
Jimmy Glenn Burk7/11/2013
FedEx Trivia Quiz?
Around 1991, Dr. Ron Ponder left the FedEx CIO position to become the COO of Sprint.Dennis Jones became the 4th CIO/SVP of the Information and Telecommunications Division(ITD).Who were some of the other candidates interviewed for the CIO position?
Buddy Johnson7/11/2013
I believe Rob Carter was one.
Jimmy Glenn Burk7/11/2013
Rob Carter wasn't interviewed for the svp job. He had just come to the company in the past year, I think, and was an MD at the time.
Jimmy Glenn Burk7/11/2013
Answer(as relayed to me): Some of the ones interviewed were Ed White, Winn Stephenson, Dennis Jones, Jim Tollefson
Jimmy Glenn Burk7/11/2013
for history buffs; Rob was promoted into Jon Ricker's VP slot, after Jon went to Bellsouth as the CIO in waiting. Bellsouth wanted Jon, because he had been the VP over the GOCC/Sun project.
Subject: Condolences to the Smith Family. Fred Smith's mother,Sally Hook, passed away Sunday, at the age of 9 ...
Jimmy Glenn Burk7/11/2013
Condolences to the Smith Family. Fred Smith's mother,Sally Hook, passed away Sunday, at the age of 93.
Dan Elliot7/11/2013
Condolences..
Subject: FedEx Trivia Quiz?
Jimmy Glenn Burk7/12/2013
FedEx Trivia Quiz?1. What was the code name for redeveloping FedEx's system called that led to COSMOS & DADS? This was initially led by Charlie Brandon.2. What was the code name for the project to develop a system to let Pilots see thru fog called?
Jim Bentley7/12/2013
Magic window
Jimmy Glenn Burk7/12/2013
Jim wins again........Magic Window for answer # 2
Debora Williams Waller9/9/2013
Ya'll are killing me with the memory flashbacks. Loving it.
Subject: 1. What was the code name for redeveloping FedEx's system called that led to COSMOS & DADS? This was ...
Jimmy Glenn Burk7/12/2013
1. What was the code name for redeveloping FedEx's system called that led to COSMOS & DADS? This was initially led by Charlie Brandon.Answer: Project Butterfly (stages caterpillar, chrysalis & butterfly)
Subject: Memphis/Germantown/Collierville Cant get to other Farmers Markets because you have to work during th ...
Carl Wayne Hardeman7/13/2013
Memphis/Germantown/Collierville
Cant get to other Farmers Markets because you have to work during theday, well fret no more.
The Germantown Farmers Market is open Thursdays 5-7pm. Stop by on your way home.
Eat local, eat fresh, eat healthy, support the local economy, help preserve diversity of varieties, eat fresh sweetcorn, eat delicious homegrown heirloom tomatoes (dont buy the shiny ones).
Call me if any questions 485-6910
Memphis/Germantown/Collierville
Cant get to other Farmers Markets because you have to work during theday, well fret no more.
The Germantown Farmers Market is open Thursdays 5-7pm. Stop by on your way home.
Eat local, eat fresh, eat healthy, support the local economy, help preserve diversity of varieties, eat fresh sweetcorn, eat delicious homegrown heirloom tomatoes (dont buy the shiny ones).
Call me if any questions 485-6910
Subject: FedEx Trivia Quiz: After two years of SuperHub operations, airplanes left ontime less than 50% of th ...
Jimmy Glenn Burk7/15/2013
FedEx Trivia Quiz:
After two years of SuperHub operations, airplanes left ontime less than 50% of the time. Two major changes in the hub were made which got ontime departures to 96% in less than two months. What were these changes?
Eddie Garrison7/15/2013
Project Memphis
Dan Goss7/15/2013
1) Fred put a second coffee pot in the Pilot's lounge.
2) Cliff Kotnik wrote a program to determine which gate planes used based on their destination and which planes departed first.
Jimmy Glenn Burk7/15/2013
...a second coffee pot may have delayed the launch....
Jimmy Glenn Burk7/15/2013
Answers:
1. Implemented a 4 hour minimum pay per night
The employees were paid 2 hours minimum. If they finished the sort, they could go home. They were already working 2 hours every night, so there was little incentive to work any harder. Mike Basch changed the minimum to 4 hours per night and they could go home when the sort ended.....thus he gave them an incentive to make the sort go down faster.
2. Installed a Countdown clock
A countdown clock was installed , providing incentive to beat the sort time.
Carl Wayne Hardeman7/15/2013
Positive pull
Charlie Derrick7/16/2013
Charlie Bresinger wrote a graphic front end to an airport simulation model. It helped to visualize the congestion problems we created for ourselves.
Carl Wayne Hardeman7/16/2013
Someone named Gafford wrote gate scheduling program which sposedly is in smithsonian.
Subject: Shortly after Rob Carter came to Memphis to replace Jon Ricker, he got a challenge from Winn Stephen ...
Charlie Derrick7/16/2013
Shortly after Rob Carter came to Memphis to replace Jon Ricker, he got a challenge from Winn Stephenson for the CSD to meet Telecom on the field of battle at the local paint ball establishment. Needless to say Telecom kicked our collective buts.
Subject: Cadillac Plans
Jimmy Glenn Burk7/17/2013
Cadillac PlansI'm hearing of changes to FedEx's Health plan due to the Obamacare tax on 'cadillac' plans. They may raise the deductible to a much larger amount. I'm not sure if this affects Retirees since they pay much more for the health plan than employees.If you hear of any info, please post."If an employer offers a plan that costs more than $10,200 for an individual or $27,500 for a family, the employer will be forced to pay a 40 percent tax on the portion of the plan cost that exceeds those thresholdsv"
Roger Yannett Sr7/23/2013
Good
Jimmy Glenn Burk7/23/2013
I still haven't heard anything about the Retiree health plan options, but current employees are being given information on two options to keep FedEx and costs out of the Obamacare tax for 'cadillac plans'.
One option has a much higher deductible, but costs $2400/year less than the more expensive plan with a lower deductible.
Deby Abbott Jolley7/31/2013
I received a notification about the changes. Not much detail included, and it didn't specifically say that retirees were included. But since I received it and am retired, I guess maybe we *are* affected. Did you receive the notification?
Jimmy Glenn Burk7/31/2013
My sons received a newsletter outlining some of the changes and saying there would be group presentations. Primary goal was to enact changes so that FedEx didn't have to pay tens of millions in luxury cadillac plan taxes. Retirees may not be included hopefully. I attended an officer presentation in the early 2000's that said that FedEx contributed something like $12K per employee into the insurance program. For retirees they were going to freeze that subsidy to $4500 per year, with retirees making up the difference over what employees paid. "The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (as amended by the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010) imposes an annual excise tax on plans with premiums exceeding $10,200 for individuals or $27,500 for a family (not including vision and dental benefits) starting in 2018."
Deby Abbott Jolley7/31/2013
I guess we'll know in the coming months...
Debora Williams Waller9/9/2013
I went to a presentation about the new health care plan last week and they did say changes are also coming for retirees but they have not sent any communication yet. Typically retirees are communicated to later than current employees. P.S. I'm joining the retiree life May 2014.
Subject: I put on 20# at my favorite eating spots @ FedEX; I eventually lost that 20 plus another 15
Jimmy Glenn Burk7/17/2013
I put on 20# at my favorite eating spots @ FedEX;
I eventually lost that 20 plus another 15What were your favorite lunch spots @FedExElan's(Clark Tower)
Fred Gangs
91st Bomb Squadron
Pete & Sams
Sawmill
Nat. Guard Armory
Front Street Deli
Grisanti's
Catfish Cabin
Dan Elliot7/17/2013
Beer-cheese soup!!
Deby Abbott Jolley7/17/2013
Fred Gangs the absolute best! And I also loved Grisanti's. I miss those places the most!!
Connie Morgan7/17/2013
Catfish Cabin
Subject: FedEx Trivia Quiz
Jimmy Glenn Burk7/18/2013
FedEx Trivia QuizIn the early 1990’s FWS proposed a low cost service for internet shipping to residential customers. He proposed that the Couriers would be part time, something like Newspaper delivery people. Packages would be trucked to a locality, and possibly under a large tent, then transferred to these couriers personal vehicles, who would then deliver to their neighborhoods. The couriers would know their neighborhoods and could deliver when people were actually at home. He hoped that scanning technology would decrease in price and tracking could be provided.What is this service called today?
Deby Abbott Jolley7/18/2013
FedEx Ground
Jimmy Glenn Burk7/18/2013
not fedex ground
Gary Phillips7/18/2013
Home?
Jimmy Glenn Burk7/18/2013
Yes, FedEx Home Delivery
Subject: FedEx Trivia Quiz?
Jimmy Glenn Burk7/18/2013
FedEx Trivia Quiz?Who first thought of COSMOS?
What other company systems was it modeled after?
What was the first city tested?
Marie McVay7/18/2013
Jim Barksdale
Chris Apalodimas7/18/2013
I think it was that wizard of Avis guy that started up COS. He was gone when I got to Fedex in 79.
It ran on ACP (Airline Control Program) modeled after all the airline reservation systems; Lots of cryptic short commands to do things; Mostly coded in 370 Assembler, I think.
Jimmy Glenn Burk7/18/2013
not the avis guy(Howie Bedford), but correct for question#2: was modelled after Wizard of Avis car rental system.
Jimmy Glenn Burk7/18/2013
and not Jim Barksdale; he came about 12-18 months after the prototype which was done on the Burrroughs mainframe.
Jimmy Glenn Burk7/18/2013
Who first thought of COSMOS?
Sydney Tucker Taylor; project codename was Sydney
What company system was it modeled after?
Wizard of Avis
What city was it first tested in?
Newark
Roger Yannett Sr7/19/2013
Was it Dave Dalton
Jimmy Glenn Burk7/19/2013
It was Tucker Taylor. (he held senior management positions including Customer Service, National Sales, Ground Operations, and System Engineering. ) Tucker was enamored with the the Wizard of Avis system. For the first time in any industry, you could call a company, and no matter which agent you got, they had information about your car rental reservation, likes, dislikes etc. He asked Charlie Brandon...why can't we do this with our customers?
Carl Wayne Hardeman7/19/2013
ron ponder thunk up package tracking and tracing
Subject: Who was the first Mgr of Telecom?
Jimmy Glenn Burk7/18/2013
Who was the first Mgr of Telecom?
Marie McVay7/18/2013
Vernita Rogers, Dianne Tuttle or Linda Wilson?
Jimmy Glenn Burk7/18/2013
nope.
Laura Ladd Beard7/18/2013
susan wright?
Jimmy Glenn Burk7/18/2013
Answer: The first person mentioned as in charge of Telecom in the mid 1970's was Jack Cockrell. Later there were 3 people hired/promoted to be engr managers: Ancel Hankins(Data engr); Gary Ragsdale(Voice engr) and Jim Moore(Radio Engr); they all reported to sr mgr John Schwarzmann who was hired from AT&T. Susan Wright was also a manager reporting to John over telecom administration.
Subject: Birds of Prey Know they are Cool
Jimmy Glenn Burk7/21/2013
Birds of Prey Know they are CoolWorkgroup in the early 1980's (Brad Simmons, Jimmy Burk, Gary Holmes)
Subject: FedEx Trivia Quiz
Jimmy Glenn Burk7/22/2013
FedEx Trivia QuizIn the early 80's FedEx started a separate corporation called FITC that could sell and resell telecom circuits around the world. It eventually owned parts of fiber optic oceanic cables and a share of a fiber laying ship. Some of it's customers were Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines & Costco.Who was the first VP of FITC?
Marie McVay7/22/2013
Randy Roy?
Jimmy Glenn Burk7/22/2013
Not Randy.
Jimmy Glenn Burk7/22/2013
this person was actually President of FITC, but a VP at FedEx. His father was the head of ITT in Europe and he grew up in Geneva, Switzerland.
Sammie Helton Butts7/22/2013
Keith McGarr?
Subject: FedEx Trivia Quiz
Jimmy Glenn Burk7/22/2013
FedEx Trivia QuizWho was the first VP over the COS development group?
The second?
The third?
The fourth?
Roger Yannett Sr7/22/2013
Was it Jim Tolleffson (not sure of Spelling)
Jimmy Glenn Burk7/23/2013
1- Howie Bedford
2- Hank Howell
3- Jim Tollefson
4- Chuck Kirk
Jimmy Glenn Burk7/23/2013
I came to FedEx in February 1980. At that time Jim Tollefson was Director over the COS facility and the initial people I interfaced with were Dave Dalton, Jim & Bob Higgins.
Jim was the ambassador for COS spending half his time in Memphis in meetings and looking to expand the work in Colorado Springs. I think COS probably grew from 50 to 200 in the first ten years under Jim’s oversight.
When Dennis Jones was made SVP over IT, Jim Tollefson & Dave were casualties of the regime change. It was sad for them to leave. Both good ambassadors of FedEx.
John Toscano7/25/2013
I think that Howie Bedford started as a SVP.(Advanced Systems Division) Hank was actually the first VP. Would that make #4 Rob Carter?
Jimmy Glenn Burk7/25/2013
I checked with Cheryl Bowen, and Howie was a VP, although it seems he wanted to be the SVP.
John Toscano7/25/2013
Oops! I'd need to yield to Cheryl on that one. I remember the Bedford/Brandon controversy but got the ranks confused.
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