About
Phyllis Erck is a Montana-based freelance web developer. Phyllis began developing websites in 1996. She currently teaches WordPress – Web Development on the Right side of the Brain at the Lifelong Learning Center in Missoula. Helping students to understand enough web concepts to be able develop and maintain their own web presence. Serving the web needs of the fiercely independent business folks of Montana.
Visit the Portfolio tab for a full work resume and links to various web projects.
Resume
In 2008, I returned to my career passion for developing websites. I work with Montana clients with interesting businesses who want to be in control of maintaining their own web presence. I currently work with the blogging and content management tool, WordPress. It’s inexpensive (virtually free) and easy (but not too easy) to expand to include new functionality. I help my clients understand how to integrate social networking components into their web presence. I constantly assess new internet technology as it evolves and evolve my recommended solutions for clients accordingly.
Throughout my technology career I’ve dabbled in graphic design work, mainly out of necessity as a web developer. This year, I’ve begun an art study program to enhance my skills as a web developer. I’m currently studying color mixing and theory to better understand what to consider when choosing colors in web design.
Technology
In 1985, after graduating from the University of Montana with a degree in Computer Science, my hi-tech adventure began on the East Coast. I worked in the Boston area through 2002, working for 3 legendary computer companies, Wang, DEC and Compaq. My interest and specialty has always been in the implementation of information retrieval systems. I started developing Expert Systems in the ‘80s and moved into developing SGML and full-text searchable databases in the early 90’s. In 1996, when HTML took hold as the standard on the internet, I began developing websites, starting with static HTML pages and then dynamic pages with ASP and PHP and Javascript. My adventure afforded me the excitement and challenge of working on great projects with high profile clients such as Martha Stewart Living where I ran the project that developed the online Plant Encyclopedia and at LEGO where I was a team lead in developing their original online store at http://shop.lego.com.
Hotels
In 2003 I moved back to Montana and co-founded Erck Hotels Corporation. I helped develop this family-owned hotel management company. Our small portfolio of hotels in Montana and Idaho were developed and are managed based on the business ethics of my parents and partners in business, Lou & Ruby Erck. Lou & Ruby have been business owners in the Rocky Mountain West since the early 1960’s. I’m fortunate to have had the opportunity to work with and learn their core values that determine business success. In the operation of hotels, this is reflected in our goal of having happy employees which we believe translates into happy customers.
Erck Hotels Corporation operates:
- Missoula – Ruby’s Inn & Convention Center
- Billings – Hampton Inn & Hampton Inn & Suites
- Great Falls – Hampton Inn, & Hilton Garden Inn
- Nampa, ID – Hampton Inn & Suites at the Idaho Center
Family
I am the proud mother of 2 amazing children and grandmother of 4 precious grandsons. My daughter and her husband are raising their family in Montana.
I run the non-profit The Billy Poole Memorial Fund to honor my son, the professional extreme skier who was in a fatal skiing accident in 2008. Billy was 28 years-old when he passed away and was living his dream of skiing all over the world in beautiful mountains under blue skies in deep powder. His accident happened while he was filming with the ski movie company Warren Miller Entertainment. He has a feature in the 2008 film Children of Winter. The goal of this charity is to raise money for programs that help disadvantaged kids get outdoors and find their passions in life through skiing programs. Billy had a dream and he lived his dream with a passion. To donate or see Billy goto www.billypoole.org.
My hobbies include telemark skiing, mountain biking and backpacking. I play the bluegrass instrument called a Dobro®. I enjoy playing and singing music in various band configuraions which are documented on my music website. I’m active in the Montana Rockies Bluegrass Association.
I feel blessed beyond belief to live, work, play and praise in our wonderful state MONTANA!
RESUME – long version
Erck Hotels Corporation
2002-2006 Co-founder & Director
Worked with my Parents and Sister to develop a hotel management company to oversee the development and management of family owned hotels in Montana and Idaho. Acted as technology evangelist. Mentored the staff on the use of technology including, using the internet, email, guest access business centers, presentation technologies and HSIA at each hotel. Designed & developed the corporate website www.erckhotels.com. Oversaw the implementation of a Citrix Server for providing a WAN for corporate accounting systems. Implemented a company-wide Sales database solution providing the capability to cross-sell properties. Implemented Hilton IT brand standards at Hilton branded properties.
IT Summary
1985 – 2002
Software professional specializing in multimedia and information retrieval computer systems. Worked on all stages of software life cycle from business analysis & design, implementation, QA, launch and maintenance. Technical skills include Network Edge Computing, dot Net, Sharepoint Portal Server, ASP, Javascript, VBScript, XML, COM+, MS Commerce Server 2000, LDAP, SQL Server 4.0 and Netscape SuiteSpot, CommerceOne, Clarus. Experience in solution architecture as well as usability design, information architecture and graphic design.
Compaq Global Services, Waltham, MA
June 1998 – May 2002 Senior Technology Consultant
2001-2002 NetworkEdge Web Content Delivery:
Develop service offerings for Content Delivery Networks. Worked directly with alliance partner, Akamai Technologies. Directly involved in rollout of service offerings in New England sales areas.
2001 State Agency Internet Prototype:
Acted as web architect for design and development of prototype web application to act as a multi-agency license lookup for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Developed functional requirements, specification and UI design for website. Tools used: ASP, Javascript; MSSQL.
2001 Attended Compaq internal training
Compaq dot Net Academy (.NET)
Sharepoint Portal Server Academy
2000-2001 (ahp.com): Developed standard operating procedures for development and maintenance of web sites for the corporate hosting department of this large pharmaceutical company.
2000 (shop.lego.com): Developed multilingual, international e-commerce web site for a leading toy manufacturer. Site provides shopping in multiple languages as well as shipments to multiple countries/currencies. Acted as the Project Manager of the nine-person development team. Completed development on time with an aggressive time-to-market development schedule and stringent performance and scalability requirements.
2000 (marthastewart.com): Developed “Encyclopedia of Plants” information system for a leading American publishing and merchandising company. System provided a web-based content maintenance tool to be used by staff Horticulturists to author and publishing plant related content to the web site. Acted as the Project Lead on a 5-person development team.
- 1999 Attended Compaq internal eProcurement training
- eProcurement
- CommerceOne BuySite
- Clarus
1999-2000 (401k.com): Worked with a leading financial services company to redesign their customer’s 401(k) personal account information homepage. Designed and implemented the solution to produce personalized content being pulled from several different web servers and backend systems. Acted as Technical Lead for a 4-person team. Tools used: NSAPI, C++, NS Enterprise Server and proprietary scripting language.
1999 Intranet:
Worked on team project to web enable a licensing system for a division of a large state agency. Project involved programming COM objects written in VB, ASP, Javascript, SQL Server and IIS 4.0. Worked directly with the division head and end-users.
various projects
Graphic Design: Designed user interface graphics for various Internet and Intranet project using Macromedia Fireworks and Adobe Photoshop.
Digital Equipment Corporation, Lexington, MA
August 1997 – June 1998 – Senior Software Engineer
1997-1998 (www.state.ma.us) Internet: Worked on a team that developed a public access web site for a state regulatory agency. Site provides access to forms and regulations for over 40 licensing agencies.Internet: Helped develop requirements specification. Participated in needs analysis, information navigation design, user documentation, system test plans and trained the Webmaster and end-users. Implemented business logic for calculating a pricing estimate for license mailing lists. Tools used: HTML, PDF VBScript; MS Access database.
USWeb Utopia, Waltham, MA
May 1996 – July 1997 Internet Developer
Designed and developed Internet solutions.
Tools used: NSAPI, Perl scripts, AltaVista Forum, Tcl, Excite search engine, Edify, HTML, Photoshop and Javascript, NT, UNIX, Mac and OS/2, Netscape & Apache Web Servers.
Hardwick Publishing, Hardwick, MA
1994-1996 Proprietor
Founded of a multimedia software development company. Developed information retrieval systems and multimedia software for delivery via CDROM and the Internet. Tools used: MS Multimedia Viewer, Windows Help, MS Access, MS Project, ABC Flowcharter, Pagemaker, Director and Shockwave.
Jan 1996 – Established an Internet café in Hardwick Center. Instructed clients on web browsing and online searching. Developed web pages and maintained a community web site.
Wang Laboratories, Inc. Lowell, MA
1987-1994 – Knowledge Engineer
Manager of expert system development in the Customer Support Organization.
Tools used: MS Windows v1.0, LISP, OPS5, Prolog, CommonKnowledge, Symbologic Adept, Folio Views, AskSam.
Software Engineer: Programmatic testing of system software for Unix-68000 graphics workstation.
Tools used: C
Bancware, Inc. Stoughton, MA
1985-1987 – Senior Programmer
Maintained and upgraded PC-based financial planning system. Implemented source code control and a bug reporting and tracking system.
Tools used: Pascal, MDBS III
Education
B.Sc., Computer Science (Mathematics minor), University of Montana, Missoula (1985).
Post graduate studies, Boston University, Boston (1989, 1990).
Certification and Training
Sharepoint Portal Server Academy (2001)
Akamai Edgesuite Certification (2001)
ArchitectureWorks 2000 (2000)
SQL Server 7.0 (1999)
Edify Certified Consultant (1997).
Open Market SecureLink (1996).
Structured Knowledge Engineering (1990).
Lectures
“Expert System Building Tools” Microsoft Windows Solutions Conference, New York City (1993)
“CD-ROM Technology and the Music Industry”, IBMA Conference, Owensboro, KY (1994)
Associations
Boston Computer Society (1985-1996).
Boston Multimedia Round table (1994-1996).
American Association of Artificial Intelligence (1985-1993).