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Production Team
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Geoff Ryle
President & Co–Founder, Director of Human Resources
Direct (951) 693–4741
Cell (951) 377–2266 |
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Geoff Ryle brings a wealth of real world experience in a variety of
established and breaking technologies, combined with professional people
skills and a strong ability to communicate effectively. He has been working
with FileMaker Pro since its first introduction over 20 years ago, when he
developed his first customer tracking, sales and invoicing system. Since
then, he has developed and marketed several of his own FileMaker based
vertical market solutions, as well as having designed and maintained custom
LAN/WAN cross–platform solutions. Some of the clients Geoff has had the
pleasure of working with include FileMaker Inc., Walt Disney Imagineering,
Viacom, Universal Studios, Discovery Toys, Steinberg North America and Line
6. He is co–author of the FileMaker Business Tracker and the Excelisys
Business Tracker. A published author, he is also a contributing writer for
several trade magazines, including FileMaker Pro Advisor. A classically
trained pianist since age 5, in his spare time Geoff enjoys playing with his
band, AudioCast, or relaxing in his production studio. His original CD,
Oyster Brew, is available through his personal web site, GeoffRyle.com.
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Kurt Knippel
Vice-President, Director of Production
Direct/Cell (619) 866–6096 |
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Kurt began developing software in high school and continued in college learning Pascal, C++ and various
forms of BASIC. He started designing databases professionally in dBase III using Clipper to customize,
install, and train his company's sales departments on custom solutions including others he developed in
Access, Paradox, FoxPro and Lotus Notes. Kurt has worked for several successful consulting firms selling,
customizing and training sales, telemarketing and customer-service departments on Telemagic, both the DOS and
Windows versions. In 1994, using FileMaker Pro 2.1, he built a successful commercial sales force automation
product, that he continued to expand and update as new releases of FileMaker emerged over the years. Kurt
broadened his knowledge of RDBMS systems by installing/configuring, customizing and training users on sales
solutions with back-ends in Oracle, Sybase and Microsoft SQL Server. He then went on to work as a successful independent
FileMaker developer as well as a senior/lead developer for three of the leading FileMaker development companies.
Kurt joined the Excelisys team after spending several years as an IT/Operations manager at an architectural firm,
where he was responsible for the development and administration of 5 FileMaker servers hosting more than 700
databases.
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Greg Furry
VP of Technology, Project Manager
Direct (574) 243-1681 |
Greg Furry brings a plethora of skills to Excelisys and its clients. Most recently as the director
of technology for a leading systems integrator, Greg assisted a wide variety of clients from small
businesses to Fortune 100 companies. He is a proven leader in advanced technologies and applications,
providing clients with open state-of-the-art solutions that incorporate both existing and emerging
technology. The father of three boys, Greg enjoys sailing, basketball and just about every sport or
outdoor activity. He brings to Excelisys his expertise in all things geeky and a strong desire to
find the perfect solution for his clients.
Lead Programmers
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Andrew
Lead Developer/Advisor, FileMaker Development |
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In 1992, Andrew sat down with a copy of FileMaker Pro 2.0 and was instantly hooked. Since then,
he has been the lead developer on a wide variety of solutions, including a robust accounting system,
a comprehensive medical management solution and a mass-marketed photography management product.
His background in graphic design and desktop publishing is displayed in the attractive and intuitive
interfaces that are characteristic of his solutions. Among his many other projects, Andy is co-author
of the FileMaker Business Tracker.
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Kristine
FileMaker/Web Development |
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Kristine Burrows first discovered FileMaker in 1992. Since 1998, Kristine has been developing
custom solutions for leading companies in a variety of industries including marketing, manufacturing,
fashion, digital imaging, finance and information technology. One of her favorite things to do is to
learn how a company runs its business from day to day and to design a smart, effective and easy-to-use
FileMaker system around it. Her second favorite thing to do is to come in under budget. Based in New
York City, Kristine spends her days banging away at the keyboard or running around to meet with clients,
and her nights teaching her pet Chihuahua new tricks.
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Jeff
FileMaker Pro Database Design/Development |
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After two years in Spain, four years in sales and marketing, and two degrees in Computer Graphics
Technology, Jeff’s first post–college interview was for a position as a marketing coordinator/web master.
His FileMaker skills trumped everything, though, and he wound up in a newly created development position.
Jeff is a second-generation FileMaker developer that got his start at the ripe old age of fourteen.
His father–then a computer teacher at a local middle school–created FileMaker systems on the side,
and his wealth of knowledge was passed down to his teenaged son. Now, Jeff combines nearly two decades
of database development with his training in interface design; he can truly bring your database to life.
When his nose isn’t stuck in yet another database system, Jeff enjoys movies, spending time with his
wife and kids (and guinea pigs), and helping his father learn the latest and greatest of FileMaker.
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Ken
FileMaker Development |
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After earning his history degree in 1998, Ken began work with a small manufacturing firm where he was
introduced to FileMaker Pro. Shortly thereafter, he became an in-house developer and by the end of 2003
and was maintaining, retrofitting, and enlarging a 75+ file solution that powered a 12 million dollar
company. After moving to Texas, Ken developed a custom solution for a Cingular wireless retailer. When he
is not buried in work, he can be found in his wood shop, tooling around his Texas house, or watching yet
another History Channel program. However, it is his hands-on experience that affords Ken an in-depth
understanding of the facets large scale FileMaker projects.
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Cesar
FileMaker Development |
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Cesar has been managing LANs, designing websites, and building vertical market solutions for over 12 years. Cesar’s experience includes integrating FileMaker Pro solutions with Navision, SQLServer, QuickBooks Enterprise, PHP/MySQL, MS Exchange, and various prepackaged eCommerce solutions. His area of consulting expertise includes manufacturing process control, and user experience design. Having an engineering background, Cesar was a problem solver before he knew about FileMaker Pro. In 1995, while at Scripps Institution of Oceanography, he built a database system to manage international deployment of research equipment destined for areas such as the Artic. The FileMaker Pro database was also used to catalog magneto–optical media filled with year–round data worth millions of dollars of research effort, as well as to track its circulation within the academic community in charge of the research projects. Some of his vertical solutions and research participation work has been printed or discussed in publications such as MacWorld, and scientific journals. Cesar lives in San Diego and enjoys his very limited time off traveling with his wife and family. He enjoys skiing, scuba–diving, and playing golf.
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Jeff N.
FileMaker Development |
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Jeff has been a technology innovator in the field of higher education for over 18 years. He first
used Filemaker in 1990 to develop registration, room assignment and facilities management applications
for a major university. Jeff has used his programming, database, web development, management and visioning
skills at a number of colleges, most recently as the CIO of a large midwestern community college. He takes
great pride in creating complex database solutions with simple, elegant user interfaces. When not exploring
emerging technologies, Jeff spends time outside, as a poet, and role-modeling his true geek nature for his
two young boys.
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Michael
Lead Developer FileMaker Pro/Servoy |
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Michael has been a FileMaker developer since 1987 and was one of the very first full–time professional FileMaker developers. Over the last 16 years, he has developed literally hundreds of custom solutions for all types and sizes of companies. He has also developed several commercial products, one of which is the highly acclaimed ISP Billing Software (www.isp-billing.com) which is an account management and billing program for Internet Service Providers and/or any organization that does recurring billing. Michael brings to Excelisys a wealth of experience and business knowledge across a wide variety of industries. He specializes in highly intuitive interfaces and loves FileMaker’s ability to encompass incredibly complex functions down to the press of a single button. There is nothing Michael likes to hear more than “It can’t be done!” and then being able to prove that it, in fact, can! Michael is a published author with over 40 magazine articles to date and is also a regular contributor to FileMaker Advisor magazine. We are proud to have Michael as a member of the Excelisys team and involved in developing amazing solutions for our customers that will exceed any expectations.
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Levi (Laura)
FileMaker Pro Development |
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Coming from an exercise and healthcare background, Levi has been building Filemaker databases
since Filemaker 1.0. She has created primarily orthopedic and nonprofit applications. A quote from
a friend sums up her attitude about Filemaker Pro, "Levi thinks everything can be solved with Filemaker
Pro." This belief leads her to dream up solutions for almost everything. Most recently she was an in-house
developer for a spine rehab facility where she developed a state of the art, touch-screen driven, clinic
management solution using Filemaker Pro. If you can disconnect her from her computer, you will find Levi
pursuing her other love, anything active. She can usually be found on one of her bikes, tromping through
the woods somewhere or chasing her dogs. Any activity from under the sea to the top of the mountain is
fair game.
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Alex
Lead Programmer/Developer Filemaker Pro/SQL/Servoy |
Alex hails all the way from the Ukraine. Classically trained on piano from an early age and fluent in
multiple languages, we like to call Alex our "Swiss Army Knife of Technology." Whatever we throw at him,
he hits right out of the park. Whether its creating unique SQL or MySQL based enterprise solutions, web-enabling
FileMaker Pro systems with Lasso, custom applications with C, or integrating with legacy technologies like
Cobalt, Alex is able to effectively research and produce the exact results our clients are looking for. He
even creates custom plug-ins and applets whenever a desired functionality does not yet exist within the tools
at hand. Alex currently lives in Hollywood, CA with his wife, where in his spare time he pursues his dream of
working as a composer for feature films and commercials.
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Duane
Filemaker Pro Development |
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Duane has been developing enterprise web–integrated FileMaker solutions for an international travel publisher since 1996. He has developed numerous solutions involving SyncDek, Lasso, PHP, and MySQL integration. He has been a member of FSA/TechNet since 2003 and has attended DevCon numerous times. In addition to his development work, Duane is a dedicated Mac user. He is the Web Master for his local Macintosh User Group and has also served on the board since 2002 as Treasurer. In his spare time Duane enjoys photography, movies, writing music, and spending time with his family.
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Mike
Filemaker Pro Development |
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With interests in art and engineering, Mike sees application development as a platform for self expression through pragmatic utility where thoughfully planned backend structure meets intuitively designed user interface and efficient business logic. Mike views FileMaker and Web development are prime candidates where both his skills and interests can be maximized by creating solutions that meet the varying needs of his clients. Mike enjoys spending his free time with his wife and three children.
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Chip
Filemaker Pro Development |
Chip’s education and training is in biology, specifically genetics.
Introduced to FileMaker Pro in 2002, Chip’s first system was for
a not–for–profit biomedical research facility. He then became their
in–house developer building databases ranging from employee lists, to
invoicing for facility operations, to a tracking system that is
published on the facility’s intranet. Chip has since grown and honed
his skills, and now has a FileMaker database for everything in his
life. He jokes: “If I can’t create a database for something,
it’s not worth looking at.” Living in the Adirondack Mountains
of New York, Chip’s true passion is the outdoors. Almost anytime
of the year, he can be found on the creek, river or lake fishing––even
when the lake is covered by ice.
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Jim
Graphic Designer |
Having worked with business–to–business and consumer–based companies for more than 25 years, Jim has been developing creative, award–winning, unique marketing solutions for a variety of regional and national clients. Ranging from healthcare to hardware, from finance to fraternities, he has the ability to effectively analyze, conceptualize, and develop focused messages that accurately brand companies and successfully target their audiences. Armed with the latest CS3 software with a high proficiency in graphic and image manipulation, Jim gets gratification from bringing ideas to life that accentuate his clients position within their respective markets. An active person, Jim enjoys most physical activities when time and the Indiana weather permits.
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Katie
Web Designer/Developer |
Katie’s first passion is photography, which led her into the world of digital editing. Her passion
for computers and all things digital flourished and she decided the perfect way to integrate the two was
the world of web design. She studied both photography and web design in college and graduated with an
Associates degree in Photographic Technology and an Associates in the Internet Professional Program
specializing in Interactive Web Design. Her specialties are designing in Photoshop and Flash, and coding
xhtml and css. Katie is currently living in Michigan. She enjoys kayaking, fishing, birding, disc golf,
and cross country skiing.
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Abhi
Web Technologist PHP/Perl/MySQL/Java/AJAX |
Abhi has a Master’s degree in Computer Science, awarded by the University of Southern
California (USC). He has several years of Software Development experience and has previously
worked in the capacity of a Software Consultant and Programmer-Analyst. Abhi specializes in Custom
Software Development and likes to involve himself in various facets of the development life cycle,
including Requirement Analysis and Architecture Design. While working as a Consultant in Los Angeles,
Abhi designed and engineered a cutting edge Process Automation System for a legal recruiting firm.
He has developed several data intensive applications with a strong focus on data mining and profile
based recommendations. In his free time, he likes to watch Formula-1 racing.
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Stephen
Web Technologies Developer |
Stephen started his professional career as a musician. He played everything from Latin bands, Broadway, and even was on–the–road behind Ray Charles. In the mid–80’s he got a Mac to compose music and even worked for a music publisher producing scores for Gordon Getty operas. His first Sys Admin job was in the advertising and marketing dept. at Sotheby’s in NYC. He moved to New Mexico in 1990 where he consulted for publishing companies and then worked at Los Alamos National Laboratory doing tech support. At LANL he got involved with the internet by setting up some of the first web servers at LANL. He learned Perl and Lasso in his role as webmaster on UNIX and Mac web servers. After moving to California in 2000, he learned PHP with MySQL and Filemaker as the databases driving dynamic websites. Stephen is happy to join the Excelisys team to further his goal of using the best technologies to create user–friendly websites.
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Tony
Web and Servoy Developer |
Tired of seeing his development teams have all the fun building stuff, Tony began moving
from Project Manager to Software Developer around 8 years ago. While working as a Linguist and
Project Manager for a Speech Recognition company in Santa Clara, Tony began to automate processes
and manage data with Perl and MySQL. In 2004, Tony took some time to study computer science in
Furtwangen, Germany, and then returned to the U.S. to work in E-Commerce for Washington Mutual.
After that, he moved to a smaller web shop in Sacramento, and then gave up his role as a manager
entirely so he could focus on his passions: Open Source and Agile software development technologies.
Tony is currently focused on LAMP (Linux/Apache/MySQL/Perl/PHP) website development and Servoy.
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