Currently the president of iTech Solutions Group, LLC, an IBM business partner focused on the iSeries and Power Systems. Pete has held executive positions in various user groups, been an active volunteer serving on many committees at COMMON, a Speaker, and writer in COMMON Connect, and a past member of the COMMON Board of Directors. A strength that Pete brings to the board is the ability to blend the technical iSeries skills and proven business management skills that he uses in his own business. The marketing, strategic planning, and financial experience that he has accumulated over the years allows him to contribute to the board in key areas of need.
Trevor Perry has a distinguished career in consulting to IT organizations for companies all over the planet. His diverse business and IT background means his strategy and modernization consulting is in high demand. He serves as CTO for KMR Systems Corporation, an IBM i ISV based in Long Island, New York. Trevor has been a member and volunteer at COMMON for over 15 years. In that time, he has been a volunteer for the education team, won several speaking medals, was awarded a Distinguished Service Award, and has been instrumental in building the Community and Networking team. In 2006, Trevor was awarded an IBM and COMMON Innovation award for his efforts in the community, and regularly speaks to user groups around the world.
Elected Spring 2009; eligible for re-election Spring 2012. Email Trevor Perry
Jim Oberholtzer Treasurer
Starting as a Programmer/Analyst in the early 1980s, Jim has worked in positions of increasing responsibility achieving the level of Vice President of Technology at United States Bowling Congress. Most recently he has started a company to provide consulting services in Agile/Scrum development and infrastructure to customers in the IBM Power Systems family. For COMMON, he has been a volunteer starting as a session monitor, then speaker, and then the Strategic Education Team and finally on the Board as Executive Vice President and several other positions.
Dan has been an active iSeries and IBM midrange software development professional for over 30 years. He has designed and developed custom application and integration code for myriad IBM iSeries and midrange customers in manufacturing, medical, financial and other industries. At MSI Systems Integrators, Inc., he has recently studied the document imaging and content management field to develop iSeries applications with Windows and Web interfaces. Before joining the Board, Dan volunteered at more than 30 COMMON conferences,most recently as Chief of the Tactical Liaisons to the Curriculum, or TLCs.
Wayne is Vice President and Group Publisher/Editor In Chief of the IBM Technology Group at Penton Technology Media, where he manages the System iNEWS / System iNetwork business. He is also Group Publisher of Penton's Video and Communications Groups. Wayne has written more than 200 articles in what is now System iNEWS and has authored three popular System I technology books. He has served as both Assistant Project Manager and Project Manager for the Security track for COMMON, is serving his second term on the Board of Directors, and is an award-winning speaker who has presented at many COMMON conferences during his eighteen years of participation the COMMON organization.
Bruce Collins heads up the iSeries Administration at AAA Cooper Transportation in Dothan, Alabama. In 1984, Bruce started as a programmer for a local hospital and over the years progressed to IT Director for a manufacturing company. Bruce accepted a position with AAA Cooper Transportation, a national LTL carrier headquartered in Dothan, Alabama, where he manages their IBM Power systems that run i5/OS and AIX. Bruce has been a volunteer and speaker at COMMON for over 13 years, most recently as the Board liaison to the Community and Networking group.
Currently is Senior Consultant/President of Value Added Software, Inc. Pete is also an RPG/C++/VB/Java programmer with over 20 years of system 3X/AS400/iSeries experience. He holds certifications as an IBM Certified Specialist -- iSeries Solution Sales eServer i5 and eServer i5 iSeries Single System Administration and an MCSE. His passion has always been in system integration and currently focuses on Open Source applications and integration activities. He has had previous lives as a Regional Training and Support manager for Pearson Plc and HR Director for Meridian School District, Meridian, ID and as a Peace Corps Volunteer.
Elected Spring 2010; eligible for re-election Spring 2013 Email Pete Helgren
Bob Krzeczowski Director
Bob has been in the IT industry for the last 26 years filling many roles – an employee, consultant, and business owner. He has worked in operations, as a programmer, an analyst, and as a manager. Bob has been a volunteer with COMMON as a speaker, and a member of the Education Team for over 15 years. On the Education Team he served as a Subject Matter Expert, a Strategic Team Member, the Assistant Strategic Education Team Manager and most recently COMMON’s Strategic Education Team Manager.
Kevin Mort is VP, Dynamic Infrastructure Solutions for IBM partner Flagship Solutions Group, in Boca Raton, Florida. He also represents his own firm GlobalMind Technology Consulting. Previously, Kevin spent over nine years as Systems Engineer with IBM partner Arrow Electronics. Kevin holds several certifications on IBM i, AIX and Lotus Software. With COMMON, Kevin is a speaker, SME, and member of the CaN and JAC. Kevin holds a BA from Indiana University, Bloomington and resides in South Florida with his wife. In his spare time he is "WebMunster" for Frankeni.com, an avid golfer and motorsports fan.
Elected Spring 2010; eligible for re-election Spring 2013 Email Kevin Mort
Ralph Gervasi Executive Director
Ralph joined COMMON in 2000 and has more than 20 years experience in association management. He has served as COMMON's Executive Director since 2005 and prior to that he served as the Membership and Registration Manager. He began his association career with the American Dental Hygienists Association in 1988. Throughout his association career, Ralph has held positions as executive director of the International Kitchen Exhaust Association and the Casual Furniture Retailers Association. He has also held director of membership positions with the National Association of Fire Equipment Distributors, Chicago Women in Publishing, National Association of Ticket Brokers as well as other association positions while working with Raybourn Group International - an association management company. Gervasi holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Information Technology from DeVry University and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Business Administration from Dominican University . He is a long-time member of the American Society of Association Executives (ASAE) and the Association Forum of Chicago, and has served on membership committees and focus groups for these organizations. Email Ralph Gervasi
Guy Havelick IBM Liaison
Guy is part of the IBM Power Systems team, responsible for gathering requirements from IBM i clients for product improvements. The primary vehicles for these requirements are several advisory councils, including the Large User Group and the COMMON Advisory Councils. Guy joined IBM Rochester after graduating from North Dakota State with a masters degree in Electrical Engineering. Starting with the I/O Controller for what would be called the System/38, he has had a varied career in chip design, logic design, design systems, field quality, first line management, web design, and removable media device integration. Email Guy Havelick
Currently the president of iTech Solutions Group, LLC, an IBM business partner focused on the iSeries and Power Systems. Pete has held executive positions in various user groups, been an active volunteer serving on many committees at COMMON, a Speaker, and writer in COMMON Connect, and a past member of the COMMON Board of Directors. A strength that Pete brings to the board is the ability to blend the technical iSeries skills and proven business management skills that he uses in his own business. The marketing, strategic planning, and financial experience that he has accumulated over the years allows him to contribute to the board in key areas of need.
Trevor Perry has a distinguished career in consulting to IT organizations for companies all over the planet. His diverse business and IT background means his strategy and modernization consulting is in high demand. He serves as CTO for KMR Systems Corporation, an IBM i ISV based in Long Island, New York. Trevor has been a member and volunteer at COMMON for over 15 years. In that time, he has been a volunteer for the education team, won several speaking medals, was awarded a Distinguished Service Award, and has been instrumental in building the Community and Networking team. In 2006, Trevor was awarded an IBM and COMMON Innovation award for his efforts in the community, and regularly speaks to user groups around the world.
Starting as a Programmer/Analyst in the early 1980s, Jim has worked in positions of increasing responsibility achieving the level of Vice President of Technology at United States Bowling Congress. Most recently he has started a company to provide consulting services in Agile/Scrum development and infrastructure to customers in the IBM Power Systems family. For COMMON, he has been a volunteer starting as a session monitor, then speaker, and then the Strategic Education Team and finally on the Board as Executive Vice President and several other positions.
Wayne is Vice President and Group Publisher/Editor In Chief of the IBM Technology Group at Penton Technology Media, where he manages the System iNEWS / System iNetwork business. He is also Group Publisher of Penton's Video and Communications Groups. Wayne has written more than 200 articles in what is now System iNEWS and has authored three popular System I technology books. He has served as both Assistant Project Manager and Project Manager for the Security track for COMMON, is serving his second term on the Board of Directors, and is an award-winning speaker who has presented at many COMMON conferences during his eighteen years of participation the COMMON organization. 
Bruce Collins heads up the iSeries Administration at AAA Cooper Transportation in Dothan, Alabama. In 1984, Bruce started as a programmer for a local hospital and over the years progressed to IT Director for a manufacturing company. Bruce accepted a position with AAA Cooper Transportation, a national LTL carrier headquartered in Dothan, Alabama, where he manages their IBM Power systems that run i5/OS and AIX. Bruce has been a volunteer and speaker at COMMON for over 13 years, most recently as the Board liaison to the Community and Networking group. 
Currently is Senior Consultant/President of Value Added Software, Inc. Pete is also an RPG/C++/VB/Java programmer with over 20 years of system 3X/AS400/iSeries experience. He holds certifications as an IBM Certified Specialist -- iSeries Solution Sales eServer i5 and eServer i5 iSeries Single System Administration and an MCSE. His passion has always been in system integration and currently focuses on Open Source applications and integration activities. He has had previous lives as a Regional Training and Support manager for Pearson Plc and HR Director for Meridian School District, Meridian, ID and as a Peace Corps Volunteer.
Bob has been in the IT industry for the last 26 years filling many roles – an employee, consultant, and business owner. He has worked in operations, as a programmer, an analyst, and as a manager. Bob has been a volunteer with COMMON as a speaker, and a member of the Education Team for over 15 years. On the Education Team he served as a Subject Matter Expert, a Strategic Team Member, the Assistant Strategic Education Team Manager and most recently COMMON’s Strategic Education Team Manager.
Kevin Mort is VP, Dynamic Infrastructure Solutions for IBM partner Flagship Solutions Group, in Boca Raton, Florida. He also represents his own firm GlobalMind Technology Consulting. Previously, Kevin spent over nine years as Systems Engineer with IBM partner Arrow Electronics. Kevin holds several certifications on IBM i, AIX and Lotus Software. With COMMON, Kevin is a speaker, SME, and member of the CaN and JAC. Kevin holds a BA from Indiana University, Bloomington and resides in South Florida with his wife. In his spare time he is "WebMunster" for Frankeni.com, an avid golfer and motorsports fan. 
Ralph joined COMMON in 2000 and has more than 20 years experience in association management. He has served as COMMON's Executive Director since 2005 and prior to that he served as the Membership and Registration Manager. He began his association career with the American Dental Hygienists Association in 1988. Throughout his association career, Ralph has held positions as executive director of the International Kitchen Exhaust Association and the Casual Furniture Retailers Association. He has also held director of membership positions with the National Association of Fire Equipment Distributors, Chicago Women in Publishing, National Association of Ticket Brokers as well as other association positions while working with Raybourn Group International - an association management company. Gervasi holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Information Technology from DeVry University and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Business Administration from Dominican University . He is a long-time member of the American Society of Association Executives (ASAE) and the Association Forum of Chicago, and has served on membership committees and focus groups for these organizations. 
Guy is part of the IBM Power Systems team, responsible for gathering requirements from IBM i clients for product improvements. The primary vehicles for these requirements are several advisory councils, including the Large User Group and the COMMON Advisory Councils. Guy joined IBM Rochester after graduating from North Dakota State with a masters degree in Electrical Engineering. Starting with the I/O Controller for what would be called the System/38, he has had a varied career in chip design, logic design, design systems, field quality, first line management, web design, and removable media device integration.