Faculty and Administration

The day after I graduated from Ranken I had three job offers with small companies. I accepted a job working for a gardening company that needed a web developer to build the new company site. In my time there I also built a custom email service that integrated with the company’s current CRM.

My next move after The Garden Kingdom could possibility be the most influential career move I have made to date. I took a position with a startup marketing firm goBRANDgo! in the Benton Park area as a lead developer and turned out over 100 web sites in my first year. The company ended up grossing a million dollars in the first year they were open. After I felt that I had outgrown the work that I was doing at goBRANDgo! I went to work for a much larger marketing agency downtown called Group 360 Worldwide.

My time there was a blast and I got to work on much larger brands such as Busch Beer, Rolling Rock, Johnson & Johnson, and Bass Pro Shop. This was my opportunity to show off my ability and have a chance to do some real public facing work. I left Group 360 Worldwide for a chance to really dive deep in to PHP with a smaller company named Tuva Interactive in Kirkwood MO. This job allowed me to get hands on work that dealt with big data and high traffic sites. This brings me to where I am now. After about four and a half years of hard work and long nights, I was able to catch a bigger fish. I landed my current position here at Graybar Electric, my first fortune 500 company. I have not been here long enough to really elaborate on what the work experience is like or to cover any real major accomplishments. I will say that Ranken opened the first door to many doors for me and my career, and even almost five years later the opportunities have not stopped popping up.

Ranken for me was the beginning of my new life. Out of high school I had no idea what I wanted to do or who I wanted to become. I tried out community college for a semester but found quickly that having my head down in books was not for me. Ranken provided me with the hands on leaning experience that I need to thrive.

During my last semester at Ranken, I was hired by Neutron Technologies to do .NET development for the Royal Canin dog food company in St. Charles. I worked for the startup Juggle.com for a short period. I then moved on to Cass Information Systems in Bridgeton where I assumed a largely MSSQL development position. I am currently a Software Engineer at Avala Marketing Group, where I work on our MVC-based marketing platform, Aimbase.com.

Ranken’s Internet & Web-Based Technology program couldn’t have worked out any better for me. I had a job doing web development, with a company that I liked, before I had even graduated. Ranken’s IWT program gave me the solid foundation of skills I needed to get my foot in the door with the right companies because I had learned what they needed me to know. Since graduating, I continue to climb the ranks as I expand and refine my skill set.

After graduating from Ranken, I worked for Network Solutions, a Web.Com Company. I started as an eCommerce Specialist helping small business acheive success. I worked my way up as the Supervisor of the eCommerce department where i managed many large ecommerce accounts, including PGA.com and the web.com tour. I then moved on to project manage the development process of ecommerce websites at SteadyRain. I now manage digital marketing for many national ecommerce agriculture companies at True Media in St. Louis, Mo. I have six years experience as a Project Manager and Account Manager of all digital aspects including, e-commerce, web design, web development and online marketing.

My time at Ranken help me learn the process of web development and prepare myself for the digital business world. Ranken also helped me gain great internships at Network Solutions and insidestl.com, where i learned the framework of web design.

Ranken’s method of teaching is what earns you the great career you expect with a degree. The hands on experience you get on a day-to-day basis is what every employer loves to hear. The skills I learned every semester landed me a job working as a computer technician right out of college. I gained experience and worked hard. Every week I would get a list of job openings from Mr. Gudmestad, and with the education and experience I had, I was able to land my current job as a SQL DBA. I couldn’t be more pleased with my job or my education.

In my 2nd semester at Ranken, I started working as a Help Desk Technician for a local call center, Customer Direct. I was responsible for providing tier 1 support for hotel guests’ internet connections, along with supporting connection issues for a few small DSL companies. After graduating from Ranken I began work as a tier 1 technician for Connectria Hosting in their Network Operations Center. Here I was responsible for fielding client phone calls and support tickets. My main jobs included monitoring the client server’s health, managing firewall rules and various tasks assigned by engineers. I eventually made my way to Windows Engineer, in which I deployed hosted Window servers and handled OS and software related support issues.

After two years at Connectria I moved onto my current company, Information Technologies Inc. Currently I am responsible for deploying and supporting a .NET/SQL based software as well as providing SQL based queries to return statistical data which used by public safety agencies.

Ranken’s fast pace and ready to work feel has helped me land some very diverse jobs, with always-changing technology. This training has helped me adjust quickly and be able to learn new things in an accelerated pace. This is the true definition of Ranken material.

After Ranken, I had many places offering me positions. Mr. Gudmestad helped a ton with the finding of my current position, and well as many other position choices (Secretly, I didn’t have to do any job searching!)

With the education I received from Ranken, I was able to jump right into a job, meeting the expectations of the company and more.

Ranken gave me all the skills that I needed to jump into doing the things I love. I have literally taken everything from my Web & Application Development classes and use them daily on the job.

After my second semester of Internet and Web Technology I knew my first programming language and that summer I spent my free time teaching myself the ways of Android development. Since then I have developed, tested, and deployed that app, and some others, to the Google Play Store.

A month or so before graduation I was called in for an interview with NISC (National Information Solutions Cooperative). They were very interested in the fact that I spent so much of my own time learning, and that I came out of it with something tangible that solved a personal problem of mine. If it hadn’t been for Mr. Gudmestad passing along my resume and having something that stands out as much as a mobile application, I probably wouldn’t be in the position I am today.

Every day at NISC I learn something new, talk about an amazing new feature or technology, and work with one of the smartest and most innovative group of developers.

During my last semester at Ranken Technical College I was hired by Engage Software as a Web Developer. At Engage I worked on an array of different websites all based in ASP.NET using the DNN CMS (Content Management System). While I was at Engage I decided continued my education at Webster University; where after only two years I obtained my bachelor’s degree in Information Systems with an Emphasis in Web Development. After obtaining my Bachelor’s degree, I parted ways with Engage to work as a Software Engineer at Tapestry Solutions. Here at Tapestry I can wake up every day and know that I am making a difference.

My experience at Ranken has greatly helped me pursue my passion. Not only did Ranken teach me the skills I needed to succeed (C#, HTML, JavaScript, SQL, and more), but it also mentally prepared me for the real word. The instructors have and still continually support me and my advancing career even after I graduated. I owe a lot of my success to the many doors that have been opened for me thanks for Ranken.

Currently Work for Surface Deployment Distribution Command (SDDC) as a Computer Scientist. Duties include serves as a technical manager for the Intelligent Road Rail Information Server (IRRIS) real-time military tracking and infrastructure system. Manages all system interfaces from multiple sources to ensure requirements are incorporated, designed, and tested to ensure optimal performance. Reviews transportation requirements from multiple sources and prioritizes implementation of those requirements to ensure deployed forces have data required to perform their mission in a timely and efficient manner. Ensures users accessing IRRIS information have the appropriate credentials and manages the user community to ensure information security. Participates and provides technical guidance at Configuration Control Board (CCB) meetings and reviews all system changes.

Upon graduation from Ranken, I began my IT career as a web developer at a consulting company based out of Chesterfield, MO. Leaving there I made a transition into backend development and worked as a software engineer for the next four years. I now currently work as a computer scientist within the DOD. Some of the past companies in which I have worked for include: Oakwood Systems Group, GeoDecisions and Ross Technologies.

Ranken not only prepared me for my career, it prepared me for life outside of my career. I gained skills that cannot be taught. These skills were obtained through interactions with fellow students, professors, internship supervisors, and coworkers. Attending Ranken you had to meet deadlines, set goals for yourself in a variety of subjects and activities, and accomplish them. These experiences helped develop the individual that I am today.

I currently work for SWIP Systems, a tech company that does a little of everything (mobile apps, desktop apps, network installation and maintenance and general IT support). A couple of our clients are the American Pool Players Association and Panera Bread. We are constantly getting new and fun projects to work on and the work environment is very fast-paced.

I had a job doing ASP.Net for Northrop Grumman on a contract for the Airforce two weeks before I even graduated. I stayed there for a year and a half and got a new job working in downtown St.Louis at a company called CPI doing C# and MVC development. After staying at CPI for a year I then got another department of defense job at Scott Air Force Base where I single-handily wrote a web application that all the of DoD uses to get distance and route data for all traveling DoD personnel. After working there for over a year I then found this new position I have currently at SWIP Systems. I plan to be here a few years at least.

While I was in class at Ranken I was doing as much as I could on the side to get experience and build a portfolio, and the experience working for people on the side was enough to give me confidence in my first (and only) interview to get my job right out of school. My advice to current students is to do whatever you can to make yourself stand out from the rest. While I do not think anyone would have a hard time finding a job since our area always has lots of opportunities for programming work available, it’s always good to be able to market yourself and make a companies want you.

After leaving Ranken I began developing a CMS specialized for car dealerships. I used ASP.Net and SQL to write a system that allowed dealers to upload information about their inventory, as well as their business information. Shortly after that I began work contracting for Royal Canin, where I wrote WCF web services responsible for the ordering and invoicing their products sold by third-party websites, as well as aiding their team with implementing several Sharepoint web parts and company education intranet sites. From there, I began work at Cass Information Systems as a SQL/C# developer. I worked on large databases responsible for logistics data and analytics, as well as company software used to reduce paper and prevent loss of information throughout the billing and invoicing life cycle. Following that, I moved to San Diego and started work for Alliant Insurance developing the UI for Sharepoint 2013 and .Net MVC sites.

Ranken helped prepare me for a variety of jobs. I have worked on the front-end, back-end, and middle-tier using the diverse knowledge gained from attending school there. The Internet and Web Technology program has enabled me to span the full development spectrum throughout my career, and I couldn’t be happier with the outcome. I have never been without a job, and have always had the ability and knowledge to seize any opportunities that come my way.

Right after graduating from Ranken Technical College in 2011, I went to work as a Web Developer at The Net Impact in Chesterfield, MO. After 2 years I moved on to a Web Engineer position at my current company, Integrity.

My experience at Ranken can be described as very positive. Growing up I always had an interest in computers but it wasn’t until the introductory lesson in HTML during the operating system course that I discovered my passion for programming and the web. In addition to learning various programming languages, one of the greatest skills that I’ve obtained from Ranken was the ability to teach myself. Especially in web development, it’s not uncommon for an issue to arise in a language I’ve never worked in before, but I can trust myself to hit the ground running to reach an effective solution. In the past employers have recognized me for this ability as well my strong work ethic, another characteristic that Ranken emphasizes in its students.

After graduation I was hired on by Daugherty Business Solutions, and have now been there for a little over a year and a half. During my time at Daugherty, I have worked at various companies including, Anheuser-Busch, MasterCard, and Express Scripts. I started out working in a QA Testing for Anheuser-Busch, and over the course of a few months I was transferred to a project for MasterCard, where I started doing some small development work. After my engagement at MasterCard I went back to Anheuser-Bush to work on another project where I was doing actual development, and it was during that project that I learned what it meant to be a developer in an enterprise environment.

During my time at Ranken, the most important thing I learned was perseverance. Things aren’t always going to go the way you planned, and you can either give up or push through and use what you learned and continue on with your life. Ranken also prepared me with the basic knowledge I would need to grow and develop my core programming skills. I also learned how to work with a group on the same code base, and exchange ideas.

Current Employment: KV Pharmaceutical Co. Project Manager/CAD Manager

After graduating Ranken in June of 1997, with an Associate Degree in Architectural Technology, Angela Parker began work for Sverdrup Facilities as a contract employee. Soon after, she was hired on as a full time employee, working closely with designers, architects, and engineers. Eventually, Angela found her temporary “niche” with the Interior Design Group, which was a great fit but, it was not long before she realized that she would hit the glass ceiling at a young age. With this in mind, Angela decided to broaden her horizons and return to school. At that time, computers were the way to go, so back to Ranken she went. Angela continued to work for Sverdrup part-time while attending Ranken for a second degree.

In August of 2000, Angela graduated from Ranken once again with an Associate Degree in Computer Networking Technology.

Upon receiving her new degree, she went to work for a small window manufacturing company in St. Louis, developing fenestration software. Eventually finding that this was not the field she most enjoyed, she contacted her previous supervisor to see if Sverdrup had any positions available that would allow her to utilize her unique combination of A/E/C and computer skills. Shortly thereafter a larger, global company, Jacobs Engineering, acquired Sverdrup and a position was developed specifically for Angela – Project Technology Coordinator. With this position came national responsibility to grow A/E/C Technology throughout the company, but required extensive travel.

In August of 2005, Angela accepted a position as CAD Manager at KV Pharmaceutical Co., allowing Angela to remain in St. Louis. In October of 2006, Angela married and is expecting a son in March of 2008.

Today, Angela remains employed as KV’s CAD Manager but has also taken on more responsibility as Project Manager, managing small construction projects throughout KV’s 15 facilities city-wide.

Current Employment: Baker-Aicklen & Associates, Civil Engineer and Branch Manager

A. William “Bill” Waeltz put his architecture design and structural technology degree from Ranken Technical College to use upon graduation, taking a job as a draftsman and surveyor. He became a Registered Land Surveyor in three states.

Waeltz and his family, including his wife and three children, eventually moved to Austin, TX., where he passed both the Engineer in Training (EIT) and Professional Engineer (PE) exams.

Waeltz currently serves as a civil engineer and branch manager for Baker-Aicklen & Associates, a consulting engineering firm in Cedar Park, TX. He’s also the firm’s principal, and oversees a staff of 65 employees.

“My education and experiences at Ranken provided a solid foundation on which I built my career,” Waeltz said.

Waeltz is now considered one of the most influential engineers in his hometown of Round Rock, TX. He participates in several committees for the city and local Chamber of Commerce. He also serves as vice president and board member for the local chapter of Habitat for Humanity.

His wife, Sandi, is proud of Waeltz’s accomplishments as a “self-made professional.”

“Bill always prides himself in knowing all three phases of civil projects,” she said. “His knowledge of drafting from Ranken, along with surveying and engineering, has been a great asset as he manages the firm.”

Current Employment: United States Air Force  Academic Instructor (retired)

Allan Miller has led a life of service, both to his country and his community. Before attending Ranken he served from 1945-1946 with the U.S. Army. After his graduation in 1949 he went to work for the U.S. Air Force, working in the communications field as well as avionics. Eventually he was also an academic instructor. Miller retired from the Air Force in 1989 after 38 years of service.

Married in 1958, Miller spent the years prior to that on the construction of his own home from 1956-1958 – skills he still puts to use, as he recently rewired his son’s home and installed a new bathroom for him.

Miller has also been active with the Toastmasters organization, and has served as the president of the 496 Chapter.

Active with his church, Miller has served on its council and as treasurer of their endowment fund for five years. His skills with finances also contributed to his volunteering with the AARP to do taxes for their members for ten years.

He currently works part-time as an elected member of the Pontiac/William Holliday school board and resides in Fairview Heights, Ill. He retains his federal radio and telephone license to this day.

Contact: [email protected]

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“Choosing to obtain my Bachelor’s of Science in Architectural Technology from Ranken Technical College has played a big part in my success in the profession thus far. The excellent staff, hands-on experience and technologically driven program paved the way for me to further continue my education to the graduate level at SIU. When it came time to search for a job, employers were pleased to learn that I had attended Ranken because they know that students are challenged with a wide variety of courses, which helps lead to a successful career.”

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Connect with Zach on LinkedIn

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Connect with Charlie on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/charlielutz/

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Connect with Cecilia on LinkedIn

”Ranken training helped me succeed in my life by giving me a good foundation of training in my chosen field of Automotive Maintenance. It was through my Ranken education and the help of many other people that I was able to succeed in life.” Dean graduated from Automotive Technology in 1963 and quickly realized he wanted to start his own business. After working for a short period in a small automotive shop with a fellow Ranken graduate to gain experience, he began renting space in another building to begin his own business, Dean’s Auto Service. In 1973 he bought ground and built his own 5,200 square foot building. Over the years he hired and helped many Ranken graduates and others to succeed in their careers as auto mechanics. He continued building his automotive service company through the years, successfully meeting the needs of many repeat customers. He was also able to teach auto mechanics at Lewis & Clark technical school in St. Charles, MO for three years. In recent years, he has opted to turn over management of that business to employees and pursue other interests. Among those interests are several real estate properties which he has accumulated over the years and now works to lease and maintain. Dean has been greatly involved in the alumni association for many years and is an active supporter of Ranken. He is also a member of the Alumni Leadership Council and a former President of the Ranken Alumni Association.

“My time at Ranken took me from being an 18-year-old kid who did not apply himself in high school to a man who knew that, if I would apply my God-given skills, with the proper training I could accomplish anything. I owe a lot to Larry Schmidt, who wasn’t just an instructor, but has become a friend and mentor since my graduation in 1989.”

After graduation in 1989, Larry went to work at Turks Auto Body as a collision tech and painter. After three years with Turks he went to Show-Me Auto Body, where he also worked as a collision tech and painter on collision-repair vehicles, as well as building street rods. Kelso then moved on to a position with Safeco Insurance Company as an automotive damage appraiser for two years.

His career then took him to his current employer, Azko Nobel, where he has held several positions in his 14 years of service, including Account Representative, Technical Representative, Sales Manager and his current position of Account Manager. Larry stays involved with Ranken, and currently serves on the Alumni Leadership Council.

“Every career and organizational accomplishment that I have been privileged to enjoy has been due to the outstanding training of Ranken Technical College.”

Bill Rueckert has had a career span of 40 years in his field of automotive maintenance technology, with two import automotive manufacturers/distributors: Volkswagen Mid-America, Inc. and American Suzuki Motor Corporation.  He has had 41 years of continuous membership in the Automotive Technicians Association (A.T.A.), including 12 years as president.

He has 30 years continuous A.S.E. Master Registered Technician certification.  He also participated in two Ranken Commencements, 1985 and 1986, where he delivered the commencement addresses. Bill has been both mentor and employer of four successful Ranken graduates while he was the warranty manager at Volkswagen Mid-America, Inc.