Experience

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  Freelance Writer

  • Cocoa Beach, FL

  • Writer

    • Jan 1991 - Present
    • Cocoa Beach, FL

    I have written articles on wireless communications, computer systems, law enforcement. firearms. ammunition, hand loading, shooting sports, equipment, and more, These have been published in Mobile Radio Technology, Law Enforcement Product News, Law Enforcement Technology, Street Cop, Guns, 45 Talk and more.

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  MRC

  • USA

  • Instructor

    • Feb 1989 - Present
    • USA

    I have formally been an NRA Certified Firearms Instructor for Pistol, Rifle, Shotgun, Home Firearms Safety and Personal Protection for several decades. I have been a teacher all my adult life even though I might not have had formal accreditation

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  Maroca

  • Cocoa Beach, Florida

  • Photographer

    • 1970 - Present
    • Cocoa Beach, Florida

    Event, product and portrait photography along with video production. Night images, Equestrian competition and Aerospace events are among my favorite subjects I have been shooting with Olympus photographic gear since the seventies

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  DUR-RICH REALTY

  • Cocoa Beach, Florida

  • Office Manager

    • Feb 2017 - Sep 2021
    • Cocoa Beach, Florida

    I managed the Office side of the Real Estate business, including taking care of all the physical plant needs of the facility I was involved in all hiring and firing of employees during this time frame I also conducted the orderly shutdown of the business when the Broker decided to retire at age 83.

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  Racing Planet USA

  • Deltona Florida

  • President

    • Sep 2011 - Jan 2021
    • Deltona Florida

    Founded in 2004 Racing Planet is one of the leading European Distributors of Scooter Parts. Our company has facilities in Germany, Great Britain, Poland, Sweden, Switzerland and sales all over the world. We are fully dedicated to the racing and riding enthusiast of all motorized brands. Our worldwide logistics solutions and our new North American distribution point enables us to get you the parts you need to get back on the road at record speed. We can now serve all of the Americas and Caribbean while providing you with the same level of service European customers have come to rely on and expect.

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  Missing Link Custom Knives

  • Cocoa Beach, Florida Area

  • Purveyor

    • Mar 2012 - Jul 2018
    • Cocoa Beach, Florida Area

    Bought, photographed, displayed and sold high end custom art knives

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  Scooter Superstore of America

  • Fort Lauderdale Florida

  • Director of Operations

    • Jul 2007 - Jun 2011
    • Fort Lauderdale Florida

    The Scooter Superstores of America were one of the sister companies to Southeast Publications. In 2007 we undertook the expansion of this single location business to an eventual 10 locations. The single location had been in operation since 1978 but under it's own managementDepending on the location we were authorized dealers for Vespa, Aprilia, Piaggio, Moto Guzzi, Buddy, and other brands of scooters or motorcycles In addition to scouting locations, negotiating leases and/or purchases of the premises, I also handled all of the things that are necessary for business . . . electricity, water, trash removal, etc. While I was also involved in the hiring, training and firing management for entire chain, the 7 Florida locations were my focus. I would often spend a weekend at a location updating the merchandising, helping with sponsored promotions, training recent hires and even making sales

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  Florida Highway Patrol Auxiliary

  • Florida, United States

  • Instructor / Planner / Organizer

    • May 2000 - Jun 2011
    • Florida, United States

    I was involved with the Annual Training Meetings. Pre-Planning the event, purchasing equipment, setting up class rooms, photographing and video recording the events and classes each year. As well as providing technical support to the Event StaffBeing a Certified RSO, I also worked Range Day when the FHPA would do qualifications for On-Duty handguns, Off-Duty handguns and Shot Guns. This was a whole day event at the outdoor range in Okeechobee. We brought a chow wagon on scene for those Troopers and support staff that were there for extended times Around 2002 I was tasked with developing video based alternatives to sending Troopers to the Academy for a week of testing and training. Courses were captured in HD from multiple Sony HDR-FX1 cameras (state of the art at that time). Editing was performed using Final Cut Pro (Dictated by FHP). We were on our way to having a DVD set produced when an FDLE mandated change in training invalidated most of the work already done.Participated in the Special Project that designed and prepped the 24 Mercury Marauders for the Aggressive Driving units. These vehicles were setup for low profile Patrol of the Highways but with the ability for High Speed Pursuit. The members of the units had to successfully complete advanced driving school before being assigned a vehicle. The evolution of the project ended with the vehicles all having High Performance non-standard engines and PCMs, upgraded clotted and cross drilled brakes, balanced carbon fiber racing drive shafts, cameras recording a forward view as well as the back seat simultaneously to an in-car mounted VTRIn 2005 I was tasked with designing a knife for the Patrol. These were manufactured for us by Beretta and only available to be ordered by the Academy and the FHP Store in Fort LauderdaleI also performed Video Documenting and editing for other various events through the years.

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  Southeast Publications

  • Fort Lauderdale, Florida, United States

  • Dir of Operations

    • Jan 1997 - Jun 2011
    • Fort Lauderdale, Florida, United States

    I handled many of the day to day needs of the parent company and it's various subsidiaries. Everything from simply opening the doors to negotiating contracts From writing proposals to working trade shows. From training employees to curator of the museum.

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  Metroplex Mobile Data

  • Fort Lauderdale, Florida, United States

  • Director of Law Enforcement

    • Jan 1989 - Dec 1994
    • Fort Lauderdale, Florida, United States

    With our newly patented spread spectrum data modems, we were perched on the precipice of bringing true laptop computing into the cars of Law Enforcement This was the era of expensive, large, bulky, CRT based, pre-programmed dumb terminals taking up the entire passenger seat of a patrol car. I was part of the team that developed hardware and software to allow radio linked mobile computer access to mainframes. I helped our clients IT departments modify their software and our software for the integration of the new laptops I supervised and installed systems in the stations, remote repeater sites and vehicles as well as training of the end-users. I designed our advertising campaigns and materials. I also organized our trade shows appearances

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  Lock, Stock and Barrel, Inc. dba The Gunshop and Indoor Range

  • Miami, Florida, United States

  • Associate

    • Feb 1989 - Oct 1992
    • Miami, Florida, United States

    As a part time employee in this Family Owned Gunshop I worked as a Salesman, Range Officer, Instructor and filled in doing many tasks when our Gunsmith was not on premises. We offered the standard Firearms Safety Classes, One on One coaching and Florida "G" License certification We also had several Shooting Leagues that utilized one of the two indoor ranges on the property

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  Dade County Youth Fair and Exposition

  • Miami, Florida, United States

  • Evaluation Committee & Safety Committee

    • 1988 - 1990
    • Miami, Florida, United States

    I participated with The Fair as a unpaid Volunteer. We had monthly meetings year round and we were onsite at the The Fair for at least 50% of the time it was open in addition to several days prior and after the event.

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  American Express

  • Fort Lauderdale, Florida, United States

  • Programmer/Analyst

    • Mar 1980 - Jan 1989
    • Fort Lauderdale, Florida, United States

    I originally began working at AMEX to pay my bills while I was working on an Electrical Engineering degree. I was quickly promoted out of an entry-level posting to a senior position. In this role, I made changes to the Bell & Howell software that ran our equipment and then trained all four shifts on the new procedures. This caused our department to meet it's cost savings goal for the first time since the department was established. Due to this and various other projects in my area, I won Amex's "Award of Excellence" the first year it was offered. I also won the award the following year. As a result of all this, AMEX put me into a two-year enhanced training curriculum designed to turn me into a corporate programmer in as short a time as possible At the completion of my Programmer Training, I was assigned to the A/R Billing Systems group. We were mainly responsible for our systems in the United States, Canada, Central and South AmericaIn addition to my daily duties, I also worked on several special projects. I was part of the team that brought about Enhanced Country Club Billing. I was also assigned to the team that wrote the A/R Billing system for the (then) soon to be released Centurian Card. Due to our competitors trying to keep AMEX out of the revolving charge business as we were setting up our system, Master Card and Visa had their contacts in Congres starting work on forbidding Non-Bank Banks from being in the revolving charge business, There was a clause in the proposed legislation grandfathering in anyone already in the business. I had less than two months to develop a small stand-alone billing system. We issued 120 Centurian cards to AMEX executives around the country. By the time the legislation came to a vote, we had already sent out our first month's bills to our small cardholder base. The Congressional bill never passed, but if it had, we were "Already in the business"

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  GOLD TRIANGLE

  • North Miami Beach, FL

  • Manager

    • 1977 - 1981
    • North Miami Beach, FL

    I began working at the Hialeah store part-time, but I soon moved into an Assistant Managers' slot in Fort Lauderdale. My responsibilities covered the Stereo and Radio departments. Not too long after that, a Manager position opened up in the North Miami Beach store. The Executive Vice President of the chain was concerned about offering it to me because of my young age, but I was given the promotion which at the time made me the youngest Manager in Federated Department Stores history. I managed three departments, Stereos, Radios and Records. I boosted sales in all three of my departments and met the Stereo Department's minimum goal for the first time in many years. The departments continued to flourishunder my watch

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  Peters Camera Warehouse

  • Deerfield, IL

  • Salesman

    • 1970 - 1976
    • Deerfield, IL

    Even though I was very young when this Family owned business was opened, I always helped out when I was there. Over the years, I handled receiving, shipping storeroom stock and other tasks until I got older when I started doing sales. I eventually got into merchandising, running promotions and even helped to teach when our store did seminars.