Who's Who at the Computing Center

Meet our new VMS systems manager

A Georgia native with deep roots in the Southeast, Jack Fortune never anticipated moving far from home. But in retrospect, his cross-country trek from Atlanta to Eugene to fill the Computing Center's VMS systems manager slot seems meant to be.

Both Jack and his wife Camilla are ardent outdoor enthusiasts. The couple, both veterans of triathalons, have cycled twice through Southern France, and they also enjoy jogging, hiking, and water sports. Eugene's proximity to biking and running trails, mountains, and waterways make it an ideal locale for the Fortune's favorite pursuits.

Jack Fortune
VMS Systems Manager
Administrative Services and Computing Facilities

In addition, Eugene's midsized, university-town environment was just what the Fortunes were looking for to raise their five-year-old son Julian.

And then there's the VMS manager job: another perfect fit. Jack, who earned an industrial engineering degree from Georgia Tech in 1984, has been working with VMS systems since his senior year in college. He comes to the Computing Center with nearly 20 years' experience in supporting large computer systems. Most recently, he worked at FedEx Trade Networks in Atlanta, where he helped oversee the company's migration from the VAX platform to Alpha and improved system performance, reliability, and availability.

The chain of events that brought Jack and his family to Eugene was serendipitous. Jack wasn't looking for another job, but a posting to a VMS group mailing list caught his eye with a reference to a VMS manager's job opening at the University of Oregon. Jack had always been intrigued by the notion of working in a university environment, where he might be able to make a behind-the-scenes contribution to furthering higher education, so he dusted off his resumé and applied.

Not too long after that, he found himself packing up, putting his house on the market (it sold in a day), saying goodbye to friends and extended family members, and heading west with Camilla and Julian.

On February 27, just four days after alighting in Eugene, Jack went to work in his new job at the Computing Center.

Jack's responsibilities at the Computing Center will be much the same as those he's had in the private sector. As a key decision maker shaping the “big picture” of university computing, he will oversee the machines that run the university's administrative programs, helping to configure and adapt them to the university's needs as technology changes and evolves. His first major project will be rolling out the Computing Center's new ABS automated backup system, which is expected to simplify backup processes and improve reliability.

Jack enjoys cycling to work every morning and now that he's had a little more time to settle in, he's getting ready to resume some recreational jogging in his spare time and perhaps even pick up his guitar again. Camilla, who's found a job as a physical therapist at Willamette Community Health Services, is looking for new adventure racing teammates so she can continue pursuing challenging multi-sport events. And Julian is more or less picking up where he left off, attending a Montessori preschool near his new home.

The Fortunes' only regret is having to leave so many family members and friends behind, but they plan to buy a house big enough to accommodate visitors in the near future.