North Country Technology Symposium
Session Abstracts
 
Session I, 9:30am – 10:30am
Track:         General
Title:           IT101
Presenter: Kevin Lynch
 
Kevin Lynch is CIO and Director of Network Services at Clarkson University. 
 
Abstract: Information Technology infrastructure is the skeleton of your organization upon which everything depends on.   We operate in a world where strategic I.T. decisions will make or break an organization. Making good decisions at the right time can be a struggle, but this session will provide some real world advice on how to weigh the options, develop a plan, be strategic in your decisions, navigate vendors, and manage the process. 
 
Session I, 9:30am – 10:30am
Track:         Healthcare
Title:           Stage 1 meaningful use qualifications for Stimulus Funding in Year 1
Presenter: Robert Peterson

Robert Peterson, PE, is Chief Technical Officer of ACR2 Solutions, Inc. , a technology leader for information security with offices in Potsdam, NY and Lilburn, GA. Mr. Peterson has three US patents, one national engineering award and a pending patent on information security technology developed in conjunction with Clarkson University.

Abstract: In February of 2009 the Stimulus Bill allocated $19 billion for clinics and hospitals that make “meaningful use” of certified Electronic Medical Record (EMR) systems. On January 13, 2010 the definition of “meaningful use” was published in the Federal Register. Of the 23 meaningful use requirements, 22 are transactional and will be handled by most certified EMR systems. The 23rd element requires assessment of system wide information security, a service that is not currently offered by any EMR vendor. Potsdam developer ACR 2 Solutions has created a software package based on DOD technology that meets the item 2 requirement for hospitals and clinics. Clinic software packages are $995, while the more extensive hospital packages start at $1995.
 
Session I, 9:30am – 10:30am
Track:         Government & Community Service
Title:           The St. Lawrence County Open GeoPortal Open Source GIS for the Big County
Presenter: Bryan R. McBride, GISP
 
Bryan McBride is a Certified GIS Professional and freelance GIS Consultant based out of New York's Tech Valley. He is originally from the Watertown area and received his degree in Environmental Planning and Resource Management from Plattsburgh State's Center for Earth and Environmental Science. He has instructed numerous GIS training courses, including Intro to Open Source GIS at Adirondack Community College, and his experience in the industry includes work on projects for the private sector, municipal government, and academia. Visit www.bryanmcbride.com for more information and to contact Bryan.
 
Abstract: This presentation will provide a complete overview of St. Lawrence County's recently developed "Open GeoPortal" mapping application. The application's functionality will be demonstrated and the system's Open Source architecture will be discussed. The session will highlight several low-cost and freely available GIS resources and datasets which are key components of the application. This session includes a mix of technical details and practical demonstrations and is suitable for all attendees.
 
Session I, 9:30am – 10:30am
Track:         Business & Industry
Title:           Can Your Customers Find Your Business Online?
Presenter: Ruby Sprowls
 
Ruby Sprowls built her expertise as a knowledgeable and experienced Search Engine Optimization (SEO) strategist, consultant and in combination with her skills as a Web Developer for more than 11 years. Mrs. Sprowls is the Director of the Northern Adirondack Trading Cooperative (NATC) and has built her expertise as a knowledgeable and experienced Internet Marketing strategist, consultant in combination with her Organizational and Business Management skills for more than twenty years.
Currently, Ruby Sprowls' concentrates her resourcefulness and skills on the diversified aspects of SEO for members of the NATC a micro enterprise development program specializing in marketing and ecommerce.
 
Abstract: Your Web site should be growing your sales 24/7, regardless of your industry or product. If you can't remember the last time your Web site provided a sales lead, then you're clearly doing something wrong.
Your first task is to make it easy for your potential customer to find you.   What can you do to generate more sales and leads online?
Outcomes
• Identify the role the website plays in marketing your business on the internet
• Examine how the parts/channels of Internet marketing Converge
• Examine the five key functions of a successful website
 
 
Session I, 9:30am – 10:30am
Track:         Agriculture
Title:           AgSquared – free farm record keeping software for small sustainable farmers
Presenter: Giulia M. Stellari
 
Jeff Froikin Gordon and Giulia M. Stellari are the creators of AgSquared and have worked on this project for nearly 3 years. They have distilled their academic knowledge of the importance of farm records, gained during their years as Ph.D. researchers, into an easy to use, graphics-based software program. They hold undergraduate degrees from Yale and Harvard and earned their Ph.D.s from Cornell’s Department of Plant Breeding and Plant Biology.
 
Abstract: Farm record keeping presents numerous challenges for small sustainable farmers with diversified growing operations. Paper farm records are easy to keep but difficult to review, and computerized farm records can be difficult to set up and adapt to a farm’s operation. At the same time, the act of collecting and reviewing accurate and complete farm records is vital to maintaining crop, field and animal health over the years. Farm records are vital for cost accounting and for strategic time management and financial planning, and contribute to the overall profitability and viability of a farm’s operation. AgSquared is a new online farm record keeping software suite that allows small farmers to record the details of their farming operations from field preparation and seed sowing to harvest and sale, while keeping track of the big picture of the farm’s profitability and sustainability. In this presentation we will introduce the audience to AgSquared and demonstrate how our free, intuitive, easy to use and highly integrated collection of online tools can improve farm record keeping practices and streamline farm management. AgSquared will be coming soon at www.agsquared.com.
 
Session II, 11:00am – 12:00pm
Track:         General
Title:           Workshop – Determining the risks to your secured information using US Federal protocols – limited to 40
Presenter: Robert Peterson
 
Robert Peterson, PE, is Chief Technical Officer of ACR2 Solutions, Inc. , a technology leader for information security with offices in Potsdam, NY and Lilburn, GA. Mr. Peterson has three US patents, one national engineering award and a pending patent on information security technology developed in conjunction with Clarkson University.
 
Abstract: Information Security is a major issue in the Internet Economy. Identity theft is rampant, 5 million medical records were breached in 2008 and several cities have paid extortion money to hackers threatening blackouts.
There is a Federal protocol that allows computer users to calculate and pinpoint their level of risk, compared to Federal standards for acceptable risk. The original protocol involves several thousand pages of complex documents. A “Turbo-Tax” style software package created to simplify the process will be demonstrated. Attendees will receive a trial copy of the software. Limited to 40.
 
Session II, 11:00am – 12:00pm
Track:         Healthcare
Title:           Patient participation in their own healthcare experience
Presenter: Phil Deleel, CHMC
 
 
Session II, 11:00am – 12:00pm
Track:         Government & Community Service
Title:           Web-based GIS: Development Authority Case Study
Presenter: Dave Cook
 
Dave is certified GIS specialist with a BS degree from Northern Michigan University and is currently pursuing a dual MS degree in Geography and Water Resources from the University of Wyoming. Dave has five years of experience as a GIS professional, working in academia as a GIS laboratory manager, and as a graduate research assistant for the Wyoming Geographic Information Science Center and the Wyoming Water Development Commission. Dave has also worked in the private sector, compiling land records GIS databases, for North America’s largest iron ore pellet producer, Cliffs Natural Resources.
 
Abstract: This case study will review the methodology and technology deployed by the Development Authority of the North Country (DANC) for their web-based GIS Internet Mapping Application (IMA). Many organizations can benefit from deployment of a GIS to map infrastructure, combine asset records into one central repository, and reduce costs associated with infrastructure management. A web-based GIS is the most efficient means to share maps and infrastructure records across an organization to end users regardless of technical expertise. In addition to internal uses, a web-based GIS can also be deployed to and used by the general public. Unlike an organization’s web page, a web-based GIS provides an interactive environment to communicate with and provide services to citizens. Attendees will gain an understanding of costs associated with deploying web-based GIS technology, design considerations, and specific applications.
 
Session II, 11:00am – 12:00pm
Track:         Business & Industry
Title:           Datacenter in a Box: An examination of the Benefits of Virtualization and Free/Open Source Software for a Medium-Sized Enterprise
Presenter: Joshua Fiske
 
Joshua holds a B.S. in Mathematics and an M.S. in Information Technology. For the past five years, he has been employed at Clarkson University as Network and Security Engineer. In this role he maintains a large virtual server infrastructure, manages a wide variety of Linux servers and is responsible for the design and maintenance of the network. He also owns an IT consulting company, webilaz.com, that caters primarily to educational and non-profit clients.
 
Abstract: A business with a handful of employees can usually “make do” with very little traditional IT infrastructure. However, as a business begins to expand its need for IT infrastructure can grow exponentially. Providing this traditional IT infrastructure using conventional methods can be very expensive. This presentation will show how it is possible to provide many standard IT services for a growing enterprise using a single piece of server hardware, off-the-shelf virtualization technology and free/open-source software. 
The real-world examples used during this presentation are achievable for most organizations of 10-500 employees with at least one professional IT staff member, while the virtualization concepts and the benefits of using free/open-source software scale-up to serve organizations with many thousands of users. 
 
Session II, 11:00am – 12:00pm
Track:         Agriculture
Title:           Cultivating the Benefits of the Web
Presenter: Matthew Turcotte
 
Matthew Turcotte of Clayton, NY, started designing websites in 2005 when he was a freshman in high school. At the age of 16, he started his own web development company, North Shore Web Development. Today, his award winning company has been involved in the development of dozens of websites and several online business ventures.
Turcotte was featured on the cover of Absolutely Business magazine in December 2009 and published a book about web development for small businesses, entitled “From Main Street to Mainstream: The Essential Steps to Launching Your Small Town Business Online.” He is 17 years old and a senior at Thousand Islands High School.
 
Abstract: The Internet has undoubtedly changed the way that we work, play, and access information. The Internet has become the norm for nearly every business in every sector. It is absolutely crucial that all businesses, even small town businesses, have a website and an effective web presence on the Internet. It's also important for business owners to realize what a web presence can do for their business and how they can use it to reach out to new customers. More and more people are using the Internet and there's no denying that it's only getting larger and is the future of obtaining information. In "Cultivating the Benefits of the Web", we'll look at how you can go about getting a website that meets yours budget, what you can do to help promote your website and draw traffic to it, and ultimately, how you can have an effective web presence for your business that will leave the Internet user wanting to do business with you.  
 
Session III, 1:30pm – 2:30pm
Track:         General
Title:           IT System Disaster Recovery and Planning at SUNY Potsdam
Presenter: Ali Shahidi
 
For the past two years, Ali Shahidi has been the director of Computing and Technology Services at SUNY Potsdam, responsible for managing server/network infrastructure, audio/video technology, computer labs, desktop support, and helpdesk services. Prior to joining SUNY Potsdam, he worked for EDS as the client delivery manager supporting the GM Powertrain account. In that capacity, he was responsible for IT operations at Massena Castings, Fredericksburg Components, and Baltimore Transmissions plants.
 
Abstract: SUNY Potsdam approach to disaster recovery starts with system and data classification. System tier classification determines system response and recovery times. Data backup, recovery, and retension decisions are made based on data classification. Data backup redundency is assured by copying data to remote and offsite locations. Test procedures are in place to validate data recovery and full system restore. These and other recommendations discussed in this presentation enables IT organizations to more effectively recover from system outages or major disasters.
 
 
Session III, 1:30pm – 2:30pm
Track:         Healthcare
Title:           Applied HIPAA Security Rule Compliance: Recent experiences of a North Country dental practice in complying with the HIPAA Security Rule
Presenter: Karl Ortmeyer
 
Karl Ortmeyer is a 2009 Clarkson School of Business graduate who has been a small business owner and member of the Potsdam Public Library Board. Ortmeyer currently works for ACR 2 Solutions, Inc. dealing with compliance issues, focusing on the HIPAA Security Rule.
 
Abstract: Compliance can be cut down to size! This presentation will outline a recent case of a dental office in Northern New York that received a full risk assessment, and was brought up to full compliance in a matter of months and exempting itself from new Federal Fines and Breach Notification Requirements. Other locations may qualify for federal stimulus dollars.
 
Session III, 1:30pm – 2:30pm
Track:         Government & Community Service
Title:           Centralized tax collection for County, 32 Towns, 13 Villages, & 18 School Districts – utilizing a Centralized data base and tax collection program.
Presenter: George Allen
 
George Allen has 18 years experience in working with tax collection databases and has developed and installed over 200 databases including databases for municipalities, school, counties, and tax collection organizations such as banks. Mr. Allen is Vice President and CEO of Allen Tunnell Corporation.
 
Abstract: St. Lawrence County Government has implemented a Centralized Tax Collection Database that contains current and prior year tax rolls that are available for public inspection via the St. Lawrence County website.   The public may view paid/unpaid information and assessment data for all municipal and school collections as well as information for tax delinquencies. This Database may be used as a pattern for other county governments.
St. Lawrence County is enhancing its system by implementing a "WebTax" process whereby tax collectors use a "browser based (Internet Exporer and the like)" application that works against a "real time" Centralized Tax Collection Database in the county offices. The advantage of this enhancement is that taxpayers and other parties that wish to access the Centralized Tax Database see collection information immediately as it is entered. The current system provides requires a "manual data upload" that may result in a lag of 24 hours or more .
This enhancement meets increased demands by the public who require instant access to the most current tax database information. Attendees to this participation will learn how to access data within the county database.
 
Session III, 1:30pm – 2:30pm
Track:         Business & Industry
Title:           Panel Discussion: Video Applications for your Business’ Website
Presenter: Cindy Bowen
 
Self taught in videography and editing, Cindy films on a SONY HTC-1000, a 3-CCD mini DV format camcorder with editing on a Windows PC. I have been filming for over 20 years and editing and producing as Obsidian Custom Video for the past 10 years.
 
Abstract: An overview of the many uses of video for business applications: safety training with site specific info for compliance with State and Federal requirements; use of video for website enhancement; use of online resources such as Youtube; use of video for product demo, orientation, speakers, symposiums, meeting documentation, procedural training; video display at business site location or trade fairs; use of demo DVDs for promotional materials; use of dropbox.com (free account) for large size file sharing or access from many locations. Attendees will receive a handout with a list of online resources for further education/development.
 
 
Session III, 1:30pm – 2:30pm
Track:         Agriculture
Title:           Managing the farm business with financial recording systems like Dairy Profit Monitor, Quick Books and others
Presenter: Kim Skellie & Jessica Prosper
 
Kim is with the Pro-Dairy Team at Cornell University working with farm business management programs including the Dairy Profit Monitor and Enterprise Analysis Projects. In addition, he works with the NY Jr. Dairy Leader Program, which gives 16-19 yr. old students an opportunity to learn more about careers in the dairy industry. Previous to Cornell, he was a dairy farmer in both ENY and the Finger Lakes for 16 years and worked in the feed industry and the agricultural lending business for a few years.
Jessica has been employed as Farm Business Management Educator with Cornell Cooperative Extension for the past four years. During this time she has worked closely with farmers in Franklin and St. Lawrence Counties to help them improve their business management skills.
 
Abstract: Learn about Dairy Profit Monitor (DPM), a web-based program designed to help farmers better manage the monthly operations of the dairy farm. Dairy farmer's largest income is milk sales, while their largest expenses are grain and labor costs. The DPM covers most operating areas of a dairy farm including milk production and quality, herd health, reproduction, youngstock performance, milk pricing, labor efficiency and feed cost and efficiency. This program allows farm owners to sign up on their own and enter data for a confidential report available immediately upon completion of data entry. This one page report will compare this month to last month and the same month last year. A quarterly report is also available, where the most recent three months are compared to the previous three months, continuing for 2 more quarters to complete the last year. In addition, the DPM can create a comparison report, allowing farmers to compare their measures to farms in the program that fit the criteria being sorted for. For example, if a farmer wanted to compare to farms of a similar size, they can sort for that size. This is a program that has enhanced discussions at farm advisory team or farm staff meetings. In addition, farmer discussion groups have used this program to compare and discuss differences between farm operations with the intentions of bettering those operations involved.
 
Attendees will also receive a brief overview of accounting software that is available for use for on-farm recordkeeping. Presenter will cover the pros and cons of using a software based system vs the traditional handwritten record keeping system that is still used on many farms today.
 
Session IV, 3:00pm – 4:00pm
Track:         General
Title:           Panel Discussion: Social Networking
Presenter: Jeff Yette
 
Jeff Yette is a Northern NY native with a background in fine art/graphic design. He has been employed at Slic Network Solutions (www.slic.com) since 1998 primarily in sales and marketing. At Slic, he is responsible for all corporate communications including press releases, advertising and the company's online presence (website, social networking, directory listings, etc.). Slic currently provides phone and high-speed Internet to over 300 businesses in Canton, Massena and Potsdam and will be expanding in Ogdensburg in the Summer of 2010.
In addition to his role at Slic, Jeff is also the sole proprietor of 44° North Promotions (www.44dn.com) which incorporates event planning, Entertainment services and web design services. He has spent the past several years studying Web Site Optimization practices as well Social Media/Networking.
Jeff is also an active member of the Potsdam Chamber IT Committee where has played a key role in a series of IT Luncheons presenting on subjects such as Website Optimization, Social Media, and Twitter 101 for Business.
 
Abstract: Facebook, Twitter, Linkdin and more. Social Networking creates a new model for branding, promoting and customer communications. Session attendees will get an overview of what the options are and how they are being employed. Learn from the real life experiences of business colleagues in the trenches. 
 
Session IV, 3:00pm – 4:00pm
Track:         Healthcare
Title:           Post HIPAA Risk Assessment - Building a Secure and Compliant HealthCare Organization
Presenter: John DiMaggio
 
John held several senior positions in large public companies including C.I.O. for NCS Healthcare and Omnicare, Sr. V.P. in Operations at NeighborCare, a key expert in Price Waterhouse's Advanced Technologies Group, and created and led the software division where he launched a successful healthcare-based SaaS solution. He is the named inventor of several patents for processes and Web applications in the healthcare market. He has been working with several North Country Businesses for the past year. John holds a M.B.A. in Finance from Katz Graduate School of Business and a B.S. in Computer Science for the University of Pittsburgh.
 
Abstract: As the stakes increase for HIPAA security rule compliance, organizations must prepare and build their organizations to comply with regulations and provide a more secure environment to serve patients and stakeholders. Post HIPAA risk assessment, navigating initial and continual compliance can be very expensive, confusing and time consuming, but it doesn’t have to be. The session will cover navigating major focus areas required to achieve and maintain compliance including: a) technical components b) policy, plan & procedure generation c) business associate compliance d) common items requiring remediation.
 
Session IV, 3:00pm – 4:00pm
Track:         Government & Community Service
Title:           Website Strategies and Opportunities
Presenter: Rick Dodge and Darcy Norfolk
Rick Dodge, President, Media Central
 
Rick Dodge has over 20 years in the mass media business and is a founding partner of Media Central LLC, an advertising agency and media production company located in Plattsburgh NY.  Rick received a bachelor’s degree from SUNY Cortland in 1987 in communications and political science.  Upon graduation he worked in television news and commercial production first at the CBS affiliate in Binghamton NY then as creative director for a cable advertising firm in Plattsburgh.   In 1990 Rick moved into print media at the Northeast Group in Plattsburgh; selling advertising in Strictly Business magazine and various tourism related products.  Rick spearheaded Northeast’s initial move into direct mail. In 1996 he left Northeast to form Dodge Marketing & Advertising, a one-person marketing consulting business. In 1996 he joined forces with Carlin Media Services to form what is now Media Central.  Media Central is a full service ad agency and media production company featuring high definition video production, its own audio studio, and in-house graphic and web design capabilities.  Media Central clients/projects in St Lawrence County include many years of video production for SUNY Canton (“That’s my SUNY Canton!”) and web design services for St Lawrence County Government, the St Lawrence County Chamber of Commerce, TJ Toyota, AAA Lumber and Loran Construction.
 
Darcy Norfolk the General Manager of Adworkshop & Inphorm. Darcy has 15 years of business and marketing experience. From 2003 to 2007 Darcy was the Public Relations Director of Inphorm. She held a position on the Lake Placid/Essex County Board of Directors prior to re-joining AdWorkshop. She has experience specifically in tourism as she has also held the role of Director of Vacation Rentals at Merrill L. Thomas, Inc. Darcy has a background of diverse marketing and business experience in marketing, strategic and competitive analysis, corporate communications, technical and creative writing, mergers and acquisitions, and business development. Throughout her career she has been involved in marketing and product development activities in industries such as hospitality & tourism, healthcare, high-tech, and retail. Darcy holds a bachelor’s degree in marketing from Canisius College and a master’s degree in business administration from Hofstra University, where she graduated magna cum laude. Darcy lives in Lake Placid with her husband, Matt and sons, Rowen and Lincoln.
 
Abstract: There is great potential for delivering better service through your community or organization’s web site. The challenge to identify the best approach can seem daunting. In a time when all institutions are looking for ways to improve efficiencies without cutting services, the web offers a new model for doing business. E-government services and applications have potential to cut costs and improve access to services and information, and the time for every organization to assess its web strategy is now. In this session, attendees will hear examples of local governments who are currently exploring ways to utilize the web to deliver content and services to residents. Through case studies and hands-on experiences, attendees will hear community examples, become aware of the opportunities that exist, learn how to avoid some of the pitfalls and consider the best practices by practitioners in the field. This session will be a fantastic opportunity for local government officials and community service representatives to get answers to their most commonly asked questions about websites and what they can do for their community.
 
Session IV, 3:00pm – 4:00pm
Track:         Business & Industry
Title:           The Evolution of Handheld/Mobile Applications
Presenter: David Kennedy
 
With over 15 years of executive management and development experience in the wireless and wireline telecommunications industry, David is well recognized as a leader that has unique abilities of deriving business value through technology and has produced impressive growth results. He has held executive positions in sales, marketing and global business management with organizations that ranged from global OEMs, (Alcatel & Motorola), small and mid-size cap manufacturers (Newbridge & Mitec) as well as a startup that is a high value systems integrator. Defined key product technical developments that allowed successful early entry into key target markets. Where he devised hardware, software and management solutions for a wide range of technologies including Broadband Access, Data+Voice/IP Switching, ATM & IP Transport, RF, Satcom and Cellular. In key leadership roles, he lead winning programs through innovative interpretations of the solution requirements. He currently leads CVL Wireless with a business and technical focus on the expanding the Mobile IT wireless solutions market.
 
Abstract: The presentation will take the audience from the early days of mobile applications to today where application convergence is driving the marketplace. The background will include the early revenue models for service providers and to how developers and investors can benefit by accessing the mobile application market. Also a description on how the handheld market has evolved from a service provider only arena to a multi-tiered networking market.
 

Session IV, 3:00pm – 4:00pm
Track:         Agriculture
Title:           Telling Your Story: Farm Marketing through Social Media (websites, Facebook & blogs)
Presenter: David Sommerstein (Moderator), Jay Matteson, Renee Smith
 
David Sommerstein is a reporter and assistant news director for North Country Public Radio.  He reports regularly on all aspects of the agriculture industry in the North Country, as well as a range of political, economic, and environmental issues in  the region.  He also incorporates blogs and social media into his regular reporting, including the popular “Inbox” blog at ncpr.org.
 
Abstract: Learn to navigate the web’s low cost (or no cost!) marketing opportunities for your agricultural business. Facebook, online directories and blogs give your customers a bird’s eye view of your products and their source. These vehicles enable a dialogue with customers like never before. Learn how fellow farmers are using this fantastic medium to build relationships and their business.
 
Closing Comments, 4:10pm – 4:30pm
Presenter: James W. Wright
 
The Honorable James W. Wright serves as the Chief Executive Officer of the Development Authority of the North Country. Prior to his service with the Development Authority, Senator Wright served 15 years in the New York State Senate, representing the 48th Senate District including St. Lawrence County. As Senator, he served as Deputy Majority Leader for Policy and as Chairman of the Senate’s Committee on Energy and Telecommunication.
 
During the Senator’s tenure as Chairman of Energy and Telecommunications, he was a key participant in the energy debate during New York’s transition to deregulation and addressing the need to increase generating capacity. He was also active in the development of New York’s renewable energy initiatives and programs.
 
In telecommunications, Senator Wright was the leading advocate for the expansion of broadband telecommunications into rural areas increasing access and connectivity. The Senator played a key role in the financing and development of the Development Authority’s Open Access Network.
 
Upon retiring from the Senate, Senator Wright spent a year serving as a consultant in the private sector. He serves on the Board of Directors for Next Century Technologies, Inc. 
 
Mr. Wright graduated from the State University at Oswego and attended the Maxwell School of Public Administration at Syracuse University. He was selected for participation in the Program for Senior Executives, Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University and the National Security Seminar, and U.S. Army War College.
 
He has been honored by Oswego University with the Lifetime Award of Merit, SUNY Jefferson College with the Jefferson Citation for Leadership and Clarkson University with the Bertrand H. Snell Award for Service to the North Country.




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