As chairman and CEO of AdvancePath, John maintains overall responsibility for AdvancePath’s strategic and financial objectives.

Prior to joining AdvancePath, John was Chairman, President and CEO of PLATO Learning, Inc. (NASDAQ: TUTR) where he had a successful 18 year career. Under John’s leadership, PLATO became the largest, publicly traded, educational software provider in the world serving the needs of both mainstream and alternative education. Under John’s leadership, PLATO’s revenues grew from $33 to $142 million in 7 years, its balance sheet was significantly strengthened, and it became recognized by educators, policy makers, and politicians as an industry leader and change agent.

Prior to assuming the duties of PLATO’s Chairman and CEO, John held numerous other positions at PLATO - including President & Chief Operating Officer, Executive Vice President & Chief Financial Officer, Senior Vice President of Operations and Vice President of Product Development. John started his career at PLATO by launching the military and aerospace training division in the UK.

Prior to his career in business, John spent 16 years in the British Army’s Signal Corp after leaving high school at age 15. John was recognized in the Queens 1985 Birthday Honors list for his outstanding contribution to Army training. John, who is passionate about improving life opportunities for at risk and drop out students, is Chairman of the National Dropout Prevention Network (NDPN), the largest organization in the US focused on the Nation’s dropout problem.

On August 7th, John will be speaking to our group about how Computer Based Training (CBT) and the use of distance learning/internet technologies have helped provide equity to all K-12 students and not just those who remain part of mainstream education. Specifically, John will share how PLATO conceived in the sixties by the University of Illinois, and initially commercialized by Control Data Corporation (CDC), helped spawn a multi-billion dollar industry.

Please plan on joining us and please bring a friend.

An increase in cost for Guest dinners will be determined at a later date.

The huge amount of data stored on computers at home and in businesses, combined with the need to protect the files from disaster, has resulted in the need for backup mass data storage. Often when backups are full of copies of a network with increments of file changes, the backup is even larger than the originals. Because the data needs vary greatly, so do the backup mass data storage devices that meet them.

All Shapes and Sizes Large businesses often store backups on tape devices. Sometimes the entire network is copied at regular intervals and the tapes are stored and then reused. Sometimes the network is copied, and then supplemented with taped copies of only the changes made since the last copy was completed. The copies have to be made at times when the network is not being used, and the tapes have to be stored carefully and replaced before they become worn. Other backup mass data storage devices use discs such as CD’s or DVD’s. The procedure is similar to that used with tapes. Because tape reels can hold more data, the discs have to be changed manually as they become full. Compression is used to fit more data on each device. For individual files, or those on a home computer, a zip drive may be sufficient to compress the data for storage. USB devices often serve as backup mass data storage devices. External hard drives can backup all of the programs on a computer hard drive with or without the data files. It acts as a mirror of the existing hard drive and can restore a damaged computer easily. Flash memory devices are good options for both permanent storage and portable storage. The USB Implementers Forum has come up with a standardized set of communications protocols for backup mass data storage using USB. This ensures that all devices whether for external storage, digital cameras or cell phones will work with the USB port on a computer regardless of the manufacturer. This includes the operating systems of most computers. The need for backup mass data storage devices began with large businesses like banks and stock exchanges, and has now filtered down to small businesses and home computers. The important thing to keep in mind is to make sure that otherwise irreplaceable files are backed up for protection. Whether the files consist of credit card numbers for thousands of customers or the first photos of someone’s grandchild, backup mass data storage devices can be lifesavers.