You have probably seen his monthly article in the magazine, giving an insiders view on Windows NT and related topics. If you look through the SIG listing in the PC Alamode or on the web site you will discover that Larry leads 3(!) different SIGs for the organization.

When he was an undergraduate at UT Austin (BBA in 1964), Larry taught himself to program in Fortran. Later on he worked with Machine Language, Cobol and UNIX. By this time he decided to make his career in the computer field so he went back to school for a second BBA in Business Data Systems.

Eventually Larry went to work for EDS (Electronic Data Systems — ever heard of Ross Perot?). Larry kept his learning rate constant, and eventually became certified as MCSE + Internet (Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer + Internet), a certification not held by many in the USA; only about 8000 hold the MCSE with the added Internet certification. Larry's eighteen-year-old son is also now certified as an MCSE (which he accomplished at age seventeen!).

Now Larry has established his own business, Lentz Computer Services, whose primary purpose is to help small businesses set up and troubleshoot NT networking systems. He specializes in the Microsoft BackOffice Small Business Server system. If you read the articles Larry writes for the PC Alamode, you will learn about some of the problems he runs into with NT servers, and the solutions he encounters for those problems. He's also an avid fan of the Palm Pilot, which he says is an extremely helpful tool.

I also asked Larry about his affiliation with Alamo PC — how long and in what capacity. He joined in 1987, but was not very active until 1989-90. Be became the Program Chairman for Alamo PC in 1991-92, First VP the next year and President in 1993-94. During those years Alamo PC membership doubled. He later served on the Board of Directors for five years. He remembers being one of the first to go to the COMDEX Exhibition and Conference representing Alamo PC, along with John Gaddis.

Larry says he leads the three SIGs — Windows NT, MCSE Advanced and Goldmine — because he likes to learn and likes to help others learn. He considers the learning process as central to why Alamo PC exists.

So to summarize Larry Lentz: a personable, technically skilled, highly trained, certified computer professional who is quite willing to give major amounts of time and effort so that others can also learn more about computers and networking.