Volunteer of the Month
Volunteer of the Month
June 1998
Ernie Roney
by Liz Skipper

Alamo PC Organization: HOME > About Us > Awards > Volunteers Of The Month
 
 
One thing I forgot to ask Ernie Roney during our interview was whether he ever talked to the animals during the 28 years that he was an employee of the San Antonio Zoo. I did learn though that, as Assistant Zoo Director, he had to account for all of his furred, finned, feathered, etc. population. Sort of a modern-day Noah who, about 1981, began to think there might be a better way to keep track of his critters, their rations, their daily appreciative fans and what those patrons purchased at the zoo's concession stands, far more than his forebear in that old ark had to contend with!

As others in similar circumstances experienced, there was apprehension — and some resistance really — to Ernie’s suggestion that computerization of many of the zoo's tasks would free up employee time, reduce tedium and increase accuracy. But Ernie had done his homework; a consultant brought in by the governing Board concurred with Ernie’s recommendations. Ernie got his computers and started building his databases.

Even though he's now retired from the zoo, he's been at it ever since. An avid birder and member of the San Antonio Audobon Society, Ernie has recorded the Birds of Bexar County (Interested birders can find this publication in the gift shop of the San Antonio Botanical Center and the Big Red Nature Store). He is also a member of the Mitchell Lake Wetlands Society and has computerized records associated with that ecological endeavor.

As member #295, Ernie joined Alamo PC in the mid 80s, after spotting a flyer in Computer World. He sort of ‘inherited’ the Lotus 1-2-3 SIG some time back and continues as its chair on the second Friday of each month. In addition, from 2:00 to 4:00 pm the first four Fridays of each month, Ernie chairs the Computer Literacy SIG, with SIG assistant Ed Shadrock. The first rotation was such an overwhelming success that Ernie and Ed responded to the clamor for “more!, more!” by adding a sort of 'advanced beginners’ computer literacy SIG which meets for four sessions from 4:00 to 6:00 pm on — you guessed it — Fridays! “This is still in a state of flux,” Ernie says, “with a lot of diverse questions depending on the particular needs of the attendees. We'll probably change the title to something like ‘Tips and Tricks’ after we've been in business for a while longer and can see what most people want and can use as a prequel to any specific operating system.”

Ernie looks forward to soon upgrading his personal desktop system from his still-regularly-in-use Compaq 8088 and dot matrix printer. Something like a 400 MHz system capable of stunning graphics and advanced telecommunications. Noah would be envious.