Jeff Barczewski
Jeff Barczewski is a partner of Inspired Horizons, a software architect, developer, and trainer with 21 yrs of professional experience providing solutions for large and small companies utilizing the latest OO and web development technologies available (including Ruby, Rails, Java, ASP, C++). Having developed with a large variety of web frameworks, Jeff passionately shares his experiences with others to help illuminate why he feels Ruby on Rails is the best way to develop web applications today. Jeff will show you the tips and the tricks to get maximum productivity out of Rails and to avoid the traps that waste time.
Here is Jeff's Speaking Schedule
Over the last 21 years, Jeff has worked with the US Air Force, RGA, Stanford Credit Union, Systems Service Enterprises, Emerson, WebMD, Genelco, Navisys, Monsanto, Maritz, the Todd Group, any many others. He started his own company in 1997 which developed web applications with dynamic personalization. Then for the past three years, Jeff has worked with RGA as a systems architect designing advanced solutions for their Aura Tele-underwriting web application.
Jeff has been a long time frequent speaker and presenter at user groups having taught web development techniques to the RCGA, DMA, St. Louis Ruby User Group, St. Louis Web Developer and Designers group, St. Louis Linux User Group, St. Louis Internet group and at the 2006 St. Louis Code camp. Jeff loves sharing ideas and technologies that he is passionate about, and in that regard is a co-trainer for Inspired Horizons Ruby on Rails training workshop.
A few years ago, Jeff founded the open source MasterView template engine project, a project that brings WYSIWYG editing to Ruby on Rails while still maintaining full productivity of ERB. Jeff and Deb Lewis are the core MasterView project developers. Jeff was a board member of the St. Louis Web Developer and Designers group for 8 years and is a member of the steering committee for the St. Louis Ruby User Group.
Now in this most recent venture, Jeff is a partner of Inspired Horizons, a company focused on producing the highest quality Ruby on Rails training and consulting available today. Coming from a broad background of unix, C++, Macintosh, Microsoft technologies, and Java (for the last 7 years), Jeff has found Ruby on Rails to be simply the best and most enjoyable web framework he has ever worked with, bar none. It is simple but yet very powerful and full featured. It streamlines the common tasks and raises productivity to new levels. After working with Rails for going on two years, Jeff and Mike Sullivan, his partner, were moved to share this wonderful new technology with others resulting in the formation of Inspired Horizons.
Coming from most recently an enterprise Java industry, Jeff understands the challenges companies deal with when using and adopting new technologies. Companies want to work smarter, faster, and be more productive, but they can't just rewrite their legacy code base overnight. The addition of JRuby as a deployment option for Rails brings a powerful proposal to the table. It allows you to take advantage of the highly productive Rails framework and still leverage your existing Java codebase and infrastructure. After a Gateway JUG meeting where Mike and Jeff got to meet Charles Nutter, the lead developer at Sun for JRuby, they realized that adding JRuby to the Rails mix would open up new possibilities for enterprise shops everywhere.
Their first offering from Inspired Horizons is a three day Ruby on Rails interactive training workshop which also covers enterprise Java deployment options and capabililities utilizing JRuby. This comprehensive course lays down a solid foundation of Ruby on Rails while adding some advanced concepts. The course is customized based on the needs and desires of each class of students and offers knowledge, techniques, and secrets of developing with Rails learned first hand in the trenches.
Jeff is blessed to be happily married to a loving wife, Mary Jo, and with a beautiful daughter, Laura. He enjoys skiing in the Rockies and vacationing in Disney World. In his spare time he volunteers his skills to various ministries like Genesis Ministry, to help them spread the word of God. Jeff is a devout Catholic and member of St. Joseph's parish in Manchester, MO. He donates a portion of all proceeds to Genesis Ministry and other charities.