Jon Kern

Since June 2004, Jon Kern works with OptimalJ at Compuware.

Prior to that, he was an independent consultant, specializing in helping software-development teams work more effectively and have fun doing what they do. Formerly, he worked at TogetherSoft[1], where he served as a VP and Director in both R&D and in Professional Services, and was instrumental in shaping many of Together Control Center's features over the years. Jon Kern was also the Editor of The Coad Letter[2]: Adaptive-process Edition. Jon actively participated in the gathering that led to the Agile Manifesto; and he was a 'founding' Board Member of the non-profit group, Agile Alliance[3].

Kern was an early adopter of object-oriented programming (C++ in the late 80s/early 90s) and the Coad Methodology. In 1994, Kern purchased Together/C++ for $1200 (of his own money!) and has been involved with Peter Coad and Together ever since (as of January 2000 as an official employee :=). Kern is also a co-author on Java Design 2ed with Peter Coad, and worked extensively on the Java Modeling in Color with UML book. Kern hopes to one day finish writing a book on Distributed Java Design and a book on using Together on a modern development project.

Prior to joining TogetherSoft[1], Kern was the President of LightshipInc?[4] (he founded it in 1995), a software development firm dedicated to providing advanced, object-oriented, multi-tier solutions using best-practice software development methodologies. From 1995 to 1998 (while at Lightship), Mr. Kern was the chief architect and object modeler for developing the next generation of IBM's commercial Manufacturing Execution Software system. This was a thin client, distributed system, multiple database vendor support, 2.3M LOC of C++, hundreds of PD classes, built our own object-to-RDBMS mapping persistent layer.

In addition to discrete manufacturing experience, Kern has lots of varied projects in numerous domains, having worked on dozens of object models. Domains like: medical, insurance, telecom, product configurators, broking systems, advanced product catalogs, etc. Various technologies: distributed, C++, Java, ER modeling, RMI, serial comm, MFC, client-server, embedded, etc. Kern subcontracted to Object International as a Coad-Certified Mentor starting in June 1998, providing object modeling and Java workshops and mentoring.

Before Lightship, Kern worked in a DoD consulting firm (86-95) doing things like: real-time, hardware-in-the-loop flight simulation; reconfigurable simulators; adv. crew system research (cockpit systems, helmet systems, G-induced loss of consciousness). After graduating from Ohio State with a BS in Aero Engineering (1981), Kern was a Project Engineer (81-86) primarily responsible for advanced R&D testing of Cruise Missile jet engines in altitude test chambers. He began writing data acquisition code, real-time calculations (thrust, airflow, etc.). Kern then moved more into writing FORTRAN for aerothermodynamic performance analysis. Software quickly became an unstoppable passion.

Reach Jon at mailto:first.last@compuware.com (July 17, 2003)

or possibly mailto:firstlast(nospaces)[the usual]comcast[u know what]net

CategoryHomePage