My voice isn’t often heard by our customers, my name is Connie Skaggs and I am the Technical Writer at Red Wing Software. I produce the documentation that is included with our products, including How2 documents, online Help, year-end FAQ documents, and training materials.

I have worked in the accounting software industry for over 25 years and have a degree in Computer Information Systems. Some of the positions I’ve held in that time are Customer Support Technician, Customer Support Manager, On-site Installation Specialist, Trainer, and Technical Writer.

Outside of the office, I am very involved with my two teenage daughters, Lindsey (16) and Jenna (13). They are both cheerleaders, active in band and on the high-school dance team, and Jenna tap dances competitively. Needless to say, we don’t often have a free weekend! My husband, Joel, and I both serve on the board of the Dance Team Parent Association and are very active in fundraising for the team. When the girls aren’t in school, we enjoy spending time together at our seasonal campground where we’ve all made great friends, watching our favorite hockey team, the Minnesota Wild, and most of all just hanging out as a family.

Mark Machtemes has a long history working at Red Wing Software, so if you are a Red Wing Software customer, there is a pretty good chance you have talked to Mark. During his time at Red Wing Software, Mark has worked in many different sales positions and is currently the Business Development Manager. In this position, he works with the Red Wing Software partner channel, corporate accounts and third party software companies.

Here’s what Mark has to say about his time at Red Wing Software so far! “Having worked in the software industry since the early 1980s, I’ve been involved with many challenging and exciting changes to the industry. We’ve experienced computer changes from floppy drives to hard drives, DOS to Windows® software changes, the birth of the internet, and computer capabilities that are amazing. As we look into the future, who knows the possibilities that will follow. I enjoy talking with our customers about their goals and needs, along with working with great customers. We also have an amazing group of talented staff and management that makes it a great place to work.”

Outside of work, Mark enjoys golfing, fishing, traveling with his wife Pam and spending time with the family at their lake cabin and other activities.

Dave Rozmarich is a programmer who lives in Colorado, and has been developing Red Wing Software programs for 15 years. While by day he builds and improves Red Wing Software’s products, Dave is an avid sports fan! I caught up with Dave and here’s what he had to say!

“I′ve been a Colorado Avalanche season ticket holder for 15 years. I saw Ray Bourque raise the cup in 2001, and have a picture of it framed, right above my desk. I′m also a huge Broncos fan, and even though they just lost the Super Bowl, I will always remember the day when John Elway won his first Super Bowl. I also love spending time with my two daughters, bringing them to places like amusement parks, zoos and museums. It’s just fun to see how much fun they are having.”

Dick and Marlene are names many of our long time users are familiar with. Dick has been a developer of accounting and payroll software since the origin of FMS, one of the companies that later merged with Red Wing Software. Dick and his father operated a hog farm and the first FMS agriculture accounting product was developed in the late 1970s for use on their hog farm. Computers at that time had no hard drive and worked off of removable disks that you had to keep changing to use a different portion of the program. Interest began in computerized accounting on the farm, and by 1980 they had a small group of customers using their software. The part time endeavor was run out of their home, which is when Marlene began doing support of the software. Figuring out how to help the customer became an easier choice than gathering up their four little girls to go find Dick in some barn or field. (Cell phones would have been very helpful!) In 1981, Dick’s allergies to grain dust played a factor in him going full time with the software business. They soon outgrew doing business out of their home and opened the FMS office in New Lenox, IL, with additional employees; Ken Hilton was part of that beginning.

In 1990, FMS merged with another agricultural software company out of Indiana and became FMS/Harvest. In 2000, FMS/Harvest was purchased by Red Wing Software. Dick and Marlene have remained working in Illinois for Red Wing Software. Dick manages the development team, and Marlene does technical support of CenterPoint products and Perception.

Outside of work, they have four married daughters and each has three children... well almost. They also have 11 grandchildren ages 9 to 6 months, with number 12 on the way and love being a part of their lives. Family gatherings at Grandma and Grandpa’s house are favorite times, and the kids ask all year how soon before the next family summer vacation will be so they can be together. They all manage to live in one big house together for a few days! As the grandkids get older, their different sports and activities keep them on the go! Other interests in their lives are church activities, traveling, back yard work, and friends. Dick does woodworking and there are always endless projects including a complete kitchen remodel in their home that has kept them both busy. Dick and Marlene are never at a loss for things to do, but there is always time for the grandkids!

They have met and talked with so many customers over the years, they all feel like family too. “It is great to talk with so many wonderful people. I always chuckle when someone says, “Are you the same Marlene that has always been there?”

Jada has been a part of the Red Wing Software support team for 14 years. I talked to Jada about what she does in her spare time, and here’s what she had to say!

“I enjoy spending time with my family. I have two children, a girl named Ava who is 8, and a son named Lane who is 6, and my husband is Josh. We live out in the country in Wisconsin and enjoy the great outdoors. The kids enjoy riding dirt bike on our land. This past summer, our weekends were filled with hill climbs and motor-cross events. It is so fun to watch the kids doing something they enjoy. In my spare time I enjoy playing volleyball, and have been playing for many years on a league.”