JeffWilhelm.com

Update - One Month and a Half...

It's been a long time since I have updated, and now about a month and a half until the wedding I figured I'd give a quick updated.

It's been busy getting the little details for the wedding in order -- all the big stuff has been done for a few months (vendors, date, place, etc...) of course -- and we have a ways to go. Invitations had some delays, but they should go out next week (at least we sent Save the Dates out a few months ago). We are going to start having more specific vendor meetings, going over actual elements and timelines and things like that in the run-up to the wedding. Honeymoon is all booked, and we are looking forward to that!

The wedding planning process has been long, but honestly hasn't been too unlike a number of other project plans... other than the face this is personal stuff and not business stuff, there are the same factors at play. Budgets, timelines, scope creep, vendors, partners, lots of spreadsheets and contracts, etc... sometimes I actually wish it was as easy to agree / compromise on work stuff with some people as it has been on the wedding stuff (and even the house construction stuff before that). Luckily Jill and I tend to agree on a lot of things which helps.

Anyway, planning is going well... can't believe how soon the wedding is. Time to get back to work now... :)

Interesting Email Today...

From: "Jeff Wilhelm" (jeffwilhelm@live.com)
To: "Jeff Wilhelm" (jeff@jeffwilhelm.com)
Date: 4/12/2009 8:09a EST

Dear Mr Wilhelm,

I am emailing you to enquire about the possibility of myself purchasing the www.jeffwilhelm.com domain name from yourself.

Currently my business is in the process of developing content management systems and digital rights management systems for pornographic videos and images. I would like to purchase the www.jeffwilhelm.com domain for use in conducting my business affairs.

Please be aware that the website would include links to the websites of our clients, which are pornographic in nature.

If you think you might be interested in transferring ownership of the www.jeffwilhelm.com domain name to business for a fee, please let me know and we can discuss this further. If you feel uneasy about your domain name being associated with pornography, please advise and we can see whether we can reach a mutual agreement regarding the amount of pornograhpic materials that can appear on the site.

I look forward to hearing from your in regards to this matter.

Regards,
Jeff

SmartMoney Magazine Ranks URI 15th in Nation for ROI

The January 2009 issue of SmartMoney magazine ranks the University of Rhode Island 15th in a nationwide study of public and private colleges, examining the relationship between tuition costs and graduates' earning power. In what it called a "twist on traditional college rankings," the magazine assessed schools on their ability to deliver the best return on investment and sought to quantify the long-term value of a college education.

The monthly magazine, published by The Wall Street Journal, specifically cites URI as a far better value than all the private institutions included in the survey. At 15, URI is the highest ranked institution in New England, followed by the University of Massachusetts (Amherst) at 18, the University of New Hampshire at 23, and the University of Vermont at 42. Harvard is ranked 25, Princeton at 20 and Dartmouth at 21.

In his January article, "Why the Ivies Aren't Worth it," Neil Parmar writes, "Indeed those unheralded public universities turn out to be a far better deal than virtually all the privates we surveyed. The Ivies in general? They deliver nowhere near the payback on tuition that most parents staring at a six-figure bill over four years might expect."

Working with consultant PayScale.com, the survey looked at what graduates from 50 of the most expensive four-year colleges earn in their early and midcareers. Then they factored in their up-front tuition and fees. The University of Georgia was No. 1 and would deliver a payback nearly three times that of Harvard, noted the article, while the "state universities of Delaware and Rhode Island would beat out every Ivy in the ranking."

URI Dean of Admission Cynthia Bonn said, "We've known all along that our students receive an outstanding education for a tremendous value. It's great that SmartMoney did the research that showed how well our graduates are doing, and that they are not burdened by the amount of debt that graduates of pricier schools are incurring.

"This validation by a respected national publication comes at a time when families are asking important questions about where their children will receive the best education for the most reasonable price."

Parmar writes that elite private schools do boast of lower student-to-faculty ratios, large endowments, and name recognition and extensive alumni networks.

"But if long-term career and salary are what matters -- and what else should, especially in today's economy-then a growing chorus of private school critics point out that the public-school scenario may actually deliver a far greater bang for your buck," the article says.

A portion of the article is posted online at http://www.smartmoney.com/Personal-Finance/College-Planning/The-Best-Colleges-For-Making-Money

Baby Pictures!

Zadie recently spent time scanning in hundreds of pictures and slides from the last 30 years. I grabbed a couple of the earlier pictures of me, and put them up into a few pages of album... really great having these to look at! :)

http://www.jeffwilhelm.com/?p=pictures&loadyear=Pre-1998&page=8

Quick Post

It's been awhile since the last post; things have been very busy!

We have made some progress on the wedding planning, and have finalized a date and a place. We have also picked a caterer and photographer, and are close to picking a florist. So far everything is going great, and all of Jill's research into the vendors is paying off. We love the venue we picked for the ceremony and reception, and since we're coming up on the one year mark before the wedding it's time to really start digging in.

The house is coming along well. I feel the move-in date slipping a bit, based on the progress and projected timeline for the remaining items. We have picked the paint colors, which are going up this week and next, the front door and hardwood floor stains, the granite went in (mostly), and everything is moving ahead. We decided we didn't like the mantle (not the mantle itself, just the way it looked on the stone fireplace) so that's going to be redone a bit. The faucets, sinks, and other fixtures are ready to go in, the tile wok (or tile work!) is being done next week I think, but it's coming along!

Time to go, 9a conference call...

Job Opening: Marketing Database Analyst

Position Title: Marketing Database Analyst
Member Of: Marketing Division
Location: Ft Myers, Florida

The Marketing Database Analyst is responsible for the management and quality of our marketing data warehouse and will provide expert data analysis/reporting services to business stakeholders. The scope of this position encompasses executing demand generation activities, campaign tracking efforts and ad hoc analysis for the acquisition of new customers through several channels (online and offline), retention marketing efforts, and sequencing of offers to existing customers/registered users of AccuLeads.com to increase share of wallet. This role requires hands-on experience for the timely execution of deliverables and directing/project managing internal staff (or external consultants/vendors) when required to meet critical deadlines.

Performance will be measured on the following critical competencies:
(1) Marketing Campaign List Development
(2) Marketing Analytics and Campaign Reporting
(3) Marketing Database Management and Database Hygiene

Standard Qualifications:

BA/BS in marketing, business or statistics
Minimum of 1-3 years of direct marketing experience is required. Ideal candidate will have prior experience in contact center or telemarketing operations management and the execution of customer acquisition programs, customer database administration and marketing analytics.
Maintains documentation of each database/project including, but not limited to, procedures for generating reports, maintaining data files and databases, a data dictionary and database archives or backups.
Demonstrated hands-on, detail-oriented project management experience with a high sense of accountability and integrity to drive results.
Strong business acumen, with abilities to assess business needs and charge forward with a solutions-oriented focus.
Comfortable with ambiguity and able to identify or pursue goals without close supervision in a fast-paced environment.
Demonstrated capability for managing/juggling multiple assignments and tasks simultaneously is essential.
Power user with Excel, Access, Visio and Goldmine contact management software.
Knowledge of statistical analysis including techniques for segmentation, data hygiene and data cleansing.
Act as a liaison between the Marketing department and IT when required.

Preferred Experience:

Experience working with large and complex data files which includes analyzing file structure, using/creating file layouts, and transforming raw data into reports or products.
Knowledge of call center best practices, permission-based marketing, DNC regulations, and online privacy.
Change agent with ability to influence leaders and others to adopt/embrace new initiatives and challenges.

Job Opening: Front End Developer (CSS, JavaScript, HTML)

About Us

Location Inc® is a Rhode-Island based company whose primary product is NeighborhoodScout.com®, a neighborhood search engine helping home buyers, movers, and investors find their perfect neighborhoods. In the last 12 months NeighborhoodScout has served more than 1.8 million consumers and been covered by the New York Times, U.S. News, Parade Magazine, and ABC News. The company is about to launch an all-new consumer-facing site to serve over half a million unique visitors per month.

About the Position

We are searching for an exceptional Front End Web Developer to join our team of professionals.

*If you are the best at CSS and JavaScript, we want you as part of our team.*

The successful candidate will have broad experience and a passion for creating world-class products. This person will be someone who can take a visual layout of a web application, do the cut up, and implement a solution in XHTML, CSS, and JavaScript. The candidate must be able to manipulate elements via the DOM, send and receive data using XMLHttpRequest, and have a working knowledge of one or more frameworks such as Prototype, Dojo, and YUI, and hand-code from scratch. The successful candidate will also have a working knowledge of Photoshop, and of XSL, and basic familiarity with Linux OS.

A Bachelor's degree is required and qualified individuals will possess 5+ years of front end web development experience, preferably for consumer-focused community, entertainment, or e-commerce products.

As the ideal candidate, you will have passion for and pride in your work. You will be problem-solving, proactive, and smart-thinking. If there is an issue with the spec, you will tell us before you code to it. You're the kind of person who likes conceiving of a better way to do something, but who can compromise when existing technology interferes. Demonstrated communication and collaboration skills are essential, including solid SDLC experience.

Location

This position is based at our Woonsocket, Rhode Island headquarters, just 8 miles from I-495 (Mass.), less than 20 minutes from downtown Providence.

Compensation

We want the best, and in turn we are offering highly competitive compensation, a great work environment, and a chance to be part of something truly great - all without having to drive to Boston! This is a full-time direct hire position that offers PPO health benefits, 401(k), paid vacations and holidays, and unlimited gourmet coffee!

How to Apply

If this opportunity sounds right for you, please e-mail your resume and a cover letter describing you and your previous experience. In addition, please include a sample of your best work.

Condo For Sale...

http://www.riliving.com/PropSearch/cndformdetails.asp?MLSid=841819