IBM Data Champion Program

Walt Hultgren has over two decades of experience with Informix products, and has been active in Informix user advocacy for most of that time. In early 1991, he created the Informix e-mail list informix-list, with a gateway to filter Informix-related messages between the list and the Usenet newsgroup comp.databases.

The success of informix-list and the growing traffic on comp.databases indicated that a separate newsgroup was needed for Informix topics. In late 1991, Walt authored the charter and conducted the vote to create comp.databases.informix, the first subgroup of comp.databases.

After online discussions and meetings at annual conferences, the International Informix Users Group (IIUG) was formally created in 1995 with Walt as its first President. He followed his term as President with another year on the IIUG Board of Directors.

Walt has continued to be active in local and international Informix user activities, helping to organize various Informix, IBM and IIUG conferences and other user events. In 2001, he was presented with the inaugural IIUG Director's Award for Distinguished Service to the Informix Community. He is currently serving as President of the Southeast Informix Users Group based in Atlanta, Georgia, USA.

Walt holds the position of Research Informatics Analyst at the Yerkes National Primate Research Center of Emory University in Atlanta, where he specializes in information system analysis and design, application and database development, and Unix scripting and administration.

Company
Yerkes National Primate Research Center of Emory University
Atlanta, Georgia, USA

Expertise
Information system analysis and design, application and database development, Unix scripting and administration.
Various programming languages

User Groups/Professional Associations
Founding President and Board Member, International Informix Users Group (IIUG).
President, Southeast (US) Informix Users Group.

Conferences
Speaker or Planning Committee member at various Informix, IBM and IIUG conferences.

Additional Information
Created e-mail list informix-list, now based at iiug.org.
Authored the Charter and conducted the vote to create the Usenet newsgroup comp.databases.informix.