David Bickford - Chief Technology Officer

Places I have lived, and companies I have worked for:

I entered the corporate world in Texas with Northern Telecom, then spent some time in IT consulting – followed by a fun time as Director of IT in the Cellular Industry in Colorado and Director of Operations for a large telecom software developer. My return to Texas led me through the whole "VMX/Octel/AT&T/Lucent/Avaya" merger – and my ultimate connection with The Via Group.

Personal Information:

Born and raised in West Texas, a Texas Tech graduate, married with two wonderful children – one in college (Texas Tech) and the other in high school in Plano.

What was your first job?

Technically, I guess mowing yards was my first paid gig – but my first entrepreneurial venture was as a DJ (complete with sound system and lights) for parties.

I have the following pet(s):

Two dogs – Camille, a Norfolk Terrier and Sophie, a Maltese.

My hobbies and passions are:

Wine collecting and consuming, great times with family and friends, home life, travel, music, and cooking.

Charities, causes, or institutions I currently do or plan to support in the future:

American Heart Association (Cotes du Coeur) and Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.

Functional / Technical Skills:

Strategic Business Planning and Analysis, Data Analysis, Consulting, Microsoft Certifications, Networking (Human and Data)

Three things that many people don't know about me:

I am a licensed mixologist, a (bit rusty) jazz musician, and a fantastic artist with wood (cabinetry).

My personal mantra, favorite saying, quote, or expression is...

Excellence is the result of caring more than others think is wise, risking more than others think is safe, dreaming more than others think is practical, and expecting more than others think is possible.