MEET THE PROGRAMMER

Jim’s career includes 34 years as a NASA contractor, employed by RCA, General Electric, ATC, Intergraph Corp., New Technology, and Lockheed/Martin.  He worked through the ranks from technician to instructor. to quality control inspector, to engineer, to senior engineer, to computer systems manager.

 

Along the way he earned his Bachelor of Science degree at Athens State University, Athens, Alabama

 

After leaving NASA, he taught computer applications at a local community college, and began writing special purpose software programs. The demand for his legal software prompted the formation of Upton Software.

Jim is an avid biker, triathlete, kayaker, and runner, with several state roadracing records to his credit.  He enjoys photography, backpacking, trail running and mountain biking.

 

Career Highlights:

      Instructor in the Army Ordinance Guided Missle School.

      Computer repair specialist during Apollo missions, including Apollo 13

      Computer technician on Launch Control Computer during Skylab mission.

      Instrumentation Technician for explosive testing, NASA’s Stennis Space Center

      Worked space shuttle missions STS-1 through STS-100.. Marshall Space Flight Center

      Designed and built computerized devices for receiving and decoding  Space Shuttle Main                  Engine data

      Redesigned these devices to do special analysis on data from the ill-fated Challenger space                  shuttle

      As a Systems Manager, configured and programmed user computers for NASA’s                  Operations Support Center

 

 

 

Jim’s legal software for District Attorneys manages thousands of felonies cases.  One site alone has over 12,000 cases spanning 15 years. 

 

His Restitution and Worthless Checks programs manage millions of dollars in payments, flawlessly disbursing the payments to the proper authorities, and keeping record of every transaction.

 

Little Darlings labeler keeps a database of children in churches and daycare, and prints nametags for the child and the parent, so there is no mixup.

 

His Child Support Docket program keeps track of child support cases and prepares court dockets.