In this month's spotlight we are delighted to feature Jerry Spencer, for whom becoming an IBM Champion is still a new experience, but it already feels meaningful.
Jerry is a Senior Software Engineer at Precisely and has been an IBM Champion for two months. Even in that short time, the recognition has opened up a lot of possibilities for him. Most of all, it gives him another way to share what he has learned throughout his career and help others grow in the IBM Z community.
When asked about his favorite IBM product, Jerry’s answer comes naturally: IBM Z. He describes his relationship with the platform with a bit of humor and perspective, saying he has “looked at Z from both sides now.” He began his career as a developer and later became a Systems Programmer, giving him experience from both the application side and the deeper system side. That combination has shaped not only how he understands the platform, but also how he explains it to others.
Teaching is the type of advocacy Jerry enjoys most. For him, the best moments come when he can help someone understand something that previously felt unclear. That “light bulb” moment is what keeps him engaged and motivated to give back. That motivation also comes from his own early career experience. When Jerry was starting out, support was not always easy to find. He describes it as a true “sink or swim” environment, where new people were expected to figure things out with very little guidance. Jerry believes there is a better way, and that belief has stayed with him.
One accomplishment he is especially proud of is close to home. After a lot of encouragement, or as Jerry puts it, “badgering,” he has persuaded his daughter to seriously consider the mainframe as a career path. For someone who has spent so much of his own life in this field, seeing the next generation become interested in IBM Z is a special kind of success.
His advice to someone beginning a mainframe career is simple and thoughtful: do not be afraid to ask questions. He also encourages new professionals to watch carefully when someone demonstrates an answer. Often, the real learning is not only in the answer itself, but in the habits, shortcuts and techniques that experienced people use without even realizing it.
And if Jerry was not working in technology? That is a hard question for him to answer, because this work has truly been his dream job. After so many years in the field, he cannot really imagine doing anything else.
Jerry recently attended SHARE Orlando, an event that stood out to him not only for the technical content, but also for the community. He shared that, for the first time, he really came out of his shell and enjoyed interacting with people, connecting with others and feeling like part of something bigger. As for what he is looking forward to at IBM TechXchange, Jerry has one answer: learning more about Bob. A fitting answer from someone who is still curious, still learning and still finding new ways to share that curiosity with the IBM Z community.
Lightning round:
• What would be your superpower and why? Stubbornness. I have an extremely difficult time giving up and telling the system that it has won!
• Bucket list trip? An around the world cruise
• Ice cream or cake? Cake
• Cats or dogs? Dogs
• Summer or winter? Summer
• Morning or evening? Morning
• eBook or paper book? eBook
• TV shows or movies? Movies
• A night out or a night in? A night in
• Cannonball into the pool or dip a toe in first? Dip a toe in first
• Go-to karaoke song? Ain't no woman like the one I've got
• Drive or fly? Fly
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