Behind the Scenes with Gaylene Laimbeer

Can you describe what your role is at SVA Software, Inc. and what it entails? 

Gaylene Laimbeer: I am a member of the zOptimization Services Team. We help Mainframe customers to gain insight into their Mainframes and advise them on how to get their Mainframes to run optimally. We do this by analyzing the SMF data the customer sends us and use SVA’s zWorkload Reporter Solution.

What's the most exciting project you've worked on as a Senior Technical Solutions Consultant for Mainframe?

Gaylene Laimbeer:  Wow! That’s a hard one because every new  customer’s data is like opening a Christmas present.

It’s fun discovering their workloads, the number of LPARs and their usage patterns.

However, I have to say that I’ve enjoyed working with SVA Development on the new CICS feature in zWR and giving them input for the reports.

We've heard you have lots of different animals. Would you introduce them to us?

Gaylene Laimbeer:  We have two dogs (Ace, a Jack Russell and Fern, a Foxhound),

three Tuxedo Cats (Teddy, Fauci and BoBo),

two Horses (Rusty and Rebel),

nine Nigerian Dwarf Goats (Ramblin Rose, Flashy Sassy, Sugar Magnolia, Zoro, Stella Blue, Scarlet Begonias, China Cat Sunflower, Dusty and Lady Godiva),

two Rabbits (Party Girl and Flossy),

And 15 Chickens.

What was the scariest thing you've ever done? 

Gaylene Laimbeer: This was many years ago when I was much younger. My husband and I went Backpacking across Mount Katahdin in Maine. It was a three-day trip, and the last leg was across what is called the Knife Edge.

The weather became treacherous with fog, wind gusts and hail. The wind was so strong that it picked me up, so I had to crawl to keep going forward. There was a sheer drop off the narrow trail. It was stupid, but we made it.

What’s your hobby outside of SVA Software, Inc.?

Gaylene Laimbeer: Well, with all the animals you may have guessed that we have a small farm which is in the foothills of the Blueridge mountains. Helping my husband with the animals keeps me busy.

I also try to paint with oils. I mainly do animals, still life, and portraits. But its not as often as I like.

And like many, I love to travel. I can’t wait to go back to Europe. Especially, to Germany!