Vale Gerry Maynard (5.2.1926 - 5.11.2008)

Stephen Withers
Thursday, 06 November 2008 07:58

IT People - People

It is with deep regret that we record the passing of Gerry Maynard FACS HLM AM writes the Victorian Branch of the Australian Computer Society.

"Gerrald Byrne Maynard was born in Nhill on 5 February 1926. His career started in 1942 with the Postmaster General's department as a telegraph messenger, postal clerk and senior postal clerk. By the mid 1950's as a Postal Inspector, Gerry had developed expertise in Organisation and Methods and work study, which was a precursor to what is now known as Business Process Improvement. During the late 1960's as a Senior Inspector, Management Services Division, Gerry provided senior consulting advice to Commonwealth Public Service departments on the emerging and rapidly expanding field of Automatic Data Processing (ADP).
 
"Gerry played a key role in lecturing in the Programmer in Training course which was established by the Commonwealth Public Service Board to overcome a critical shortage of skilled IT professionals that existed during the 1960's. At this time Gerry became an active Member of the newly formed Australian Computer Society.
 
"In 1970, after almost ten years lecturing on a sessional basis to part time students at the Caulfield Technical College and Institute of Technology, Gerry accepted a full time appointment as a senior lecturer in the Department of Electronic Data Processing (EDP) at the Institute (CIT), and soon became instrumental in negotiating the transfer of the Commonwealth Public Service Board's Programmer in Training program to the Caulfield Institute of Technology in 1971. He later led the upgrading of this course to become the Graduate Diploma in Data Processing, which is now known as the Monash Graduate Diploma of Computing.
 
"Gerry played a leading role in introducing one of the first degree courses offered by the Caulfield Institute of Technology, the Bachelor Applied Science (EDP), at the Caulfield Institute of Technology. Introduced in 1972 this degree was the forerunner of Monash University's Bachelor of Computing. In the early 1980's Gerry pioneered the development and introduction of the Graduate Diploma in Information Technology, which was the first postgraduate diploma (year 4) level course offered by the EDP department. This course later formed part of the Master of Information Technology which is still offered by the Monash University Faculty of Information Technology. In 1976 Gerry pioneered the establishment of the Pearcey Bureau, which later became the Pearcey Centre for Computing, offering IT short courses to industry, government and commerce as well as the general community. This Centre was very successful in providing relevant and up-to-date IT short courses returning revenues in excess of $1m per annum. The Pearcey Centre also helped establish and maintain a strong relationship between industry and the EDP department of the Caulfield Institute of Technology. The Pearcey Centre of Computing was the forerunner of the company recently established by the Faculty of Information Technology, Monash IT Pty. Ltd.
 
"During his time at the Caulfield Institute of Technology and Chisholm Institute of Technology, Gerry established and lectured many new units in information systems at the undergraduate and postgraduate level. He held a variety of senior appointments including Head of EDP Department (1980-1983), Acting Dean, School of Computing and Information Systems for various periods between 1980 and 1983, Associate Director Planning and Resources (1984-1985), Acting Director of Chisholm Institute of Technology (1985-1987), Member of Academic Board (1985-1987) and Member of Council (1985-1987).
 
"Following his retirement in 1987, the then Minister of Education asked Gerry to head a review of the Victorian TAFE system and oversee the amalgamation that resulted in the establishment of the Northern Melbourne Institute of TAFE. He continued to hold strategic positions within the Ministry of Education for several years.
 
"As well as undertaking a pioneering role in IT education within the Commonwealth Public Service, the Caulfield Institute of Technology and the Chisholm Institute of Technology, Gerry has played an active leadership role in the development of Australian IT profession for over three decades through his outstanding contribution to the development of the Australian Computer Society.
 
"The Society recognised that Gerry had made a distinguished contribution to the field of information technology in Australia by admitting him to the Grade of Fellow in 1993. His exceptional contribution to the Australian Computer Society itself was recognised when he was made an Honorary Life Member of the Australian Computer Society in 1999 joining only 33 other Honorary Life Members of the Society. Honorary Life membership is awarded only to ACS members that have made an exceptional contribution to the Society that results in the ACS being substantially, demonstrably and positively changed by that contribution.
 
"Gerry Maynard spent ten years as Director of the ACS Membership Board. He was Chair of the Victorian Branch of the ACS, Chair of the Victorian Branch Fellows’ Committee, a member of the ACS National Council for fifteen years, Chair of the ACS Course Accreditation Committee for twelve years and Chair and Convenor of the ACS towards 2000 Task Force (1994-2000). His most significant achievements in these roles include conceiving and implementing a major restructure of the Australian Computer Society, the development of the ACS Core Body of Knowledge and Certification scheme and ultimately, the acceptance of the Society into the Australian Council of Professions. Other major achievements under Gerry's leadership include establishing the ACS Professional Development Board, the introduction of the Practising Computer Professional (PCP) program and the development of the ACS Examinations. Gerry led the establishment of alliances with other professional associations such as the Institution of Engineers Australia which paved the way for IE Aust and ACS accreditation of Australian software engineering degrees such as Monash's Bachelor of Software Engineering. Gerry was also a significant contributor to the success of SEARCC over many years.
 
"On 13 July, 2005, Gerry was made a Member of the Order of Australia for service to the Information Technology industry and to education, particularly through the establishment of professional standards and accredited courses of study in vocational training institutions.
 
"Gerry will be sadly missed by his many friends and colleagues.
 
"Our deepest sympathies go out to Lois, Gerry’s wife of 60 years and to his family."

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