by Influential Mainframer | Apr 2, 2026 | Influential Mainframers 2026, Innovation, Leadership
Geoffrey Decker Instructor, Northern Illinois UniversityCo-Founder and Lead Instructor, Eli Madison Memorial Apprenticeships (EMMA) DeKalb, Illinois, USA This piece is part of the 2026 Planet Mainframe Influential Mainframers series. The Maestro of the Mainframe...
by Influential Mainframer | Apr 25, 2025 | influential-mainframers
Today, we introduce someone whose mission includes music, mainframes, and mentorship. Geoffrey Decker Co-Founder and Instructor, Eli Madison Memorial Apprenticeship (EMMA)Instructor, Northern Illinois University, Dept. of Computer Science Chicago, Illinois, USA...
by Communications | May 15, 2024
This month, Planet Mainframe celebrates influential mainframers nominated by the community. The field benefits from their efforts in making the mainframe what it is today and working towards the mainframe of tomorrow. Today we are featuring an educator and mentor who...
by Amanda Hendley | Aug 26, 2026 | Training, Video, Workforce Training
Mainframe organizations are investing in modernization, but new tools and processes only go so far if people do not have a place to learn and practice. That was the focus of the second session in the Pop-Up Mainframe Persona Webinar Series, hosted by Planet Mainframe...
by Amanda Hendley | Jul 7, 2026 | Database Administration, Dev Ops, Modernization, Programming, Webinar, z/OS Tuning
Mainframe modernization is often discussed in broad strategic terms, but for the teams responsible for keeping core systems running, the challenge is much more practical: How do you make change faster, safer, and more repeatable without disrupting critical...
by Penney Berryman | Jun 10, 2026 | Events, IBM Z, Leadership, Sponsored, Workforce Development
In a new three-part webinar series, PopUp Mainframe explores how SysProgs, training leaders, developers, and QA professionals tackle the challenges of modern z/OS environments. Mainframe teams rarely experience the platform in the same way. A systems programmer...
by Amanda Hendley | Apr 29, 2026
Ready to transform your mainframe training strategy? Join the second installment of the PopUp Mainframe Persona Webinar series for a dynamic exploration of cutting-edge mainframe training, featuring renowned industry experts who have spent their careers in mainframe...
by Penney Berryman | Jan 30, 2026 | careers, Mainframe Skills, Training, Workforce Development
Mainframe careers don’t suffer from a lack of interest, but a lack of pathways. EMMA was built to remove barriers to training, scaling, and hiring mainframe apprentices. This update revisits the program one year later, with results that tell a more nuanced workforce...
by Penney Berryman | Aug 27, 2025 | Events, influential-mainframers, Mainframe Community, SHARE Conference, Workforce Training
We declare SHARE Cleveland a rockin’ success! The rock ‘n roll theme permeated the city, exhibitor booths, and giveaways, culminating in a live music reception at the Rock ‘n Roll Hall of Fame. Have you seen someone wearing a leather kilt play bagpipes to AC/DC? Now...
by Communications | Aug 7, 2025
Influential Mainframers 2025 Meet the 2025 Influential Mainframers Mainframe technology continues to evolve because of the dedicated professionals, educators, mentors, and innovators who drive it forward. This April, we’re celebrating them. Welcome to the second...
by Amanda Hendley | May 1, 2025 | influential-mainframers, Leadership, Workforce Development
Mainframe is more than a technology; it’s a community. From educators and engineers to quiet experts keeping systems running, Planet Mainframe spent the month sharing stories – your stories. Welcome to the wrap-up of our second annual Influential Mainframers...
by Influential Mainframer | Apr 9, 2025 | influential-mainframers
Dr. Cameron Seay doesn’t tiptoe around problems. He isn’t into discussing the mainframe skills gap; he’s invested in eliminating it. For years, he listened to the industry wring its hands about the “mainframe skills crisis” while very little changed. Cameron Seay,...
by Penney Berryman | Jan 22, 2025 | careers, Workforce Development
The demand for skilled mainframe professionals continues to grow in a world with Big Iron powering critical industries and massive data operations. Yet traditional pathways into mainframe careers pose challenges for newcomers and mid-career transitions.Enter the Eli...
by Amanda Hendley | May 16, 2024 | Featured, influential-mainframers, Mainframe
When thinking about how to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the mainframe, our first instinct was to create a series of articles on its history, starting with its earliest iterations and ending with how the technology evolved through today. But perhaps that is a...
