Gary D. Courtney

82 Ponderosa Rd.

Bayfield, CO 81122

E-Mail: (918) 822-0299 Website:

Professional Accomplishments:

  • The architect, and sometimes solo author, of major systems and business efficiencies, such as Well Economics Projection Models, Accounting, Inventory, Payroll, Revenue/Royalty and Lease Records, for some of the most prominent corporations in Houston, Calgary and Tulsa in several different industries through the 1970’s and 1980’s.
  • Helped start an aircraft parts company, with zero to 300 employees and zero to 27 million parts (from the Eastern Airlines bankruptcy) in four months.Computerized, bar coded, and moved over 500 18-wheeler truckloads of parts from Miami to Houston. Built the computer department from an empty building and zero employees, and no computer or bar coding equipment. The 12-month project included selection and management of physical facilities equipment, offices, computer hardware and Accounting and Distribution software, bar coding equipment and programming, warehouse and office organization and wiring, contract and permanent staff, and a department manager.
  • Helped start the very first computer department of Amerada Petroleum, now Amerada-Hess, in 1967, Beta-testing IBM’s new PL/1 programming language, which was later used by American Airlines to create their first Sabre reservations and Aircraft Maintenance systems.
  • An advisor and organizer of some of the most extreme high-growth and profitability companies in the nation, in Oil and Gas, Distribution, and Aerospace, such as White Shield Oil and Gas, later part of Petro-Lewis in Denver, Sooner Pipe and Supply/Bigheart Pipeline, Home Petroleum of Home Oil, largest independent in Canada, Vallen Safety Supply, and Aerospace International Services.
  • A consultant and guest speaker to consultants, on Project Planning and Management & Methodologies,
    at dinner meetings and IBM computer User Groups in Houston’s Greenway Plaza.
  • An advisor and guest speaker to CEO’s and CFO’s of nationwide corporations, at IBM’s Woodway headquarters in Houston.
  • The organizer and leader of consulting and hardware/software firms, such as Software People International in Houston which pioneered the IBM System/38 computer in 1979. Grew the company and supervised personnel from one consultant to 12 on one client, and the company to over 30 consultants, billing $250,000 monthly.
  • The inventor of a methodology for planning and implementingmajor (12-18 month) business projects, such as Vallen Corporation in 1985, quadrupling the company and increasing their stock over 600% in 3 ½ years.
  • An IBM Business Partner in Houston in 1988, and organizer of same for an acquaintance in Tulsa, in 1996.
  • A contract consultant and Customer account troubleshooter for IBM - Tulsa, in 1972. Activities included search and selection of a Data Processing Manager to stabilize a client company.
  • Owner of Gary D. Courtney & Associates computer consultants, occupying the penthouse of the International Tower building on Lafortune Park in Tulsa, in 1972.
  • An advisor and owner of software package vendor companies.Documented and submitted software packages for IBM-sponsored sales and marketing of hardware by his company.Recommended enhancements to other software vendors.
  • The Corporate Information Systems manager for a large international oil and gas company, spanning from the U.S. and Turkey to Singapore and Indonesia,Designed, created and secured approval for a $1.1 million G&A budget, plus capital expenditure AFE’s of $3 million for Indonesia development. Set and published the corporate-wide hardware and software standards for the international operations.
  • The first person, in 1970, to design and write an Oil and Gas Well Economics/ Reserve Cash Flow projection model and a finance amortization schedule in a commercial programming language, and on an IBM 360/20 computer with only 12 K of memory. The 25-year projections were used to secure $20 million in bank financing.
  • Contract computer network designer, creator and administrator for a telephone company. Computer sales, installation, training and maintenance. Functioned as complete technical and educational support, for a DSL Internet Provider, on network, building wiring, PC’s, laptops, and IBM AS/400 mid-range computers. Advisor to Management on hardware, software, network design, and vendor relations.
  • Advisor/Consultant on Criminal Justice System re-design for District Attorney of Montgomery County, Texas, caseload of over 13,000. Analysis and advice and counsel included the District Attorney, Sheriff’s office, District Clerk, and Computer Department. Consulting fees for the review and recommendations project were funded by a TexasState grant for mandated monthly electronic case reporting. Documented all information flow within the county legal system and courts.
  • The inventor of naming conventions and standards still used behind the scenes in large-scale systems, in 1979.
  • The creator of networks and nationwide E-Mail as early as 1983, before the Internet.
  • Acted in the role of IBM Customer and Systems Engineer on large AS/400 computer upgrades.
  • An initial prover of newly-invented seismic equipment to make pictures of underground formations, and the first person to design and write a program to calculate Delta-T “step-out” seismic corrections on a computer,1966

Other Business Activities:

  • Custom-designed and wrote business plans for venture capital to develop computer and lake resort companies.
  • Engaged as a commissioned, high-return stock investments advisor to others, on request, since the age of 19.
  • Self-taught Customs Broker, in order to import samples of Korean products through the Port of Houston, 1983.
  • Designer, creator and owner of the Cookson Hills Gallery of original fine art on LakeTenkiller and the Internet. Nationally famous artists from the local area in painting, sculpture, pottery, and color scrimshaw included Bob Thomason, Troy Anderson, Murv Jacob, Mike Menasco, Mike Daniel, and Charles Conner. Customers included singer Crystal Gayle.
  • Author, professional photographer and historian. Wrote a book on the last surviving bank robber of the 1930’s, who lived in Tahlequah, Oklahoma until six years ago. Created a photographic chronicle of people and places of the historic Cookson Hills. Marketed photography at Cookson Jubilee, Cookson Hills Gallery. Professional genealogical researcher.
  • Front page feature writer of historical stories for the four countyOklahoma Legend newspaper in Tahlequah, Oklahoma.
  • Museum exhibit creator: Northeastern StateUniversity on 1930’s outlaw “Carl Janaway – Smartest Bandit of the Cookson Hills”, Oklahoma University Sam Noble Museum of Natural History and NSU on the “History of Caving in Oklahoma”.
  • Writer and designer of advertising, promotions, and press releases for businesses, organizations, and political candidates.
  • Professional photographer, providing custom photo shoots of families, individuals, and horses, three scenic calendars.
  • Sales and proposals - Tangibles and Intangibles: $100,000+ software packages, $200,000 IBM AS/400 computer systems, consulting services contracts, newspaper advertising, and $1,000 to $10,000 original paintings and sculptures.
  • Collector-dealer and authenticator of Civil War weapons. Used his detailed research library, infra-red photography, acid etching, X-Ray, andemission spectrograph to verify the authenticity of rare pieces.
  • Collector of antique leather-bound books, maps, and cameras

Civic and Organization Contributions:

  • Over 10,000 hours as organizer and officer of 400-500 member YMCA and Teenation youth groups, at age 13-22.
    Co-founder a new branch YMCA, and swimming instructor at age 16. Volunteer staff at YMCA summer camp on Lake Fort Gibson.
  • Member of Civil Air Patrol at age 15.
  • University of Tulsa - President of the Freshman Class, College of Business Administration.
  • University of Tulsa – Executive Club, Committee Chairman.
  • Member of the Tulsa Geophysical Society at age 23.
  • First elected president of the Tulsa chapter of the National Speleological Society (NSS) at age 25.
  • Member and committee secretary of Data Processing Management Association (DPMA), in Tulsa in the 1970’s.
  • Member of IBM System/3, System/38 and AS/400 Users Groups in Tulsa and Houston in 1970’s, 1980’s and 1990’s.
  • Organizer and leader of his 2,000-home subdivision in a successful four-year opposition to a proposed toxic, radioactive waste dump, underground in a flood plane near Lake Houston, near an elementary school, and in the Kingwood, Texas water supply aquifer. The movement spread to city councils, state and federal government opposition.
  • Organizer and host of a champagne grand opening of his fine art gallery, with Crystal Gayle, James Earl Jones, Jim Halsey (famous Country entertainer manager), and Cherokee Medal of Honor Award recipients as guests.
  • Biographer and nominator in 2003 of prominent legendary rancher, Charley Kirk, as an inductee into the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum Cowboy Hall of Fame in Oklahoma City.
  • Writer of press releases to elect a new district attorney for Adair, Cherokee, Sequoyah and Wagoner counties in Oklahoma.Photographed and wrote front page feature story of courtroom swearing-in ceremonies of new Sheriff and District Attorney.
  • Organizer of an effort to build a Cookson Hills Museum and Library to preserve the stories and lifestyle of the historical site of the Cherokee Nation, scene of “Where the Red Fern Grows”, and hideout for outlaws, such as Charles “Pretty Boy” Floyd, Carl Janaway and Belle Starr.
  • Industry Advisor on Curriculum to Oklahoma State University Computer Science Department in Okmulgee, OK.
  • Founder of initiative, recommendation and original plans for a Sheriff’s Mounted Patrol in Cherokee County, OK.
  • Founder & Fellow of the Organization of Inventors (O.I.), and Information Scientists (I.S.) professional groups.

Extended Education:

  • Zenger-Miller Management Principles and Techniques course, by Zenger-Miller Company.
  • Business Writing, by Diana Booher, Author and Corporate Consultant.
  • BirkmanTeamBuilding Psychology, by Birkman and Associates.
  • IBM System Engineer/Administrator courses: New York, Houston, St. Louis, Seattle, Denver, Tulsa, and Atlanta.
  • Real Estate course at DelgadoCollege, New Orleans.
  • Indonesian language (Bahasa Indonesia), in-house course, provided by Roy M. Huffington, Inc., Houston, Texas.
  • U.S. Air Force Radio Electronics course of 10 months, at Keesler Air Force Base, Biloxi, Mississippi.

Honor Student of both Unit and Branch, conferred by the Base Commander and reported in the Biloxi newspaper.
The comprehensive nature of the training allowed one to become a radio station engineer or ham radio station owner.