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I worked closely with Jerry over several months on a complex commemorative DVD project leading up to our 50th high school class reunion in Juneau, and to Alaska's 50th anniversary as a state of the United States. Jerry is a skilled and careful technician, and he is very sensitive to the needs and expectations of the end user/consumer. Jerry can communicate with real people, and he has the tools to help them achieve their goals.   -- JDH, Juneau

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I first met Jerry when we played city league softball on the same team. I started my own business then and began using personal computers about that same time. Jerry gave me a lot of help in buying hardware and setting things up. As a small business person, former chief of staff and a "non-techie" with far more to do than time I have depended on Jerry to bail me out of some tough tech issues and "plumbing." He has always been patient and conscientious in working "hands-on" with me as we worked through complicated problems.

Jerry takes his work seriously. I would recommend him for any endeavor he chooses for himself.   -- JA, Juneau

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I bought my first personal computer many years ago so I could get a better way to communicate with my relatives back east. The computer was a used Apple Macintosh, and I knew I needed some help figuring it out. I had known and worked with Jerry in a non-technical context, but knew him by reputation as somebody who knew something about PCs. Jerry didn't do a lot with Apple computers, but he agreed to help me learn how to live and work with a personal computer no matter what the brand. He did help me, and I was able to do everything I needed and wanted to do. I would highly recommend Jerry for any venture he may choose to get involved in.   -- RL, Juneau

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"In 1990 through 1992, I had the opportunity to observe or work directly with Jerry Smetzer, who during that period worked first as a GIS mapping expert for the State of Alaska, then as private consultant to plaintiffs challenging the redistricting plan, and for the Masters appointed by the Superior Court to oversee development of a final plan, and finally for the State Division of Elections to set up the mapping system to display and print the new election maps. His expertise and dedication to doing what needed to be done on extraordinarily tight time frames was obvious to everyone involved, as evidenced by the fact that he was asked to do substantive work during virtually every stage of the multi-year redistricting process. I have also worked with him in other capacities in which he provided software development consulting services. He is client-focused, straightforward and realistic. If you know what you want to achieve, he can tell you whether he can accomplish it. I find that to be one of the most important qualities in someone doing this kind of work." -- MM, Juneau

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Jerry and I worked together in the 1990s as IT staff to a local non-profit corporation. Our job was to help establish an automated system of Medicaid billings for clinical services. These services were provided directly to mental health clients in the community by other members of the professional staff. Following our work with the group, I entered an undergraduate degree program in Computer Information Science in Phoenix. To help pay for school, I worked for several months as a sub-contractor with Jerry's consulting company on the design and development of two data management system projects for the State of Alaska. One, a project/permit tracking system for the Governor's Office of Inter-governmental Coordination; and, two, a prototype of a statewide system of data gathering and incident reporting for a group involved with providing funds to several women's shelters. Jerry worked at long distance with my complicated schedule in a way that helped me ultimately earn my degree, and then get a great job in IT with an international consulting company. I now continue to enjoy a challenging career in the field. Jerry has my full support for any endeavor he may choose for himself. -- KG, Boulder

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I first met Jerry in the 1970s when I and a few other Alaskans wanted to establish a non-profit 501c(3) group to provide adult education services in Anchorage and in other rural areas across the State of Alaska. Jerry had had many years of experience working at policy and managerial levels in state and local government. At that time he was the developer and Executive Director of a 501c(3) corporation involved with economic development in the Interior of Alaska. Later he would also gain important technical and training skills as a developer and co-developer of new retail and technical consulting businesses in Fairbanks. We felt Jerry’s skills, experience, and contacts would be very helpful to us as we set out to build the group we named, initially, Ninestar Enterprises, Inc. Now named Ninestar Education and Employment Services, LLC – we have our principal office near the Performing Arts Center in downtown Anchorage, and we maintain several additional offices, and we support many educational programs in the Anchorage urban area. After 32 years, Jerry is now retired from our Board of Directors having served as Chairman during 2007 – 2010. Jerry believes in the idea of adult education, and in the need to make it available to those who have not yet fully developed the skills they need for the workplace, and for good citizenship. His steady hand and guidance during occasionally intense Board decision-making over those many years has been a very important factor in the current success of the Ninestar group. -- DA, Anchorage

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Several years ago I asked Jerry to help me get computer assisted design (CAD) software installed in my architectural offices in Fairbanks, Anchorage, and Juneau. Back then AutoCAD was still a relatively new product. Jerry shopped around the then emerging "PC compatible" market to find the best PC computers at the best price for supporting serious Architectural work. With my approval Jerry purchased and installed the new hardware and the AutoCAD software. He then trained our other architects and support staff in its use. AutoCAD has been the primary design and production tool in our offices since those days. Jerry's technical knowledge, communication and project management skills, and his flexibility in design processes are valuable. I support Jerry in any endeavor he chooses for himself. -- CBB, Fairbanks

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