Marite Jones, a New York City-based consultant, is a high-tech true believer. She develops, designs, and manages Web sites for a wide range of individual and organizational clients, offering expertise in digital photography, graphics, and video; fluency in the latest design applications; and the savvy and creativity to deliver high-quality results.
Marite has also made her mark as a computer problem-solver par excellence—still an important part of her consultancy. Whether you’re a beginner or a seasoned pro, she will partner with you to tackle your computer issues patiently and systematically via phone consultations, house calls, training, and other individualized IT services.
It was at Columbia University’s Health Sciences Division that Marite first began working with computers during the 1980s, when she single-handedly configured and installed the first PC-XTs in the administrative offices of the Division’s deans and department chairmen. Additionally, she taught managers and support staff to use word processing, database, and spreadsheet programs at a time when these were still quite new in the American workplace.
Marite then proceeded to set up the first network for the office of the Vice President of Health Sciences. As a result, computer networking began to be seen as realistic and doable at Columbia. Working with other contractors and with the hospital’s IT group, she gradually brought all of the institution’s administrative offices online.
But Marite wasn’t content to remain a lone expert. An early trainer and advocate for the new technologies, she organized a series of computer fairs to introduce the newest computers to faculty, staff, and students at Columbia’s Health Sciences Division.
With the advent of Apple’s Macintosh computer in 1984, Marite acquired top skills in desktop publishing and graphics design software. Soon, she was producing collateral marketing materials for administrative staff on an as-needed basis.
The next phase in her professional development came with the launch of the Worldwide Web in 1991. She immediately jumped in, learned HTML, and started working on creating Web pages.
In late 1991, the position of Systems Administrator at the University’s School of Public Health was created for her. The job quickly grew arms and legs, thanks to Marite’s talent and enthusiasm: She wound up also providing support to the School of Nursing; setting up and managing Novell servers; creating and maintaining Web sites for both schools; doing digital photography of special events; and providing end-user support to faculty and staff.
Eventually, Marite wound up working directly for the Dean of the Mailman School of Public Health - providing direct IT support to the Dean and his immediate staff. Dean Allan Rosenfield was a world traveler, and it was not unusual for him to call her from other continents to solve some connectivity problem. Usually, she was able to figure it out and get him back online within minutes.
Sadly, in 2006 the Dean was stricken with ALS, and while he continued to come to work every day in a wheelchair, he announced his retirement. By August of 2007, his condition had deteriorated to the extent that he could no longer type on his computer… Since there was not much more help that Marite could provide him, the administration decided that her job would be eliminated. Soon thereafter, Marite left the University to strike out on her own as a consultant.
Today, Marite’s clients come from many backgrounds and industries, including academia, medicine, industry, and the arts. Among her newest ventures is a multimedia consortium, jnymedia.com, which brings together artists and creatives from many fields to collaborate on Web sites, graphics, stock photography, videos, CDs, DVDs, and micropublishing projects.
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