John J. Dell Aquila:  

( Life ). Where do you start, General Bio? In the beginning. Since Schalmont and the invention of MS Spell Checker, I have proceeded and had my share of lifes experiences. Mostly higher highs and positive aspects of life. From the time I left Schalmont in my Senior Year and went into the Marine Corps, to GE, college and eventually here in Chicago Illinois. Its been a long time. A productive one as well. I look forward to the Future. I spent three years in the Marines Corps. I was trained as an Air Controller. When I came back to Schenectady I went to work for GE.After GE I went to college at SCCC and Suny at Albany. I later went back to GE in Schenectady in 1978. With all the employment reductions at GE Schenectady I went on to MTI Inc in Latham as a Mechanical Draftsman. In 1988 I went back to GE Schenectady bldg 23 and later to GE Rotterdam Depot Bldg 513E and then to Bldg 37 Second and Third FL. I worked on the Gas Cat- Gas Turbine Catalog as a Tech Support Staff. In 1991 I was selected from a field of candidates who posted for employment in Chicago Illinois Oak Brook GE Field Sales and Eng Support Staff. I was an Exempt Salary P Band Materials Specialist. Again Mr. Welch and his process caught up with me and many other thousands of employees across GE found they were looking to new horizons. I had opportunities to go on to GE Fort Wayne IN or GE Appliance Nashville KT. I chose to stay in Chicago Illinois. I did work at a plastics company as a Supervisor - Industrial Mechanic. The company was in Elk Grove Village Illinois. From the plastics company I went on to the Westinghouse Air Brake Co As a Mgr of Invt & Control until they merged with another company. From Westinghouse I went on to the financial services industry and was hired by Morgan Stanley Dean Witter as a Securities Broker, Annuities and Insurance Sales. I worked on La Salle Street in Chicago and for a while was in Bldg 2 of the World Trade Center, 79th FL in NYC. This was about 3 and half years before 9 / 11. When 9 / 11 took place I was in Las Vegas at Treasure Island. I was getting ready to go on a tour of Hoover Dam when the second plane hit Bldg 2. I saw this on TV Live. Six days later I left Las Vegas from McCarran Field to go back to Chicago. Their were many thousands of people trying to leave McCarran Field. It was a scary time. I worked at a number of Wall Street Financial Firms: American Express, Mass Mutual, Fleet Boston, Web Street Securities and so forth and so on. I had a large book of clients. I still am in the financial Industry in the equity fund management and private placement area. I also currently work for the University of Chicago, one of its affiliated organizations doing social science research programs for the CDC and NIH. During this same time frame, I currently am a Red Cross Volunteer for the Chicago Chapter. I was deployed by the Chicago Red Cross to go and assist flood victims of Rita and Katrina. I was deployed to San Antonio Texas at Kelly - Lackland AFB as a Red Cross Case Worker at a FEMA HQ Bldg. . We worked with many thousands of storm victims. I think I made some small difference in the lives I touched in assisting them. I look forward to visiting Schenectady some time in 2008 and the general upstate New York area. Sincerely John J. Dell Aquila ( School: Schalmont HS & Kubasoki HS ). I did graduate High School at Kubasoki HS Fort Bukner Okinawa Japan. I had to go to night school while I was on Okinawa. I guess if I had to do something differently: ask a lady I knew out and to the prom as well as going steady, studied harder and played an instrument. I think we all would do somethings differently. My best class was social studies, my worst was english. I left Schalmont HS in my Senior Year, about 5 weeks into the Senior Year at Schalmont. I went into the USMC for three years. I spent 18 months in south east Asia.I left the Marine Corps after my three years and was out at the age of twenty as a Sgt. E5. ( College ). After GE I went to college at SCCC and Suny at Albany. I later went back to GE in Schenectady in 1978. I am looking ahead to finish a BS in Business Administration. All part of a ongoing process. Life has many paths. we will see were we go from here. ( Workplace ). I spent three years in the...Expand for more