PEI's Resident Computer Guy

Whether it's your car or your computer that is in need of repairs, chances are good that Rex Brown will know how to fix it.

J. Rex Brown

Every time you log onto the PEI Web site or access the member directory, you're getting a chance to view the handiwork of J. Rex Brown, PEI's resident “computer guy.” Officially known as the Director of Information Services, Rex handles all of PEIís technical and computer needs. It is his job to ensure that the network stays up and running and that information can be easily distributed to all PEI members. As a former business owner himself, Rex truly enjoys the opportunity to work with members who manage businesses not much larger than his own was. “I know exactly what they're talking about,” he says. “It's not just something I understand in theory, I've been there.”

Rex wasn't always the computer whiz he is today. Following a short-lived career as a punk rocker in the popular Tulsa-area band Radio Milan, he went into the automotive business. In 1989, he and his wife, Jackie, opened Maduko, a company that specialized in Italian car parts and accessories. One day, the company computer simply stopped working, and rather than take it to someone else to fix, Rex decided to try it himself. “I figured if I could take a Ferrari apart and put it back together, I could probably figure out how to make this computer work.” Sure enough, he got the computer working, marking the beginning of his career in information services.

Since closing shop, Rexís interest in Italian cars has evolved into a passion for motorcycles. “I don't have a giant 60-car garage anymore, and motorcycles are much easier to store,” he says. Nowadays, Rex uses his spare time to take motorcycle trips with Jackie through the scenic parts of southeastern Oklahoma and the twisty roads of Arkansas. He enjoys documenting his trips from the seat of his BMW R1150R and sharing the photos and videos on his Web site, www.Places2ride.com. The Web site serves as both a hobby of Rex's and a “guinea pig” for the PEI site. “I will test something out on Places2ride then take it over and apply it to something we're doing here,” he says. Currently, Rex is working to make the PEI site more accessible to cell phone browsers.

After Maduko, Rex did freelance Web design for about two years, teaching himself the ins and outs of designing Web pages. After this, he found a job with a legal secretaries group, and soon found that the technology side of trade associations suited him well. “I thought this might be a good niche for me,” he says in reference to his position. “I saw that there was a growth market for technology in association work.” His fondness for associations soon led him to PEI.

Rex came on board as PEIís resident computer expert after responding to a Tulsa newspaper ad in 1999. He was immediately faced with the daunting problem that plagued computer guys around the world: Y2K. He hit the ground running and reconfigured the computer systems to be Y2K ready. Following that, he took it upon himself to revamp the institute's Web site and put the Member Directory online. He also decided to create a form and interface where members could access their own information and update it as necessary. What started out as simply a list of PEI members has become an interactive online center for users. The Web site has continued to improve since then, and Rex maintains an integral role in its upkeep.

From punk rocker to Ferrari specialist to PEI's “computer guy,” Rex Brown has a plethora of skills and an abundance of knowledge that he brings to PEI and its members, and he will continue to do his best to ensure that PEI remains on the forefront of the technology world.

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The PEI Journal • Third Quarter 2008 • Volume 3, No. 2 • Contents are Copyright © Data Key Communications, Inc.
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