PIPKINS DECEMBER NEWSLETTER

IT’S OFFICIAL:

PIPKINS INFORMATION SECURITY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM
GETS ISO 27001 CERTIFICATION

The new phone book’s here! The new phone book’s here! This is the kind of spontaneous publicity I need. My name in print. That really makes me somebody! Things are going to start happening to me now! Navin R. Johnson (Steve Martin in The Jerk)

Pipkins is proud to announce that we have received our ISO27001 certificate. Our workforce management software complies with the necessary provisioning of information security regarding development, operation, and administration of Pipkins software. Dr. Pipkins was just as excited about certification as Navin R. Johnson was upon seeing his name in the phonebook. “The processes we have memorialized are mainly good practices we have always tried to comply with as it enables us to operate more efficiently… Kudos to the ISO team that did the hard work to enable us to get this certificate,” as he announced in a company-wide email. According to the auditors, Pipkins demonstrated strong leadership and commitment to the implementation and continuous improvement of their information security management system program with easy access to clear policies, processes, and tracking of training activities.

Most of the heavy lifting came from CIO Joel Gilbert who has worked diligently for over 29 years in making sure our networks were safe and secure for employees and customers. Pipkins has long established and implemented procedures for risk management and knows the importance of effective risk management to the organization. We have always been committed to a risk-based approach based on current international standards and best practices. Other members of the ISO team include Gerry Herzog, Rick Pipkins, Jim Hogan, Martha Heltsley, Judith De Bie, and Janet Mehrhoff. A special thank you to Judith and Janet who had the onerous task of compiling all the data and setting up meetings.

It is worth noting that Pipkins was found to have effectively implemented policies for the continuity, recovery and resumption of all production systems in our information processing facilities. In addition, we had established a service continuity which covered our Recovery Time and Recovery Point objectives for these facilities. Disaster recovery exercises are completed continuously, with restoration to an isolated environment used for testing when customer reported errors cannot be reproduced. While these policies and procedures were adopted decades ago, Dr. Pipkins’ remarked that earning certification was “. . . a milestone for us.” As we have for the past 40 years, Pipkins will continue to provide excellent security for our customers information.

One of the special joys of Christmas is the opportunity to say Thank You and to wish you a Happy New Year.

Phillip (Phil) Bump

Phil is an Oracle DBA and PL/SQL developer with a lot of experience, going back to Oracle 5.0 in 1986. He has been married to Tambra since 1990. They have two boys, David and William, who are Eagle scouts. William is studying Chemical Engineering at Missouri S&T. David lives at home and has a tech support and customer service position.

Phil serves on the Board of Directors for Missouri East Walk to Emmaus. While he would like to get back into a bowling league if only the COVID pandemic would subside.

Scott Parshall

Scott has been an IT professional for 23 years after attending University of Missouri at Rolla. As a web developer for Pipkins, he has added to his skillset and enjoys learning something new every day. When not working, Scott spends time with his family – wife Amy and daughter Brittany. Traveling to exotic beaches is among his favorite past times, as well as movies and playing video games.

Jamal Foster

Our newest Customer Support Representative who started his adventure with Pipkins in September 2021. He comes to us with extensive experience in Workforce Management and technical fields. Jamal truly believes in the power of Teamwork and developing strong work relationships. In his spare time, he enjoys hanging out with family, friends, traveling, and cutting grass.

William Nesham

An IT professional with experience writing mobile apps and creating websites. William studied chemistry at Lindenwood, then computer science at UMSL graduating with a BS in Computer Science.

In his free time, William enjoys competing in chess tournaments, bowling, volleyball, playing video games, and writing mobile apps. William was the Missouri State Class A Champion a couple times and this year tied for second.

IN CELEBRATION OF OUR FOUNDER – JAMES PIPKINS

Pipkins was established in 1982 and next year will be celebrating its 40th anniversary. We thought it time we showed appreciation for our founder, James Pipkins. On November 7, employees, friends, and family celebrated in style. Our entertainment for the night was Jimmy Fortune who began signing with the Statler Brothers in 1982. In essence, 1982 was a start for both Jim Pipkins and Jim Fortune. It was a special night full of good wishes and great friends. We thought you might enjoy seeing some of the highlights.

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