Meet the Rediker Software Family

November 2015

Meet John Lynch, WPI alum, New England sports fanatic and Director of Development at Rediker Software. Learn more about John and what’s next for our products in this month's Meet the Rediker Software Family.

Can you tell us a little bit about yourself?

John: Sure! I’m the oldest of three, grew up in Springfield, MA and earned a BS in Electrical Engineering from Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI). Like many of my fellow engineers graduating in the early 90’s, I chose a career in software. I’m happily married to Kathy, my wife of 17 years, who also works at Rediker. We are constantly amazed, entertained and inspired by our 13 year-old son Tristan.

How did you come to join the Rediker Software Family?

John: After a few short-term jobs post college, I answered an ad for a technology position at Rediker Software. When I started at Rediker there were still only eight of us including founders Rich and Gayle Rediker. Rich wrote the code and we all did everything else from answering support and sales calls, to updating the manuals, putting labels on updated diskettes and mailing them out. Early on, as I learned our software and the business of educational technology, I realized I could make a real difference here and knew I had found a home. I mean “home” both figuratively and literally because at first we operated out of one, and then two home offices! It was an exciting milestone when we moved to our present location in 1998 and when we completed our expansion in 2006. I am proud of my 21-year career here, serving in several key roles that have helped shape the evolution of our company and products.

What is your current role at Rediker?

John: I am the Director of Development at Rediker Software, responsible for our in-house development team, our offshore development team, as well as maintaining development relationships with several partner companies. It is an exciting time at Rediker Software as we have had an explosion of new products, concentrations and interesting projects. I have a few pet projects of my own, including our embedded three-channel messaging product, AdminPlus Notify. I also am very active in all the custom integration projects we do, as well as those using the School Interoperability Framework (SIF), and serve on the SIF Association North American Technical Board. The next generation design of our flagship product, Administrator’s Plus, will be the “next big thing” we are undertaking.

You mentioned AdminPlus Notify as one of your pet projects. What sets AP Notify apart from the competition?

John: What I found when researching third-party notification applications is that because they are separate, oftentimes only one person learns how to really use the system. As a result, it may only be used for emergencies and school cancellations. What really differentiates AdminPlus Notify is that it is installed within AdminPlus. Therefore, there isn’t any nightly auto-syncing process and many AdminPlus users will feel comfortable using the tool to make effective and timely communication within their school communities.

What’s next for AP Notify?

John: Next month we are introducing AdminPlus Notify on our Mobile Apps so notifications can be launched right from your mobile device. We are also adding more features and hooks that allow you to send notifications within different AdminPlus modules.

What do you like most about your job?

John: As for what I do in my job day in and day out, I am a problem solver by nature and get a real sense of satisfaction developing new ways for our employees to solve our customers’ problems with the thoughtful and innovative application of our solutions. However, if you asked what I like most about our company, I would have to say it is the family atmosphere and culture we have maintained over these many years. Rediker is a place populated with husbands and wives, parents and children, with caring co-workers that constitute an extended family. Customers who have visited us for a workshop, or are regular callers to our technical support, understand that and often comment that they feel part of the Rediker extended family, too. So it is very appropriate to have a regular feature in our newsletter entitled, “Meet the Rediker Family”.

When you aren’t at Rediker Software, how do you spend your free time?

John: I enjoy spending most of my free time with my wife and son. I am an avid New England sports fan, so if it is baseball or football season, the Sox or Pats game will usually be on at my house. I have become an outspoken proponent of Montessori education and am on the Board of Trustees of the Montessori elementary school that my son attended. I also bowl in a league each week and enjoy the occasional round of golf.