Richard Frisch

I have worked and played with computers, systems and networks since 1972. At Citicorp, in the mid-1970s, I was part of the team that developed and implemented the first extensive ATM network. We designed and built our ATMs, which were years ahead of any other ATM at the time. Since then, that ATM model has been copied and expanded upon by all other ATM manufacturers and banks. I have developed systems, regular applications and database applications in my career. I was the chief technology officer to a NYC-based public relations and political consulting firm, with over a 100 employees and three separate locations on the east coast. And for over 15 years I ran the Weston CT Government TV channel, WGTV 79, for the town of Weston, CT.

I am a science and technology enthusiast. I also like history and the history of technology. Since 2003, I have made numerous presentations to public groups about emerging and historical technology.

I am currently developing a course for Duke OLLI, for the Fall 2020 semester, tentatively titled Planet of the Humans, A Selected History of Technology. It will be a 15 hour course, spread over 10 weeks. We will explore the rise of humans and how technology enabled us to dominate this planet and exploit it for our own uses. We will also take a look at some emerging technologies and what impact they may have on humanity and the planet.

I find myself busier in retirement than ever before. I volunteer at the Cary Senior Center with the Cary Senior Tech Ed group, helping seniors master our ever-changing tech world. I am a member of the Cary Senior Technology User Group and am giving a presentation to them in January 2020 on Streaming TV Choices. My wife and I take exercise classes twice a week at the Cary Herbert C. Young Community Center. This semester I took four courses at Duke OLLI. Marianne and I took a 15 day trip in October to four European cities—Stockholm, Berlin, Prague and Vienna—and we attend many cultural events in the area. We've been to the local Oktoberfest, a museum opening, several concerts and a story-telling festival.

We are loving living in Cary. We just started house hunting as we are currently renting. We've made lots of new friends in the few short months we've been here. The people in the area are extremely warm and friendly. And there's a tremendous amount to do in the Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill-Cary area, especially for retirees with the time to do it. There's good reasons that Cary has been voted one of the top ten places to live in the US by several publications. Come on down and see for yourself.