“Hello – VITA, this is Lollie” is what you hear when you call VITA. Lollie Wheeler has been the voice answering the VITA phone for many years. Lollie is not one to seek the spotlight but she does literally run VITA and has done so for most of its 30 years.
The VMEbus Manufacturers Group was formed by ex-Motorolan Lym Hevle in the summer of 1982 to support the development of an ecosystem to promote the newly announced VMEbus specification. Lym and his wife Betty ran the fledgling organization during its early days. Employee number three was Lollie. She was good friends with Betty, who was in search of some assistance with the rapidly growing organization. Lollie immediately jumped in, helping with whatever needed to be done.
In 1984, the name was changed to VMEbus International Trade Association, commonly referred to as VITA, to accelerate the technical and commercial acceptance of VMEbus. The name change reflected the expanded mission of the organization to be more international in scope. VITA also took on the responsibility of stewarding the technical work behind developing the VMEbus specification.
The first edition of the VITA VMEbus Compatible Products Directory was published in 1985. 174 companies and more than 2,700 products were listed in that first edition. Lollie was the go-to person for this new VITA product directory. This directory was printed four times per year; with all the new products and companies joining the VMEbus boom, there was plenty of work to be done with each edition. Collecting inputs and vetting each of them was a tireless task carried out by Lollie with each edition. Eventually the printed directory went paperless on the emerging Internet where VITA was an early pioneer. When the directory went online the quarterly printed publication became obsolete. However, there still remained much to be done as each entry had to be approved, updates made to the database, and members reminded to keep their content fresh.
The staff grew, leadership changed, and Lollie emerged as the behind-the-scenes manager of VITA. Members know her as the go-to person for questions about memberships and dues, product directory inputs and changes, assistance in obtaining copies of specifications, and any other miscellaneous requests that came her way. Lollie followed each request to its satisfactory conclusion, never leaving items unresolved.
Over time the office went virtual with everyone working from home. The past several years, Lollie has managed the accounting, responded to requests for VITA specifications, and scheduled countless VITA Standards Organization (VSO) meetings. Lollie has always kept a very low profile but she has had her finger on the pulse of the organization throughout the years. Behind the scenes she has ensured that the member dues were collected, which can be a full-time job in itself. She made sure that specifications were delivered anywhere in the world, and also made sure the VSO meetings ran smoothly. Coordinating the logistics for five or six VSO meetings each year in hotels all over the country is a challenge with all the conditions that hotels put on achieving your numbers for the meetings, let alone ensuring that all the attendees are satisfied.
Ray Alderman frequently refers to John Rynearson as the “Brains” of VITA, himself as the “Muscle,” and Lollie as the “Heart.” Anyone who has ever had the opportunity to engage with Lollie will certainly agree with that analogy. Ray also pointed out that, “I have worked with Lollie for more than 20 years here at VITA. She always allowed me to operate under the illusion that I was the boss!”
After 30 years of service, Lollie is stepping down from her role as the heart of VITA. She will be taking time to “smell the bacon” and spending well-deserved quality time with her grandchildren.
We will certainly miss her voice on the phone with her pleasant answer of “Hello – VITA, this is Lollie.” Please join me in thanking her for her many years of dedicated service. Lollie – we thank you and wish you the best.
Jerry Gipper VITA Executive Director [email protected]