Kim Murdock

I received my B.A. and Masters degrees, not in computer programming or math or anything even slightly related to technology. I got them in theatre — and headed from UC San Diego to Hollywood to embark on an acting career.

As I began to get roles on TV, I also took temp work in technology. Lo and behold, I found it more challenging, rewarding and, let’s face it, steadier.

So I officially gave up acting in the early 90s, started taking permanent jobs in legal tech, and moved from document processor to system manager, and then into management as a technology director.

But the higher I climbed, the less hands-on my job became. I missed the personal triumph of wrestling programming puzzles into submission. So I founded my own consulting company, which later became Appkickers Technology. (See Technology page.)

Whether it's on your desk or wrist, technology only helps if it's actually useful. Making it manageable, productive, even enjoyable for people whose work depends on it — that’s what keeps me interested.

I've also enjoyed adding community service to my plate. Serving as an Administrative Hearing Officer in Pacific Grove, California for a little over a decade, I performed a quasi-judicial role, hearing appeals involving city ordinances, much like a traditional magistrate. Along the way, a case about a pet pig gained notoriety in the local news, and my decision was upheld in Superior Court. Click the hearing link to the right to read about it.