Kisco Systems is pleased to announce a new award for its Richard C. Loeber Fellowship for Careers in IBM i. The first award of 2026 goes to a three-year IBM i professional with a deep passion for the platform: Andres Garcia of Baker Distributing Company.
By KiscoSystems
Andres Garcia is an IBM Power Series Application Administrator at Baker, where he supports IBM i infrastructure, system security, PTF management and more. He recently worked with Baker’s IT team to complete critical infrastructure projects including cloud migration, DR replication and an updated data refresh process for development.
Andres says “As a relatively new (comparatively) member of the IBM i community, I have found immense interest and pride in the work I do daily. My goal is to be a future leader within the IBM i space and believe I have taken the initial steps to get there.” He now wants to add IBM i development to his skillset so he can offer more value to Baker and gain a more holistic understanding of IBM i and its role in the business. He says, “At the end of the day, if I want to be an IBM i expert I need to soak up as much IBM i knowledge as possible, which includes development.”
Look out for Andres soon on the IBM i speaker circuit! His enthusiasm for the platform extends to knowledge sharing and mentoring. “As my career continues and my knowledge grows, SHARING that knowledge is not something that I shy away from. Eventually I want to speak at conferences, create blog posts highlighting tips and tricks for new IBM i fanatics, all while growing as an asset for Baker.”
Andres’ enthusiasm and professional competence have not gone unnoticed. “I have had the opportunity to observe his work closely, and I can say without reservation that he is one of the most capable and self-driven IT professionals I have managed in my career,” says Jon Covell, Vice President of IT and Andres’ manager at Baker Distributing Company. “What makes Andres particularly valuable is not just his technical ability but his attitude and work ethic. He has integrated seamlessly into our IT team and earned the respect of everyone around him.”
Andres will receive free IBM i and RPG training from imPower Technologies, along with a one-year COMMON membership and attendance at POWERUp in April, 2026.
“I first met Andres at POWERUp in 2024, where I had the pleasure of pinning his polaroid to Kisco’s IBM i careers timeline,” says Justin Loeber, CEO of Kisco Systems and sponsor of the RCL Fellowship program. “Since then I’ve continued to recognize what everyone else sees in Andres…incredible enthusiasm and a strong work ethic, combined with a natural understanding of technology. We are very pleased to award him this fellowship!”
About Baker Distributing Company
Since 1945, Baker Distributing Company, formerly Baker Bros., has been providing high quality HVAC, Foodservice and Commercial Refrigeration Equipment, Parts and Supplies. Today they have more than 230 sales centers in 27 states, offering a wide range of HVAC/R products for Residential and Commercial applications.
About the Richard C. Loeber Fellowship
The Richard C. Loeber (RCL) Fellowship from Kisco Systems is a program that partners with IBM i customers to develop high potential employees who are smart, curious and highly motivated, but do not yet have all the experience or skills necessary to build a career on the IBM i platform. RCL Fellows receive free IBM i training, a COMMON membership, free conference registrations and recognition throughout the IBM i community. Candidates are encouraged to apply at any time.
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