DuPage County marks mainframe shutdown as senior mainframe programmer Jim Watson retires
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Summary
DuPage County leaders honored Jim Watson, a senior mainframe programmer retiring after 38 years, and announced the countys 40-year mainframe has been shut down; staff said the physical unit will be removed within weeks as IT shifts to modern systems.
DuPage County officials honored senior mainframe programmer Jim Watson at the Technology Committee meeting on Dec. 2, 2025, and announced the countys decades-old mainframe has been shut down.
Chairwoman (unnamed) thanked Watson for his work on the mainframe shutdown and for 38 years of service, saying, "He has dedicated over 38 years to serving DuPage County with skill, commitment, and a friendly attitude." Watson, who the meeting identified as a senior mainframe programmer in the county IT department, is scheduled to retire this Friday.
An IT presenter (speaker 3) told the committee the mainframe was shut down last Friday and credited a cross-department team for the effort: "The mainframe is shut down," the presenter said, and named staff who led and supported the project, including BG Grama and Shanita Thompson.
The presenter said staff are preparing to physically move the last mainframe "box" out of the building in about two weeks and noted that modern systems now have a far smaller footprint than earlier mainframes.
The committee offered its appreciation during the meeting; no formal action was required. The county said IT will proceed with post-shutdown steps, including hardware removal and continued transition work.