Been to the Blair County Convention Center in Altoona or the Bryce Jordan Center in State College?
Ever see images of real-time traffic on the Internet or on TV?
Do you watch YouTube videos online?
If the answer is yes to any of the above, there's a good chance Altoona native David L. Jannetta has touched or will touch your life.
Jannetta, 57, has had four careers, including mayor of Altoona from 1984 through November 1987.
He was full-time active duty for the Air Force June 1975 through August 1981, and continued with the Pennsylvania Air National Guard 193rd Special Operations Wing, based in Middletown, through 2000. He was involved in psychological missions and warfare operations, including supporting NATO troops all over the world. His service included 5,784 flying hours, 1,707 sorties and 152 combat hours.
"I even ended up doing a mission while I was mayor," said Jannetta, who was the navigator in his unit.
While mayor, he was tapped by Gov. Bob Casey to fill the role of state Secretary of General Services.
"I was in charge of all the construction and procurement activities for the state," Jannetta said. "We built all the prisons, started the Bryce Jordan Center. From paper clips to computer systems, to the car fleet, we spent hundreds of millions of dollars every year."
After leaving state government in 1995, he started the Jannetta Co., a real estate development company. He served as a consultant on the Blair County Convention Center.
And, as an entrepreneur, he has been co-founder of three technology-related companies.
A 1970 graduate of Altoona Area High School, Jannetta said he follows his interests and advises others, including his children, to do the same.
"I've told them to focus on things they like. I don't know how many people I've met over the years, that don't really hate it (their job), but they do it because they feel they'll get a pension. I think it's real important to do what you love and the rest will take care of itself," he said from his home in the Valley Forge area.
Although he says he's done well, the important thing for him is "to be able to keep my family together, moving forward."
Blair County Judge Daniel Milliron has been friends with Jannetta since Milliron was mayor of Altoona in 1990.
"When he left Altoona, he didn't forget Altoona," Milliron said. "He was instrumental in bringing Capitol for a Day in 1991 or 1992 (when the governor and his cabinet came to town for three days) and placing the state welfare office in downtown Altoona."
He added Jannetta also helped in the renovation of the Railroaders Memorial Museum and expansion construction at Penn State Altoona.
"He's one of the pioneers of using satellites to get real-time traffic data seen on TV and on your computer. He's considered nationwide to be a leader in technology."
Jannetta's foray into the technology field began in 1997 when he and business partners Brian Malewicz and Mike Burns founded Traffic.com.
"We put sensors in the roadway right of ways and collected speed and traffic count data around major metropolitan areas around the country," Jannetta said. "They built contracts around that information for interactive use by radio and television.
Traffic.com, which had 750 employees, went public about three years ago and a year later was acquired by Navteq.
"If you have a GPS device, you're using Navteq maps," he said.
Then Navteq was acquired by Nokia.
Jannetta is one of the founders and on the board of directors of Greenlink Networks, created in July 2007 and headquartered in King of Prussia. He is also senior vice president for business development. Malewicz is president.
Jannetta said they developed technology that "could simulate flying around Philly, looking at traffic, see if it was stopped."
It is used in 76 major television markets.
But they didn't stop there. Greenlinks built and is marketing software for rewards programs.
Then, in October 2007, Jannetta and his business partners founded COGO Optronics Inc. The company, headquartered in Boulder, Colo., is developing advanced components for fiberoptics which will help improve optical modulators, important on Web sites like YouTube where there is high demand for optical capacity.
And, now, he's involved in Guggenheim Venture Partners, a technology venture fund begun by Burns.
Jannetta recognizes the influence people have on others.
"I often talk about Robert Miller, my science teacher in seventh grade at Roosevelt (Junior High School). There was just something about the way he motivated kids. I often credit him for being that one inspiration to be out there trying new things."
Frank Rosenhoover and David Kimmel, both of Altoona, were involved in Kiwanis Club and the Key Club at the high school where they met Jannetta.
"David was a very outstanding young man," Rosenhoover said. "He did everything with exuberence and sustained effort. ... I am absolutely sure he would be successful in anything he did."
Kimmel met Jannetta when he was in high school and was the adviser of the fraternity Jannetta joined at Penn State Altoona Campus.
Kimmel said he enjoyed seeing a person of Jannetta's caliber grow, and he became a friend.
"He is just one of those individuals that has always been an easy-going person, but yet a good leader. ... He could accomplish things because people wanted to work with him," Kimmel said.
Jannetta hasn't forgotten Altoona. His father, Phil, lives here and he speaks with him on the phone every week.
"I think about it a lot - how important it was ... to grow up with family around. Unfortunately that's just not the way the world is anymore," he said. "My kids can end up anywhere and they will. The one thing they'll never have is the sense of the small-town environment."
Jannetta doesn't know what the future holds.
"I tell my kids I still don't know what I want to do when I grow up."
Life Editor Barbara Cowan is at 946-7454.
