The DEAR Group was founded in 1999 by Donald E. Rife, President and CEO, to provide Project Leadership, Quality Assurance, and Software Testing services to organizations in the greater Philadelphia area. The company has since increased its focus to include Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery Planning. Since obtaining his degree in Business Administration from Elizabethtown College in 1976, Mr. Rife has amassed over 32 years of professional experience in the information technology industry.

The 80’s…
Once the initial wave of casino construction subsided, Mr. Rife joined Systems and Computer Technology (SCT) to become the Manager of Technical Services at Villanova University. At Villanova, Mr. Rife saw the inception of the Computer Science curriculum and lead the effort to network computers throughout the campus.

At the end of his SCT contract, Mr. Rife joined Computer Task Group as a Technical Business Analyst in their Wilmington office. Mr. Rife was initially engaged at the Medical Center of Delaware to determine the requirements for an automated laboratory information system. Additionally he was asked to evaluate electronic mail packages, audit their data center, and investigate various networking options.  While at CTG, Mr. Rife also designed and developed an Item Processing system for American Express and designed a chargeback system at ICI Americas.