In 1998, I joined Emphasys seeking a Developer position. Despite their focus on cabling a new building and no immediate need for developers, I leveraged my technical background as a lab tech and computer company experience to secure a role as a Network Engineer. Before this career shift, my professional background was rooted in the hospitality industry, where I garnered invaluable experience from roles in restaurants, bars, and hotels. Notably, I had the privilege of being part of the team at the grand opening of the Amway Grand Plaza, a prestigious five-star hotel, where I interacted with dignitaries from around the globe. Additionally, managing positions in a chain of Mexican restaurants, notably La Senorita, provided me with extensive exposure to customer service dynamics. These experiences taught me the importance of treating customers with respect, a philosophy I carry into my work today.
And now for our five fun questions asked of every Staff Spotlight member:
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- What is the most used app on your phone? Likely the Messages app as all the kids and grandkids tend to use this to communicate more than phone calls. Followed by Teams and Outlook.
- If you could be somebody else at Emphasys for a day, who would you be? So many interesting choices to choose from and the people who are making them. Let’s talk about Mark Kage. This guy is way smarter than the average bear. He remembers more than I forget. His knowledge and thoroughness in doing any task I’ve seen him take on are impeccable.
- If you had an extra hour every day, what would you do with it? What to do with an extra hour…hmmm….learn something new or spend it with family and friends.
- The zombie apocalypse is coming; who are three people you want on your team? My brother and my friends, Jodi and John. Both my brother and John know a lot about survival as it relates to hunting. They can also make a lot of their own things and live off the land. Jodi is very knowledgeable about plants, roots, stems, bark, and the like and knows what is safe to eat and use versus what is not. If you want to protect yourself and stay nourished, then well, what better company to have?
- What is your favorite ice cream flavor? So many flavors out there. If I had to name one it would be Swiss Vanilla Almond from Haagen Dazs.