Wow! I can’t believe that I have been working here for 30 years. I still remember my first day in April 1995, when I walked through the front door of Memory Lane Systems (now Emphasys Software). It was snowing that day, which was not that unusual for Petoskey, Michigan. The support staff was already buzzing as they were getting ready for the day, and Jim Graham, who was the director of Support at the time, greeted me and gave me a tour of the office, where I met many of my co-workers and several of my friends that I still have today. I spent the next 3 years working in that office as a ”trainer,” implementing our legacy Flex product. This was a rather exciting time in the software industry. Windows 95 was just rolling out and was making a huge impact in the industry. I also remember when the first Pentium Processor hit the market. That was also a very exciting time. The Flex product was PC-based, so we were moving many clients from Mainframe systems to the new Windows platform.
My next adventure with the company was playing a role in Project Management. Kevin Schworm and I spearheaded this and introduced it to the company. But, then 1999 rolled around and the dreaded Y2K became the new buzzword in the country. Many computer systems were not Y2K compliant, and the fear was that they would not function after January 1, 2000, and major systems would crash. Flex was already compliant, so we became one of the sought-after software solutions for housing authorities. I then accepted the Business Analyst position to help prepare the company for Y2K. I remained in this position for the next 7 years before returning to Professional Services where I am today. My role as the Business Analyst really allowed me to experience additional aspects of the company and really shaped me into the employee I am today. I worked very closely with many of the departments such as Development, Support, Professional Services, and even the Sales team. This was truly a great experience for me.
The company also underwent some big changes in the early 2000s. Memory Lane Systems merged with another Housing Software Company called CCS, and we became Emphasys Software. Shortly after the merger, we began implementing the new Emphasys Elite product line. This was also an exciting time for me professionally, as it was another opportunity to learn and grow with the company.
As I sit here and reflect on these past 30 years, I realize that I have been with this company for half of my life. It has not only been a job, but actually an integral part of my personal life. I met my husband, Eric, while working at the company. He was my supervisor’s cousin, and I met him at one of their family gatherings. With Eric I also gained 3 great kids, Sarah, Hanah and Jesse, who all still reside in the Chicago area. I also enjoy spending time with my 10 siblings and especially my sister, Laurie, at her home in Florida. I am now looking forward to the next adventure with our new Epoch product line that will rolling out soon.
The Five Questions:
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- Most used app on your phone? With all the travel these past years, I rely heavily on the Maps App on my phone. I am sure that I would still be lost in some mountains in New York if I did not have it.
- If you could be somebody else at Emphasys for a day, who would you be? Lance Leaming without a doubt. He is so smart and respected, and everyone loves him. Who wouldn’t want to be him (at least for one day)? I am grateful to have him as a co-worker and also as a close friend.
- If you had an extra hour every day, what would you do with it? I would read a book. There is nothing like having a little time to pick up a good book and just disappear into the pages for a little while. This is one thing that I am truly looking forward to being able to do in my future retirement.
- The zombie apocalypse is coming; who are three people you want on your team? My husband, Eric, would be my first choice. He is big and strong and I can easily hide behind him. My second choice would be my sister Janel. She is tough as nails and nothing will get past her. And finally, probably her son Andrew. He is quite sharp and is also young and fast so he would draw the zombies away from the rest of us.
- Favorite ice cream flavor? I actually have two flavors. One is plain ole vanilla. Vanilla can be eaten as-is or with all sorts of toppings, depending on the mood. Plus, it was my Dad’s favorite flavor. My second favorite is Butter Pecan. I think I love this one because it was my Mom’s favorite flavor and we had it often growing up.