1.How long have you worked at JustBats.com?
I started at JustBats.com full time in April of 2009. I've been a consultant/contractor for JustBats.com since about 2004.
2.What are some of your responsibilities in the IT Department?
As the Director of IT I'm responsible for making sure the IT team keeps all of our systems up and running and for developing our overall IT strategy.
As Software Architect I'm responsible for setting an overall strategy for developing and maintaining the core of our custom software solutions both on the Web and for our back-end operations.
I work closely with the IT staff as well as the Development staff to ensure the technological decisions we make are consistent with JustBats.com standards and that those decisions pragmatically solve the business challenges we face each and every day.
3.What do you like to do outside of JustBats.com?
There's life outside of Justbats.Com? Wow, you learn something new every day!
Seriously, I enjoy:
Hanging out with my family
Salt water aquariums
Radio Control models
Gaming
4.Mac or PC?
I use both but if I had to pick one it would be a PC. Mac's are very nice, but highly overrated and overpriced. Overall for the type of computing I do PC is simply a better platform.
5.Your a computer guy, any tech advice for people coming into the IT world?
Never stop learning and ask great questions. I've been doing this for nearly 20 years and not a day goes by that I don't learn something new. IT and/or Development is not a 9-5 job. To be successful in this business you need to live and breath technology. The second you become comfortable and feel like you've got it all figured out there will be someone who will challenge you. Companies heavily depend on the IT and Development staff. Those who rise to the challenge can be very successful in IT, those who don't, find themselves replaced by someone who will.
6.What is your favorite sport and team?
I'm a football fan at heart and loves me some Chiefs. Football kind of reminds me of software development. You formulate a small plan (play) execute it and validate the result. Repeat the plans which bring you success and discard those which don't. Repeat this enough and you will find success.
7.What’s the most frustrating thing about computers?
Computers are not intelligent nor smart. They only know and do exactly what they are told, nothing more, nothing less. People assume computers have intelligence when they in fact do not.
8.What made you decide to go the IT route?
I love to solve problems. The more complicated the problem the more I want to attack it. There are few jobs you can have where you get to attack large problems and see the immediate result of your hard work. It's kind of like being a surgeon without all the mess.
9.What is your favorite part about working at JustBats.com?
I love the fact that I get to do what I do best every day. Find a job doing what you love and you'll never work a day in your life.
10.What gets you laughing the hardest?
One-liners. A well placed one-line joke or comment will get me rolling every time. For example: "Do not argue with idiots. They will drag you down to their level and beat you with experience.".