What is your role in the Service Center of Excellence?
I am the new IT Manager for F&A End User Support. I get to work with a team of experienced IT support professionals that quickly resolve end user issues. I am an experienced, hands-on leader who believes in personal and professional growth for both individuals and the team. My role is to maximize the ability and productivity of the end user support team to minimize user downtime.
What did you do before you came to the SCE?
I have always been in IT, working in a number of positions over the years. After graduating from UNC, I started out as a bench technician (where I broke a printer my first day) and advanced my career through system administration, email and collaboration, networking and finally ended up managing service desk and infrastructure teams. My last permanent position was with Salix Pharmaceuticals where we supported the Raleigh main office as well as five hundred sales reps stationed throughout the U.S.
Why are you excited about joining the SCE?
I am very excited to be working at UNC. I am thrilled with the customer service mindset of my team, their vast knowledge and experience and the way they support each other. I get the same vibe from the SCE as a whole, where people are friendly, supportive and willing to help – thank you for your warm welcome. While my career has been in the private sector, I believe my experiences will help the department continue to develop and grow. IT is changing everywhere and it is evident that will be the case here. While change is often uncomfortable, it is always necessary and the result usually brings better outcomes. I look forward to getting to know each of you; please stop by at any time.
What do you enjoy doing in your free time?
I love traveling and spending time with my wife. We enjoy week-long trips as well as weekend trips. (Sometimes we will get in the car Saturday morning and pick a direction and drive two hours and decide where to stay.) We both enjoy touring (and sampling) wineries and craft beer breweries. I home brew beer and really love new experiences. I’ll do almost anything once!
I recently retired as a Boy Scout leader. I am an Eagle Scout and have been back in scouting since my son joined Cub Scouts (he’s also an Eagle Scout). As you can imagine, I enjoy camping, boating, hiking and just about any outdoor activity.
What is something people probably wouldn’t know about you?
I have been happily married to my wife, Cathy, for over 28 years and have two grown children. My daughter, Amanda, is 25 years old and works in marketing in Charlotte. My 20-year-old son, Patrick, lives in Greensboro and does facilities work for Sports Endeavors at their Mebane warehouse. We have a dog, Penny (named from our favorite TV show The Big Bang Theory) that is a ‘legal’ (part lab, part beagle).
I started karate as a student at UNC and practiced actively for about 15 years. I have a third-degree black belt in Matsubayashi Shorin-ryu (Okinawan karate) and a second-degree black belt in kobudo (Okinawan hand weapons). I have also studied Iaido and Kendo (Japanese martial arts) and have plans to get back into Iaido.