Where are you from?
I was born in Owen Sound, Ontario but I grew up in Pincher Creek. I’m a dual citizen; both of my parents are American. They honeymooned in Banff and they liked the area so much that, when dad had an option to transfer, they moved from Brooklyn, New York to Pincher Creek. It was a big adjustment for my parents but it gave us kids more freedom. My parents are now Canadian citizens and live in Lethbridge.
After high school, I went to Lethbridge College and took their Computer Information Technology program and also the Computer Network Technician program. After that, I got a job in Idaho for four years. I worked for a large company called Woodgrain Millwork, where I was site administrator for four of their primary locations. After Idaho, I moved to the City of Brooks to be the city’s sole IT administrator. I met my wife and, after we got married, we moved to Lethbridge to have jobs in the same location, raise our two kids and be closer to both of our families.
How long have you been at the U of L and what do you do here?
I started at the U of L in September 2006 with the then Faculty of Management. I currently manage the Dhillon School of Business Technology Services department. I manage the technical needs of the Dhillon School to ensure the deployment, maintenance and upgrades of both hardware and software are met. I also work in conjunction with other departments on campus to foster good relationships and to fully utilize resources, such as reducing costs for software licensing. I’ve also created projects such as the way-finding kiosks found in Markin Hall and a mobile simulation lab.
I'm also responsible for implementing and managing the Centre for Financial Market Research and Teaching labs on both the Lethbridge and Calgary campuses in their current versions. This also involves the management, maintenance and delivery of our Citrix-based virtualization environment which enables faculty, staff and students with the ability to access applications such as SPSS, Profile, Tableau, STATA, and the finance trading simulation software. This gives our faculty, staff and students access to our software and shared drives from almost any device, anywhere in the world, given they have a stable internet connection. The Citrix environment is a series of both physical and virtual server machines requiring management of system resources based on the need of classes, faculty and students.
What’s the best part of your job?
I’ve always been interested in technology, including understanding how something works, troubleshooting and finding new ways to leverage technology to drive faculty and student success. I like to keep up with new technologies so I understand them, can use them and then better support those who needs it.
What’s one thing most people don’t know about you?
I love to draw, take photos and travel (UK, Egypt, Belize, Hawaii, across the US and Canada). Some people are surprised to learn, given how involved I am with technology, that I like to disconnect from everything and go camping. I like being able to unplug and just go back to basics.