Tell us a little bit about yourself.
I was born and raised in the Lethbridge area. After high school, I attended Lethbridge Community College where I received a diploma in Computer Information Systems. During this time and afterwards, I had several different types of jobs which included working at one of my favourites in the Photo Department at Save-On-Foods. It was fascinating seeing pictures of common places but through the eyes of the photographer's perspective, or views of places you could only dream of visiting. During this time, I met my now wife and we started the next stage in life.
How long have you been at ULethbridge and what do you do here?
I have been at the University for 27 years, all as part of various positions in the Information Technology department. My first role was part of the Help Desk, which lasted about two weeks before I moved into Operations side of System Administration. Later I became a Systems Administrator for products such as the Library’s ERL System, the Learning Management System WebCT and Oracle Calendar where I started working with devices such as Palm Pilots and Blackberry’s (yup, that long ago). I then transitioned into a more senior role administering our Microsoft Exchange Server environment well before the days of it being hosted in the cloud. In 2012, I shifted gears to become a Database Administrator touching all facets of databases being utilized by the University’s Web Site, to the Expense claim system, to our Enterprise Resource Planning system and many more. In 2022, I took on my current role of overseeing the Enterprise Applications team, where I have the privilege of working with a talented group of Programmer Analysts and Implementers who make the magic happen of ensuring data integrity, security and functionality between various systems and our Banner system work as expected.
What's the best part of your job?
I am appreciative of all the opportunities my career at the University has given me. I have been able to touch so many different aspects of IT at one institution and have my career grow in a way that continually challenged me, but also at times made me question my life choices. In my current position, there is never a dull moment and always an opportunity to learn something new. It has also allowed me to be less behind the scenes as I was in my other roles but rather working with others in the university community, giving me the insight into the priorities and demands of the other business units. I very much enjoy seeing the successes of the Enterprise Apps team and being a part of their professional growth, as well as working with a talented management team in ITS.
What do you enjoy doing outside of work?
I enjoy spending time with my family first and foremost. Doing so reminds me what is important in life and keeps me grounded. I enjoy the occasional road trip and spending time on wheels whether it is the bike, golf cart or zooming around in the convertible. Hockey season is a big hit over the dark days of winter and I hope to one day see my team hoist the cup one more time.