How did you land in this industry?
I've had a passion for technology since I was young. I started working at our local Radio Shack in 2001, selling and servicing cell phones for Unicel/Cellular 2000, along with the latest in home and car audio and video technology. From there, I moved to Crow Wing Power’s T-Mobile division for four years.
When an opportunity arose at CTC, it felt like a great fit with my background and passion for the ever changing technology. I started as an account executive for our original service areas such as Pillager, Mission, and Outing. Then I transitioned into a sales engineer position, working with all teams within CTC and businesses to make for a smooth installation. Later, I moved into my current role of Product and Project specialist. This has been a great adventure! I continue to work with every team at CTC, helping to announce a new product offering or make an internal process more efficient.
What does a typical day look like for you?
I learned early on that there is no "typical" day in my current role. And that’s the beauty of it! Every day has new opportunities to address the needs of our members and employees. Working with teams at CTC to develop solutions is an ever-evolving process.
What’s the biggest challenge for you or your teammates?
The constantly changing technology. But that’s also the best thing about working at CTC! From new equipment to new offerings, CTC works to prepare for not only what is changing today, but what changes will happen in the future. At CTC, we always look out for the next big thing that will benefit our members!
What’s on the horizon or changing most in the industry?
Connectivity and speed! It seems like not that long ago, 1 GB speed offering was a luxury. Today, as consumers, we are seeing more and more benefits of internet-connected devices. Our "smart homes" and TVs all take more bandwidth to operate. As new devices hit the market and as we start to see ourselves at home more often (work from home and school from home), we realize that we rely heavily on not only the internet connection TO the home, but the connection IN the home.
Why do you enjoy your job?
This has been one of the most rewarding careers I have had. Everyday, I work towards bettering CTC. Whether it is for internal operations or helping change our members lives with new products or services. It’s satisfying every time a project is completed - to see the positive effects that it has on everyone involved. And no two projects are alike – so, the changing landscape is a great challenge to adjust to every day.
