How did you get your start at LCC?  What do you remember most from your first day/week/month?

When I was an adjunct, LCC was very different, running on a mainframe and registering by punch card. I can't say I remember it all that well. But I certainly recall my first week in ITP (at that time), getting settled into my cubicle and taking all my trainings! Although I had a good deal of prior IT experience, there was a lot to learn about Banner and LCC technology. Melanie Rogers was my boss, and I met with Chuck Parker in the Virtual College which I was initially hired to support, John Thommen who was the admin of the CMS at that time, and all the CTE (Center for Teaching Excellence) folks.

Have you held different positions at LCC? How would you describe your career path and the role that LCC played in it?

I have worn a number of "hats" at LCC. My first employment at LCC was as an adjunct, teaching "Introduction to Microcomputers" in Old Central, in 1990. I was hired as IT support for the Virtual College in October of 1999. I was for a time co-Admin of the Virtual College/ELearning CMS systems CourseInfo, Blackboard, and Angel. I did a stint in Infrastructure (server team) as a DBA on the Oracle E-Business Suite; I also taught "Oracle for GIS" under Blackboard and then Angel. I returned to the "home team" as it were in what is now Enterprise Systems. I was team lead for Application Development for a bit, briefly on the DBA team, and for the last many years have been supporting the Banner Student System as well as integrations and identity management. My career path in IT began when my Physics Advisor told me programming would be an important skill and a means to support myself. I worked my way through undergraduate (it was possible in those days), and that is how my career in IT began. I have many other avocations, but due to my work at LCC, I developed very strong skills particularly in Oracle Database programming and honed my skills in debugging and trouble-shooting.

What's your favorite memory from your time at LCC? Who are the people who made working here great?

There are too many to choose from as far as picking favorites. I think one of the most memorable ones, somewhat bittersweet, was watching the destruction of Old Central from the end of the ITS-ES office suite hall, and the construction of the University Center building. I have made some friends, and have many good memories of working with them. I particularly enjoyed when the Hospitality students would sell fresh cookies in the office suites; which reminds me how much I used to enjoy the catered lunch food with lemon bars. I enjoyed bowling at LCC, and cherish the few trophies Split Happens won during our glory days. Over 25 years, I just have so many memories and cherish the good ones. The best ones involve shared experiences with my working family in IT, helping my working family in the college, and of course, the students.

What were your greatest accomplishments or successes while working at LCC?

Writing an in-house sign-in web application that saved the college a lot of money, versus buying vendor software; I am proud of the whole team in getting this done on schedule. I was able to write a web application with the able assistance of the student employees for the Dental Hygiene clinical staff to make entries and track students on mobile devices. Also with the able assistance of student employees, I wrote the first Account Activation and Management program - which has since evolved a good deal through the work of others particularly Chad Lycos and Charlie Benson, who modernized the application and converted it to the new technologies, but I am happy to have gotten the initial work done on a tight schedule. I am proud of so many of the student employees I was able to mentor, many of whom have gone on to successful IT employment. Speaking of mentoring, I was honored and proud to have participated in the WISE mentoring program and mentored a student who has gone on to much success in IT and life!

What are you looking forward to in your retirement? What plans are you most excited for?

I am looking forward to being able to return to music ministry, art, and volunteering. Like an old firetruck horse, I may have a little trouble not running when I hear the bells, so I expect to take on a part-time job in the occasionally high-stress area of IT that I came to love through LCC.

Supervisor: Mark Tesone

What's your favorite memory of this employee? Do you have any other positive thoughts to share about this individual?

I have enjoyed what might be a unique opportunity to have worked with Anita as my mentor, my colleague, a direct team mate, and as her supervisor. In every iteration I have found her to be knowledgeable, capable, friendly, and helpful almost to a fault. 

Anita also might be the very embodiment of dedication. She is tenacious and driven to solving the problem at hand, meticulously poking at it from multiple perspectives and angles to ensure it is truly understood and handled not just now but ideally forever. She also is so good about staying connected to ensure others are informed and educated through the process in a way that I have always greatly admired. In this way her work has always been exemplary.

She isn't just the quality of her work though. Anita has always been a big advocate for the needs of others. Her focus both on the impact of her actions and the importance of the work we do here is always visible in her decision making. You can tell that she sincerely cares about her peers and our students. She is also someone who always has their door open to be of help or consult to anyone who needs it.

For me personally, I will remember my time with her as a long stream of wonderful conversations in her doorway or mine about all manner of things like gaming and design work, organizational theory and strategic planning, family and life... I have valued her thoughts and perspectives greatly through the years and will miss that dearly when she is gone.

Anita, I wish you nothing but the best as you move on.

-Mark