nonTraditional56

nonTraditional56http://56stories.com/blogs/nontraditional56/atom.aspxCommunity Server2008-04-17T12:26:00ZBrown Baghttp://56stories.com/blogs/nontraditional56/archive/2008/10/24/brown-bag.aspx2008-10-24T20:11:00Z2008-10-24T20:11:00Z<a href="http://www.blogrovr.com/feed/?feed.url=http%3A%2F%2F56stories.com%2Fblogs%2FnonTraditional56%2F" style="border:0pt none;display:block;" title="BlogRovR: read my blog anywhere!"> <img src="http://www.blogrovr.com/feed/button/chiclet.fetch.gif" style="border:medium none;" alt="BlogRovR: read my blog anywhere!" /></a> <a href="http://www.blogrovr.com/?show=button" style="display:block;clear:both;font-size:7pt;font-family:verdana,sans-serif;color:gray;"> want this on your blog?</a> <br /> <p> I gave my first Brown Bag yesterday since starting with Trinity eight months ago.  You're wondering what the heck is a Brown Bag?  It's an informal presentation given during lunchtime and participants are encouraged to bring their lunch, which explains how the practice got its name.</p> <p><a href="http://56stories.com/blogs/nontraditional56/Brown_Bag.jpg"><img src="http://56stories.com/blogs/nontraditional56/Brown_Bag.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a> </p> <p> Each Trinity employee is expected to give 1-2 Brown Bags per year, but since starting in February, I haven't seen any given in my office, which made me a little nervous without an example to follow.  One of the goals my supervisor set for me in my performance review was to give a Brown Bag before the year was up, so I decided to get this goal checked off.</p> <p>My topic was Chemical Facility Anti-Terrorism Standards (CFATS).  I attended a training back in May on this and its an area where Trinity is hopeful we can generate some business since a lot of our clients are in the petroleum and chemical business and have to comply with this new federal standard.</p> <p>As usual, other work kept me occupied and I was scrambling at the end to finish my Powerpoint slides.  It took a while, since I had to create each slide from scratch from the training materials I brought back.  There is a ton of information on this topic, so it was hard deciding what to include and what to toss.  In the end I thought I had a good presentation to inform those in my office who knew nothing about CFATS.  I understand these Brown Bags can be anywhere from thirty minutes to an hour.  With the questions and discussion this one was about 1:15 in length.</p> <p>I don't mind public speaking, but I'm glad I'm done with this goal.  There's more work to do though.  My supervisor has indicated he'd like me to develop a 1-hour class on this that we can advertise and present to our clients. <br /></p> <a href="http://www.stickis.com/feed/?feed.url=http%3A%2F%2F56stories.com%2Fnontraditonal56" title="Stickis: read my blog anywhere!"> <img src="http://www.stickis.com/feed/button/stickis.2.gif" alt="Stickis: read my blog anywhere!" /></a> <a href="http://www.stickis.com/feed/button/" style="display:block;clear:both;font-size:6pt;font-family:verdana,sans-serif;color:gray;"> want this on your blog?</ </a><img src="http://56stories.com/aggbug.aspx?PostID=2531" width="1" height="1">nonTraditional56http://56stories.com/members/nonTraditional56.aspxSmoke Schoolhttp://56stories.com/blogs/nontraditional56/archive/2008/10/09/smoke-school.aspx2008-10-09T14:46:00Z2008-10-09T14:46:00Z<a href="http://www.blogrovr.com/feed/?feed.url=http%3A%2F%2F56stories.com%2Fblogs%2FnonTraditional56%2F" style="border:0pt none;display:block;" title="BlogRovR: read my blog anywhere!"> <img src="http://www.blogrovr.com/feed/button/chiclet.fetch.gif" style="border:medium none;" alt="BlogRovR: read my blog anywhere!" /></a> <a href="http://www.blogrovr.com/?show=button" style="display:block;clear:both;font-size:7pt;font-family:verdana,sans-serif;color:gray;"> want this on your blog?</a> <br /> <p>Sorry to disappoint, but this doesn't have anything to do with cigar bars or hookah smoking caterpillars (look up Alice in Wonderland and Jefferson Airplane's White Rabbit for you youngsters).</p> <p><a href="http://56stories.com/blogs/nontraditional56/HookahCeterpillar_350x350.jpg"><img src="http://56stories.com/blogs/nontraditional56/HookahCeterpillar_350x350.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a> </p> <p>Six months sure goes by fast.  Yesterday I attended Smoke School again for re-certification.  I passed on the first round.  They say quite a few people don't pass and have to stay for the second session and if they don't pass that they have to come back for the second day and try to pass then.  </p> <p>What's this all about?  How does it relate to our work at Trinity?  Good questions venerable student, I shall enlighten you.  Smoke School is officially known as Visible Emission Observer Training.  Once you pass the test, you are fully qualified as a visible emission observer, capable of observing and quantifying visible emissions according to guidelines accepted by the Kansas City Air Quality Program, the Missouri Air Pollution Control Program, and the U.S. EPA.</p> <p>The Emission Measurement Branch, Technical Support Division of the EPA produces document EMTIC TM-009, which explains the Method 9 NSPS test method: "Many stationary sources discharge visible emissions into the atmosphere; these emissions are usually in the shape of a plume.  This method involves the determination of plume opacity by qualified observers.  The method includes procedures for the training and certification of observers and procedures to be used in the field for determination of plume opacity."</p> <p>The majority of our work is in assisting clients to complete their air permit and get the permit issued.  Those air permits contain restrictions on emissions and requirements for frequency of inspection of those emissions.  As certified observers, we can perform those inspections for our clients.  This leads into our VEMS software that we developed specifically for this inspection requirement. A Method 9 test is a 6-minute test conducted at 15-second intervals, and none of those 15-second tests can exceed the limit set in the air permit.  Our software makes the test easy by automating the input every 15-seconds on a PDA.  The results can then be downloaded to a desktop applications and reports can be generated.<br /></p> <a href="http://www.stickis.com/feed/?feed.url=http%3A%2F%2F56stories.com%2Fnontraditonal56" title="Stickis: read my blog anywhere!"> <img src="http://www.stickis.com/feed/button/stickis.2.gif" alt="Stickis: read my blog anywhere!" /></a> <a href="http://www.stickis.com/feed/button/" style="display:block;clear:both;font-size:6pt;font-family:verdana,sans-serif;color:gray;"> want this on your blog?</a><img src="http://56stories.com/aggbug.aspx?PostID=2399" width="1" height="1">nonTraditional56http://56stories.com/members/nonTraditional56.aspxPath Forwardhttp://56stories.com/blogs/nontraditional56/archive/2008/09/29/path-forward.aspx2008-09-29T20:55:00Z2008-09-29T20:55:00Z<a href="http://www.blogrovr.com/feed/?feed.url=http%3A%2F%2F56stories.com%2Fblogs%2FnonTraditional56%2F" style="border:0pt none;display:block;" title="BlogRovR: read my blog anywhere!"> <img src="http://www.blogrovr.com/feed/button/chiclet.fetch.gif" style="border:medium none;" alt="BlogRovR: read my blog anywhere!" /></a> <a href="http://www.blogrovr.com/?show=button" style="display:block;clear:both;font-size:7pt;font-family:verdana,sans-serif;color:gray;"> want this on your blog?</a> <br /> <p>I flew to Chicago last Wednesday for our T3 Divison's yearly business meeting.  We coordinated flights so that several of us (4 total) could share a rental car.  It was pretty late by the time we got in the neighborhood of our office and hotel and stomachs were growling, so we stopped off at this little cowboy bar...no, wait, that's a Lyle Lovett song.  We stopped at Braxton's and had some excellent fresh seafood, then headed to the hotel.  To my surprise one of my high school cross country buddies was waiting for me at the hotel.  I had contacted him the week previous & wasn't sure if we were going to be able to play catch up since my schedule was tight, but it worked out nicely.</p> <p>The hotel & office were right next to each other, so we didn't waste any time getting started.  Day 1 was full of presentations and we were given excellent information on many subjects.  Ram Ramanan, the T3 Regional Director opened up the meeting, then John Iwanski, the North Region Director gave a nice presentation on T3's Path Forward.  Rich Pandullo then gave a presentation on SEM (Sustainable Environmental Management). This is an up-and-coming topic that is getting hotter in the corporate world and an area in which Trinity can have a niche.</p> <p><a href="http://56stories.com/blogs/nontraditional56/Trinity+T3%20logo_small.bmp"><img src="http://56stories.com/blogs/nontraditional56/Trinity+T3%20logo_small.bmp" border="0" alt="" /></a></p><p>Several of the T3 core consultants then gave individual presentations on product/service line highlights:</p> <ul> <li>T3 Custom Solutions</li> <li>DIA - Data Integration & Averaging Application (middleware T3 developed that helps EMIS systems talk to PDH (Plant Data Historians)</li> <li>Essential Suite (one of the EMIS providers we partner with)</li> <li>GHG (Green House Gas) Reporting Using Technology</li> </ul> <p>We had a great discussion on how to engage EC (Environmental Consulting) and BD (Business Development) to grow T3.  As new ECs, you will need to keep in mind when working with existing clients how T3's  product/service line can be pitched/sold to the client to assist the client meet their objectives and grow Trinity's work.  Almost all of T3's work comes from exisiting clients, so it is very important that EC and BD consultants understand what T3 does and be able to sell our services.</p> <p>Next up was a presentation on Needs Assessments.  This is the preliminary step that analyzes the client's needs and helps them choose which EMIS (Envrionmental Management Information System) they want to implement based on a ranking system of their most important needs.  </p> <p>The last presentation was on managing large projects - basically project management tips.  Whew!  That was the end of the first day!  We had about an hour and a half before dinner.  Ram had graciously invited us all to his home for dinner.  Our evening was full of tradtional Indian food which was delicious, pool, ping pong and Bollywood movies.  A good time was had by all.</p> <p>Day 2 of the meeting was training on opsEnvironmental, another of our EMIS partners.  After a full day of that we headed back home (that's Kansas City for me in case I haven't mentioned before which office I'm in).  All in all it was a great business meeting, very informative and productive, and a great chance to interface with other consultants.  I think a lot of people now have a better understanding of what T3 does, our product line, and our capabilities.  A full page of 'To Do' items came out of the meeting which will help us as a group keep our momentum on the Path Forward.<br /></p> <p> </p> <a href="http://www.stickis.com/feed/?feed.url=http%3A%2F%2F56stories.com%2Fnontraditonal56" title="Stickis: read my blog anywhere!"> <img src="http://www.stickis.com/feed/button/stickis.2.gif" alt="Stickis: read my blog anywhere!" /></a> <a href="http://www.stickis.com/feed/button/" style="display:block;clear:both;font-size:6pt;font-family:verdana,sans-serif;color:gray;"> want this on your blog?</a><img src="http://56stories.com/aggbug.aspx?PostID=2228" width="1" height="1">nonTraditional56http://56stories.com/members/nonTraditional56.aspxCorporate Culture - Performance Reviewhttp://56stories.com/blogs/nontraditional56/archive/2008/09/16/corporate-culture-performance-review.aspx2008-09-16T20:36:00Z2008-09-16T20:36:00Z<a href="http://www.blogrovr.com/feed/?feed.url=http%3A%2F%2F56stories.com%2Fblogs%2FnonTraditional56%2F" style="border:0pt none;display:block;" title="BlogRovR: read my blog anywhere!"> <img src="http://www.blogrovr.com/feed/button/chiclet.fetch.gif" style="border:medium none;" alt="BlogRovR: read my blog anywhere!" /></a> <a href="http://www.blogrovr.com/?show=button" style="display:block;clear:both;font-size:7pt;font-family:verdana,sans-serif;color:gray;"> want this on your blog?</a> <br /> <p>Wow!  Time sure has flown by since I started working at Trinity.  I had my 6 month review last Friday with my supervisor.  No, I'm not going to give you any confidential details about my review, but I will give you some valuable information related to corporate culture that may help you decide to work here over another company. Remember, I'm a non-traditional 56 - I have 15 years work experience, unlike most of you who will be joining straight out of school.  So I want to give you some perspective on performance reviews from my industry experience.<br /></p> <p>When you first start working at Trinity, they give you plenty of training via the New Hire Orientation.  All companies do this of course, but most just focus on the basics of HR forms, benefits enrollment, required OSHA safety topics, etc.  When its over, its over & there isn't any attention given to it again.  Trinity goes further and provides you with a Career Workbook that outlines the Career Track Program based on Consultant Grades (pay grade you are hired at), Career Channels (IT, Specialty Consulting, Delivery Support, Line of Business Architecture, Delivery Management), and Achievement Levels (L1-L4).  They let you know from day one that they will support you every step of the way with training, a flexible schedule and advancement opportunities.  Having worked in industry I can tell you that a lot of companies give lip service to this, but Trinity walks the talk.  Trinity makes a significant investment in each person they hire, and we still act like a small company, so try to utilize our people assets to their fullest extent.  Trinity even takes orientation to a new plateau with an Advanced Orientation a few months after you start.<br /></p> <p>At all the other companies I've worked for, especially the large and very large ones, reviews were never talked about until the day you got one.  Even if they said they performed 6 month and yearly reviews, I never saw the 6 month review.  It was just glossed over as meaningless.  This is the first company I've worked for that actually does what it says regarding the 6 month review & they take it seriously.  This is important, as it gives you more frequent feedback to gauge your performance and your career goals.  My first 6 months here were just working on whatever came along.  I got the one thing I really wanted & expected out of the review - tangible goals for the next 6 months.</p> <p>The last couple of companies I've worked for had horrible review processes, and on reflection, they were not great places to work (probably why I moved on).  A previous employer gave me a 1 year review and did not allow me to provide any input whatsoever.  When I pressed my supervisor for feedback & a review, he literally told me that he didn't know enough about what I did and couldn't give me a review.  He just processed the review paperwork as generically as he could and it was business as usual.   This obviously isn't helpful to the individual or the organization & that organization suffers from high turnover and a corporate culture that keeps employees frustrated, untrained, and constantly looking for greener pastures.  Getting a review every 6 months may not sound like the most comfortable thing, but its well worth it.  Of course you get informal feedback regularly from your supervisor and peers, but the formal review keeps your performance on track.</p> <p>From my experience, getting a once/year review that is a complete surprise (as far as content) is no fun & a very poor way to manage your people assets.  With my 6 month review Trinity has re-affirmed that I chose to work for the right kind of company & that this corporate culture is the best I have ever worked for.  If you come to work for us, I think you'll find it that way too.  As I've said before, our office has several consultants that started out of school and are still here 4 or 8 years later.  Our Principal Consultant for the KC office has been here 14 years!  Trinity is doing a lot of things right to make this corporate culture one that attracts and keeps employees.<br /></p> <a href="http://www.stickis.com/feed/?feed.url=http%3A%2F%2F56stories.com%2Fnontraditonal56" title="Stickis: read my blog anywhere!"> <img src="http://www.stickis.com/feed/button/stickis.2.gif" alt="Stickis: read my blog anywhere!" /></a> <a href="http://www.stickis.com/feed/button/" style="display:block;clear:both;font-size:6pt;font-family:verdana,sans-serif;color:gray;"> want this on your blog?</a> <img src="http://56stories.com/aggbug.aspx?PostID=1932" width="1" height="1">nonTraditional56http://56stories.com/members/nonTraditional56.aspxVisible Emissions Monitoring Systemhttp://56stories.com/blogs/nontraditional56/archive/2008/09/09/visible-emissions-monitoring-system.aspx2008-09-09T13:54:00Z2008-09-09T13:54:00Z<a href="http://www.blogrovr.com/feed/?feed.url=http%3A%2F%2F56stories.com%2Fblogs%2FnonTraditional56%2F" style="border:0pt none;display:block;" title="BlogRovR: read my blog anywhere!"> <img src="http://www.blogrovr.com/feed/button/chiclet.fetch.gif" style="border:medium none;" alt="BlogRovR: read my blog anywhere!" /></a> <a href="http://www.blogrovr.com/?show=button" style="display:block;clear:both;font-size:7pt;font-family:verdana,sans-serif;color:gray;"> want this on your blog?</a> <br /> <p>I've been staying busy with VEMS (Visible Emissions Monitoring System) work.  Last week I talked a client through the installation process of our latest version over the phone, as the client contact was technically proficient enough to handle this.  I worked in Visual Studio to create a custom VEMS report for another client.  Now I'm preparing to travel to Iowa for an on-site installation tomorrow.  Another consultant and I are planning to leave about 4:30 AM for a 5 hour drive to the client site.  We'll install the software & train the plant personnel on the new software, then head back to KC.  It'll be about a 14 hour day, but we think its worthwhile to just get it over with in one day.  I'll write about the experience once I get enough sleep to focus.</p> <p> __________</p> <p>9/11/08 - Rather than start a new post, I thought I'd just update this one.  We decided to cancel the trip to the Iowa cement plant, as we felt our software wasn't ready.  We had found some small bugs and our main programmer hasn't had time to update all the reports that are available within the software, as he's been full-time billable on another project for a petroleum refinery.  He's in the office today for our 6 month review and we should have time to work on the software together.  Rather than roll the software out with some minor bugs, we would rather delay the installation a couple of weeks and give the customer a near flawless product.</p> <a href="http://www.stickis.com/feed/?feed.url=http%3A%2F%2F56stories.com%2Fnontraditonal56" title="Stickis: read my blog anywhere!"> <img src="http://www.stickis.com/feed/button/stickis.2.gif" alt="Stickis: read my blog anywhere!" /></a> <a href="http://www.stickis.com/feed/button/" style="display:block;clear:both;font-size:6pt;font-family:verdana,sans-serif;color:gray;"> want this on your blog?</a><img src="http://56stories.com/aggbug.aspx?PostID=1801" width="1" height="1">nonTraditional56http://56stories.com/members/nonTraditional56.aspxTrinity Boot Camp - Hoo Ahh!http://56stories.com/blogs/nontraditional56/archive/2008/08/27/trinity-boot-camp-hoo-ahh.aspx2008-08-27T13:38:00Z2008-08-27T13:38:00Z<a href="http://www.blogrovr.com/feed/?feed.url=http%3A%2F%2F56stories.com%2Fblogs%2FnonTraditional56%2F" style="border:0pt none;display:block;" title="BlogRovR: read my blog anywhere!"> <img src="http://www.blogrovr.com/feed/button/chiclet.fetch.gif" style="border:medium none;" alt="BlogRovR: read my blog anywhere!" /></a> <a href="http://www.blogrovr.com/?show=button" style="display:block;clear:both;font-size:7pt;font-family:verdana,sans-serif;color:gray;"> want this on your blog?</a> <br /> <p><a href="http://56stories.com/blogs/nontraditional56/Soldier+Smileys+w+Flag.gif"><img src="http://56stories.com/blogs/nontraditional56/Soldier+Smileys+w+Flag.gif" border="0" alt="" /></a></p> <p>As I mentioned in my last post, I had to leave a client site early to return to KC for Trinity's first ever Boot Camp <a href="http://56stories.com/blogs/nontraditional56/Soldier+Smileys+w+Flag.gif"></a>.  As anything named Boot Camp would imply, it was long and hard, but it was amazing!  There were about 22 recruits divided into 5 teams.  All new hires within the last 6 months were "invited."  I use invited in quotes because the training was mandatory.  This training was designed to be Trinity's immersion training for new hires.</p> <p>We started with lunch and lecture on the first topic which was Emission Calculations.  I was a little apprehensive about this topic, since I don't have an engineering background and haven't seen or done calculation equations since high school chemistry and physics (we won't talk about how long ago that was <img src="http://56stories.com/emoticons/emotion-16.gif" alt="Zip it!" />).  It wasn't as bad as I feared, after all, it is just basic math, and if you have an equation you just have to work a little to get the numbers to plug in.  What did make me feel weird was that I would just barely get the calculation equation copied and the new engineers fresh out of school, especially the ones with a background in Aeronautical, would already have an answer.  Well, at this point in my life I'm resigned to the fact that I'm a slow, methodical thinker who needs time to process information.  That's not a bad thing, but this training was pretty fast paced, so I just focused on paying attention & let the whiz kids crank out the answer for the instructor.  I felt it was more important for me to really understand the process than to try to rush through calculations.</p> <p><a href="http://56stories.com/blogs/nontraditional56/Nave+Ship.gif"></a></p> <p>This topic took us right to dinner time, so we all car pooled to a local BBQ restaurant for a quick meal, then rushed back to the office for the second topic, Quality Assurance/Quality Control.  We reviewed the Trinity QA process which is ISO 9001 compliant.  We quit at 8PM and as a local driver I loaded up my recruits and assumed the duty of Transporter (yes, it's one of my favorite movies).  We didn't have much down time, as I would be picking them up again at 6:45 AM.</p> <p><a href="http://56stories.com/blogs/nontraditional56/Nave+Ship.gif"><img src="http://56stories.com/blogs/nontraditional56/Nave+Ship.gif" border="0" alt="" /></a></p> <p>Friday morning we had another session on Emission Calculations, had lunch catered in, and kept working in our groups.  This might be a good time to mention that we were given Drill sheets earlier and the point of the training was to simulate the creation of a Title V Air Permit for a client.  So after a lecture period, we would divide tasks and work on the calculations and regulations.  After lunch we had a lecture on Regulatory Review & Applicability.  We worked until about 6PM and headed to the new entertainment district in Kansas City, KS called the Legends.  We dined at the Yard House restaurant, then went to Standford & Sons Comedy Club.  I transported my recruits back to the hotel about 10PM and headed home (luckily on 10 minutes away).</p> <p>Saturday morning I picked up my recruits & their luggage at the hotel & we started Boot Camp about 8AM.  The first lecture was on Permit Application Development which took us to lunch.  We worked in our groups through lunch & started our agency meetings where we presented our client's project overview, our regulatory applicability and talked about how we arrived at our emission calculations.  By 3PM we had wrapped it up with an evaluation discussion, handed out awards, and everyone started heading to the airport.</p> <p><a href="http://56stories.com/blogs/nontraditional56/Jet+Fighter.gif"><img src="http://56stories.com/blogs/nontraditional56/Jet+Fighter.gif" border="0" alt="" /></a></p> <p>It was long and hard, but a very good learning experience, which made it fun.  Good food was provided which is always appreciated, and there was some social and entertainment time as well.  Overall, it was fantastic, and as a new Trinity employee it is something to look forward to.  Several things impressed me, especially the Drill Instructors knowledge and expertise, but the thing that impressed me the most was the fact that Trinity believes in its employees enough to outlay this significant time and expense for training.  Trinity prides itself on hiring the best and brightest, and they aren't afraid to invest in you with training and trust.  I've worked for companies that wouldn't spend a dime on training, and those were very disappointing places to work.  With this first ever Boot Camp, Trinity has demonstrated its commitment to ensuring new employees are well trained and immersed in the basics of our business - air permitting.  I've been with Trinity 6 months now, & this company just keeps impressing me.</p> <p>Since this topic is about Boot Camp, I can't help but toss in some pictures of a Krav Maga Boot Camp I did a couple of years ago.  We'd workout from 5AM-7AM, Monday & Wednesday for 3 weeks.  I'd have much rather done this than emission calculations!  In this first picture I'm in the far left, front row across from the instructor:</p> <p><a href="http://56stories.com/blogs/nontraditional56/Bootcamp_2005_002.jpg"><img src="http://56stories.com/blogs/nontraditional56/Bootcamp_2005_002.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a></p> <p>Yes, this is uphill!  Same road we were doing push-ups on.</p> <p>I'm in the middle toting my extra large friend in the brown shirt.</p> <p><a href="http://56stories.com/blogs/nontraditional56/Bootcamp_2005_003.jpg"><img src="http://56stories.com/blogs/nontraditional56/Bootcamp_2005_003.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a></p> <p>No, the sun really isn't up yet!  But we worked out anyway.</p> <p><a href="http://56stories.com/blogs/nontraditional56/Bootcamp_2005_014.jpg"><img src="http://56stories.com/blogs/nontraditional56/Bootcamp_2005_014.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a></p> <p>Mountain climbers & kicking at 5AM - Hoo Ahh!</p> <p><a href="http://56stories.com/blogs/nontraditional56/Bootcamp_2005_015.jpg"><img src="http://56stories.com/blogs/nontraditional56/Bootcamp_2005_015.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a></p> <p><a href="http://56stories.com/blogs/nontraditional56/Bootcamp_2005_001.jpg"><img src="http://56stories.com/blogs/nontraditional56/Bootcamp_2005_001.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a></p> <p><a href="http://56stories.com/blogs/nontraditional56/Bootcamp_2005_010.jpg"><img src="http://56stories.com/blogs/nontraditional56/Bootcamp_2005_010.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a></p> <br /> <a href="http://www.stickis.com/feed/?feed.url=http%3A%2F%2F56stories.com%2Fnontraditonal56" title="Stickis: read my blog anywhere!"> <img src="http://www.stickis.com/feed/button/stickis.2.gif" alt="Stickis: read my blog anywhere!" /></a> <a href="http://www.stickis.com/feed/button/" style="display:block;clear:both;font-size:6pt;font-family:verdana,sans-serif;color:gray;"> want this on your blog?</a><img src="http://56stories.com/aggbug.aspx?PostID=1521" width="1" height="1">nonTraditional56http://56stories.com/members/nonTraditional56.aspxRoad Warrior - VEMS Installationhttp://56stories.com/blogs/nontraditional56/archive/2008/08/26/road-warrior-vems-installation.aspx2008-08-26T16:25:00Z2008-08-26T16:25:00Z<a href="http://www.blogrovr.com/feed/?feed.url=http%3A%2F%2F56stories.com%2Fblogs%2FnonTraditional56%2F" style="border:0pt none;display:block;" title="BlogRovR: read my blog anywhere!"> <img src="http://www.blogrovr.com/feed/button/chiclet.fetch.gif" style="border:medium none;" alt="BlogRovR: read my blog anywhere!" /></a> <a href="http://www.blogrovr.com/?show=button" style="display:block;clear:both;font-size:7pt;font-family:verdana,sans-serif;color:gray;"> want this on your blog?</a> <br /> <p>I felt like a road warrior last week, but a little background before I get into that.  Our T3 division has developed a software solution called Pocket Solutions which runs on PDAs to assist clients with Visible Emissions monitoring in the field (method 9 & method 22).  Its a great tool that eliminates paper in the field - if you've ever been to a cement plant or other industrial site you'll understand why paper reports can be a major hassle with the dirt and wind.  I helped write three proposals for installation of our latest VEMS version a couple of weeks ago.  One of the cement plants that wanted to upgrade let us know that they didn't have the budget for it this year, then we received a call from their corporate ISO compliance officer the next day advising that he had made the decision to make VEMS their corporate standard to assist with ISO compliance.  That was great news for us, except that they wanted us in Oklahoma early the next week.  Now comes the road warrior bit.  A Senior Consultant and I picked up a rental car last Tuesday and headed to Oklahoma around noon.  We arrived at the hotel about 7:30 PM & grabbed a bite to eat.  We were on the road to the cement plant by 7:30 AM the next morning and spent the entire day on site taking digital pictures of their emission sources and loading the desktop version of the software onto five computers.  Back at the hotel that night I loaded the PDAs with the proper software while the other consultant modified the digital pictures of the emission sources for the database.  Normally I would have been part of the training the next day for the plant staff, but I was needed back in Kansas City for the first ever Trinity Boot Camp (more on this in another post).  So I was up early for a 2 hour drive to the Oklahoma City airport, where my flight would put me back in KC just in time for Boot Camp.  The road warrior feeling really didn't set in until the long hours of Boot Camp started taking their toll.  It was a successful software installation & feedback from our client was very positive.  We're planning another trip to Iowa in a couple of weeks for another software installation at another cement plant.  After that OTJ training, I'm taking over the VEMS installations and will be responsible for them from that point forward.  I welcome the challenge and the responsibility.</p> <a href="http://www.stickis.com/feed/?feed.url=http%3A%2F%2F56stories.com%2Fnontraditonal56" title="Stickis: read my blog anywhere!"> <img src="http://www.stickis.com/feed/button/stickis.2.gif" alt="Stickis: read my blog anywhere!" /></a> <a href="http://www.stickis.com/feed/button/" style="display:block;clear:both;font-size:6pt;font-family:verdana,sans-serif;color:gray;"> want this on your blog?</a> <img src="http://56stories.com/aggbug.aspx?PostID=1493" width="1" height="1">nonTraditional56http://56stories.com/members/nonTraditional56.aspxBenched Againhttp://56stories.com/blogs/nontraditional56/archive/2008/07/28/benched-again.aspx2008-07-28T20:46:00Z2008-07-28T20:46:00Z<a href="http://www.blogrovr.com/feed/?feed.url=http%3A%2F%2F56stories.com%2Fblogs%2FnonTraditional56%2F" style="border:0pt none;display:block;" title="BlogRovR: read my blog anywhere!"> <img src="http://www.blogrovr.com/feed/button/chiclet.fetch.gif" style="border:medium none;" alt="BlogRovR: read my blog anywhere!" /></a> <a href="http://www.blogrovr.com/?show=button" style="display:block;clear:both;font-size:7pt;font-family:verdana,sans-serif;color:gray;"> want this on your blog?</a> <br /> <p>I've completed all the task creation for the future EMIS implementation for our aviation client.  As so much of our work seems to end up, I'm now waiting for the client to review the work and advise on how they'd like to proceed.  We had a $15k budget & used about $12k of it on this project.  I'm told the client is a little shocked at the reality of how much the work cost, but at least we came in under budget.</p> <p>Last week I sat in on a client web demonstration for our VEMS  product & then was given an opportunity to write three proposals for VEMS implementations.  It looks very likely that we'll get the work, as a cement manufacturer has decided that VEMS will be implemented corporate wide.  So I may be making travel plans for a software implementation.</p> <p>I was also pulled into another proposal last week for an educational institution.  They put out a Request for Proposal (RFP) for their Title V Air Permit work & also wanted barcodes and barcoding software worked into the bid.  One of our T3 consultants on the east coast was asked to help by the local office & he checked with the T3 group to see who had experience with barcodes.  I had some familiarity from another project at a previous employer, so I did some research for him to include in the proposal.</p> <p>Wednesday & Thursday of this week I'll be taking the final training course for one of our EMIS partners, which will then make me a certified implementer of their product.  I know a couple of T3 consultants have work I can help with, but again, they're waiting for the client to get back to them, so I'm in a holding pattern for the moment.</p> <a href="http://www.stickis.com/feed/?feed.url=http%3A%2F%2F56stories.com%2Fnontraditonal56" title="Stickis: read my blog anywhere!"> <img src="http://www.stickis.com/feed/button/stickis.2.gif" alt="Stickis: read my blog anywhere!" /></a> <a href="http://www.stickis.com/feed/button/" style="display:block;clear:both;font-size:6pt;font-family:verdana,sans-serif;color:gray;"> want this on your blog?</a> <img src="http://56stories.com/aggbug.aspx?PostID=896" width="1" height="1">nonTraditional56http://56stories.com/members/nonTraditional56.aspxEMIS Task Creationhttp://56stories.com/blogs/nontraditional56/archive/2008/07/07/emis-task-creation.aspx2008-07-07T14:13:00Z2008-07-07T14:13:00Z<a href="http://www.blogrovr.com/feed/?feed.url=http%3A%2F%2F56stories.com%2Fblogs%2FnonTraditional56%2F" style="border:0pt none;display:block;" title="BlogRovR: read my blog anywhere!"> <img src="http://www.blogrovr.com/feed/button/chiclet.fetch.gif" style="border:medium none;" alt="BlogRovR: read my blog anywhere!" /></a> <a href="http://www.blogrovr.com/?show=button" style="display:block;clear:both;font-size:7pt;font-family:verdana,sans-serif;color:gray;"> want this on your blog?</a> <br /> <p>This is my first post in quite a while.  Since my last post I didn't have much to write about, then I was too busy with projects to write.  I had an unusually slow period & my Regional Director introduced me to the term 'benched' in the consulting world.  It's a word that means you don't have any billable work to do at the time.  This may apply to the T3 division more than the Environmental Consultant (EC) division, since we are always working on a ton of proposals & waiting for the client's to give us the OK.  The EC division seems to have more long-term contracts for recurring work.</p> <p>The "benched" time was short, thankfully, & I was handed a project for a large aviation manufacturer.  My task was to dig through their Waste Water Discharge Permit, Spill Prevention Control & Countermeasures (SPCC) Plan, & their Storm Water Pollution Prevention Plan (SWP3), & pull tasks out of them for entry into one of our Environmental Management Information Systems (EMIS).  The work consisted of reading through the permits & pulling out specific recurring permit tasks such as monitoring, reporting, inspection & training.  I entered these into a spreadsheet template which will eventually be uploaded into the EMIS of the client's choice.  When I completed a permit I notified a senior consultant that a QA was needed.  Now I need to merge her changes into my master spreadsheet.</p> <p>That's it for now, I have to get back to the permit/EMIS work.</p> <p> </p> <a href="http://www.stickis.com/feed/?feed.url=http%3A%2F%2F56stories.com%2Fnontraditonal56" title="Stickis: read my blog anywhere!"> <img src="http://www.stickis.com/feed/button/stickis.2.gif" alt="Stickis: read my blog anywhere!" /></a> <a href="http://www.stickis.com/feed/button/" style="display:block;clear:both;font-size:6pt;font-family:verdana,sans-serif;color:gray;"> want this on your blog?</a> <img src="http://56stories.com/aggbug.aspx?PostID=407" width="1" height="1">nonTraditional56http://56stories.com/members/nonTraditional56.aspxMy 1st Method 9!http://56stories.com/blogs/nontraditional56/archive/2008/05/08/my-1st-method-9.aspx2008-05-08T17:16:00Z2008-05-08T17:16:00Z<a href="http://www.blogrovr.com/feed/?feed.url=http%3A%2F%2F56stories.com%2Fblogs%2FnonTraditional56%2F" style="border:0pt none;display:block;" title="BlogRovR: read my blog anywhere!"> <img src="http://www.blogrovr.com/feed/button/chiclet.fetch.gif" style="border:medium none;" alt="BlogRovR: read my blog anywhere!" /></a> <a href="http://www.blogrovr.com/?show=button" style="display:block;clear:both;font-size:7pt;font-family:verdana,sans-serif;color:gray;"> want this on your blog?</a> <br /> <p>I mentioned in my last entry that I was looking forward to an upcoming opportunity to conduct my first <span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:'Times New Roman';">EPA certified Method 9 visible emission (VE) performance test.  Well, I completed the test on May 06.  I started preparing the day before by reviewing the previous years test, then left the office around 4:30 to pick up a rental car.  I headed out first thing in the morning for Sedalia, MO, about 1.5 hours southeast from KC.  This is old territory for me, as Sedalia is about 30 miles northeast of Warrensburg, MO, my alma mater of Central Missouri State University.  But it's been a good 10 years since I had reason to be in the area.  I arrived at the client site, met the client contact & was taken through the plant to the roof access where the client & I discussed which stacks were running.  He left me to do my work, which only took about 1.5 hours.  There wer 26 emission points, but 8 of them were not running that day.  Only one had visible emissions, the rest were clear.  The result was everything passed. (This plant produces wheels for car manufacturers & they use propane to burn off the emissions from their spray booths)</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:'Times New Roman';">On the way back to the office I stopped in Warrensburg for lunch.  I'd liked to have stopped at the university to see some of the old professors, but didn't want to waste time.  What I really wanted was to see if Perry Foster's Georgia Style BBQ was still in business.  This was my lucky day - he was still in business & the food was as good as I'd hoped - awesome BBQ pork sandwich & BBQ beans.  The place looks like a dive, but Perry is very friendly, the food is excellent, & due to the proximity to Whiteman Air Force Base his walls are decorated with pictures of fighter squadrans who appreciate his cooking.  The walls are covered in pictures of pilots & a few Generals who have written him letters of thanks, and one wall is dedicated to Hank Williams, Jr. - Hoo Ahh!</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:'Times New Roman';">Satisfied that the world is still a good place with Perry's smoke still churning, I headed back to the office & started preparing my documents for the client's binder.  Once everything was updated I handed it off to our Administrative Assitant to put the binders together.  Today I took the binders to a Senior Consultant to review & quality check my work before we mail them to the client.  He had me create a QC document for his review in our Project Management Database for our ISO9001 certification.  The project was quick, billable, & a nice break from the office.  I'll do more of these anytime!</span></p> <a href="http://www.stickis.com/feed/?feed.url=http%3A%2F%2F56stories.com%2Fnontraditonal56" title="Stickis: read my blog anywhere!"> <img src="http://www.stickis.com/feed/button/stickis.2.gif" alt="Stickis: read my blog anywhere!" /></a> <a href="http://www.stickis.com/feed/button/" style="display:block;clear:both;font-size:6pt;font-family:verdana,sans-serif;color:gray;"> want this on your blog?</a><img src="http://56stories.com/aggbug.aspx?PostID=292" width="1" height="1">nonTraditional56http://56stories.com/members/nonTraditional56.aspxPocket Solutions Client-Site Implementationhttp://56stories.com/blogs/nontraditional56/archive/2008/05/02/pocket-solutions-client-site-implementation.aspx2008-05-02T18:12:00Z2008-05-02T18:12:00Z<a href="http://www.blogrovr.com/feed/?feed.url=http%3A%2F%2F56stories.com%2Fblogs%2FnonTraditional56%2F" style="border:0pt none;display:block;" title="BlogRovR: read my blog anywhere!"> <img src="http://www.blogrovr.com/feed/button/chiclet.fetch.gif" style="border:medium none;" alt="BlogRovR: read my blog anywhere!" /></a> <a href="http://www.blogrovr.com/?show=button" style="display:block;clear:both;font-size:7pt;font-family:verdana,sans-serif;color:gray;"> want this on your blog?</a> <br /> <p>On Wednesday, 4/30/08, I traveled 1.5 hours southwest of KC to one of our client's cement plants to upgrade their pocket solutions software from version 3 to 5.54.  This was my first time being on-site for a client and my first time at a cement plant.  I was expecting it to be a dirty/dusty environment, but the corporate offices were very elegant & clean & even the plant operating offices were very clean.  The people were very friendly & easy to work with (I grew up in a relatively small rural town in Missouri, so I think I relate to small-town people pretty well) - it helps that they have been using our Pocket Solutions product since 2002 & they love it.  </p> <p>We loaded the desktop software on a supervisor's PC soon after arriving, then had to work out a database issue.  We didn't receive the authorization to upgrade their database until the day before we were due on site, because their IT department was taking over control of these types of processes (from the plant supervisor) & didn't realize that this was another piece that required approval since it was billable work.  We worked on fixing the database issues while we trained two supervisors on the new version features, then loaded the new database on the PDAs.  We loaded the desktop software on the second supervisor's PC then headed back to KC.</p> <p>Overall, it was a great field experience.  Each installation/implementation is a little different, so it's a great learning opportunity when you get to do it on-site & work out the bugs in real-time.  I'm the type of person who learns by driving the PC/doing rather than watching/listening, so this hands-on experience was very worthwhile.</p> <p>I think my next field opportunity is coming up next week in Sedalia, MO.  A client needs some Visible Emissions monitoring conducted & I'm going to handle this for another consultant who will be out of the office.  This will be my first opportunity to use the "smoke school" certification I received last month.  Looking forward to it!</p> <a href="http://www.stickis.com/feed/?feed.url=http%3A%2F%2F56stories.com%2Fnontraditonal56" title="Stickis: read my blog anywhere!"> <img src="http://www.stickis.com/feed/button/stickis.2.gif" alt="Stickis: read my blog anywhere!" /></a> <a href="http://www.stickis.com/feed/button/" style="display:block;clear:both;font-size:6pt;font-family:verdana,sans-serif;color:gray;"> want this on your blog?</a> <img src="http://56stories.com/aggbug.aspx?PostID=288" width="1" height="1">nonTraditional56http://56stories.com/members/nonTraditional56.aspxFast Mondayshttp://56stories.com/blogs/nontraditional56/archive/2008/04/21/fast-mondays.aspx2008-04-21T14:28:00Z2008-04-21T14:28:00Z<a href="http://www.blogrovr.com/feed/?feed.url=http%3A%2F%2F56stories.com%2Fblogs%2FnonTraditional56%2F" style="border:0pt none;display:block;" title="BlogRovR: read my blog anywhere!"> <img src="http://www.blogrovr.com/feed/button/chiclet.fetch.gif" style="border:medium none;" alt="BlogRovR: read my blog anywhere!" /></a> <a href="http://www.blogrovr.com/?show=button" style="display:block;clear:both;font-size:7pt;font-family:verdana,sans-serif;color:gray;"> want this on your blog?</a> <br /> <p>Mondays do seem to go by very fast.  First thing I do when I come in is review my time sheet from last week for accuracy & submit it through our internet portal.  Next thing I know it's time for our weekly T3 conference call which lasts about an hour. Our division members from KC, Chicago, Ohio, Houston, Dallas & Ontario Canada discuss the proposals & projects we're working on, see where we can assist one another, etc.</p> <p> At noon we have our weekly KC Office meeting which also lasts about an hour.  We all gather in our conference room with our lunch and have a round table about projects we're working on, who needs help with projects, upcoming training courses, regulatory reporting deadlines, & sometimes a colleague gives a brown bag.  Today's brown bag was given by our Business Development Manager & was the second in a series on SEM (Sustainability and Environmental Management).</p> <p>I've spent some time today going through old email & coordinating my calendar.  Next week I'll be taking a road trip with two other Consultants to a client site to install an upgrade of our VEMS (Visible Emissions Monitoring Software) PDA software.  The next week I have the ESS Essential Suite EMIS certified implementer training in our office.  Mid May I'm going to Dallas to work with another T3 Consultant & get some training on another brand of EMIS called opsEnvironmental.  I'm hoping to get approval for another training while I'm there - my Regional Director has recognized my background in corporate security & thinks there may be an opportunity for Trinity to offer security consulting services to our clients relating to <font size="2" face="Arial">CFATS</font><font size="2" color="#0000ff" face="Arial"> (Chemical Facility Anti-Terrorism Standards</font><font size="2" face="Arial">) Security Vulnerability Assessment & Chemical-Terrorism Vulnerability Information Programs.  We're always looking for ways to capitalize on our experience & offer more services to our clients.  It feels great to be empowered to look for ways to generate new business & be an active participant in the business, rather than being a prairie dog in a cubicle farm - been there, done that - Boring!</font></p> <a href="http://www.stickis.com/feed/?feed.url=http%3A%2F%2F56stories.com%2Fnontraditonal56" title="Stickis: read my blog anywhere!"> <img src="http://www.stickis.com/feed/button/stickis.2.gif" alt="Stickis: read my blog anywhere!" /></a> <a href="http://www.stickis.com/feed/button/" style="display:block;clear:both;font-size:6pt;font-family:verdana,sans-serif;color:gray;"> want this on your blog?</a><img src="http://56stories.com/aggbug.aspx?PostID=281" width="1" height="1">nonTraditional56http://56stories.com/members/nonTraditional56.aspxTo Bill or Not to Billhttp://56stories.com/blogs/nontraditional56/archive/2008/04/18/to-bill-or-not-to-bill.aspx2008-04-18T14:54:00Z2008-04-18T14:54:00Z<a href="http://www.blogrovr.com/feed/?feed.url=http%3A%2F%2F56stories.com%2Fblogs%2FnonTraditional56%2F" style="border:0pt none;display:block;" title="BlogRovR: read my blog anywhere!"> <img src="http://www.blogrovr.com/feed/button/chiclet.fetch.gif" style="border:medium none;" alt="BlogRovR: read my blog anywhere!" /></a> <a href="http://www.blogrovr.com/?show=button" style="display:block;clear:both;font-size:7pt;font-family:verdana,sans-serif;color:gray;"> want this on your blog?</a> <br /> <p>One thing I forgot to mention in my entry yesterday was that my time at the client site scanning docs for the EPA request was billable.  That's one of the reasons I so readily volunteered to work on the project - & spent 1 1/2 weeks there (it wasn't just the food <img src="http://56stories.com/emoticons/emotion-33.gif" alt="Pizza" /> ).  Since my other work was non-billable, I'd much rather be working a project that is billable so that we can make some money.</p> <p>On another note - when I first started two things impressed me.  The first was the longevity of the people in the office & the second was that most had started here right out of college & were still here 3-4 years later.  I knew there was something good about this organization that kept people here long-term.  Our Principal Consultant started here out of college & has been here 14 years!  The people I work with are friendly, personable & professional.  They're willing to share & teach, as well as let you learn by doing.  Trinity definitely feels like home to me.</p> <a href="http://www.stickis.com/feed/?feed.url=http%3A%2F%2F56stories.com%2Fnontraditonal56" title="Stickis: read my blog anywhere!"> <img src="http://www.stickis.com/feed/button/stickis.2.gif" alt="Stickis: read my blog anywhere!" /></a> <a href="http://www.stickis.com/feed/button/" style="display:block;clear:both;font-size:6pt;font-family:verdana,sans-serif;color:gray;"> want this on your blog?</a><img src="http://56stories.com/aggbug.aspx?PostID=277" width="1" height="1">nonTraditional56http://56stories.com/members/nonTraditional56.aspxWork Exampleshttp://56stories.com/blogs/nontraditional56/archive/2008/04/17/work-examples.aspx2008-04-17T20:20:00Z2008-04-17T20:20:00Z<a href="http://www.blogrovr.com/feed/?feed.url=http%3A%2F%2F56stories.com%2Fblogs%2FnonTraditional56%2F" style="border:0pt none;display:block;" title="BlogRovR: read my blog anywhere!"> <img src="http://www.blogrovr.com/feed/button/chiclet.fetch.gif" style="border:medium none;" alt="BlogRovR: read my blog anywhere!" /></a> <a href="http://www.blogrovr.com/?show=button" style="display:block;clear:both;font-size:7pt;font-family:verdana,sans-serif;color:gray;"> want this on your blog?</a> <br /> <p>It's pouring rain here in KC & I'm in a blogging mood, so thought I'd tell you about my first couple of months work experience.</p> <p>In the T3 division we specialize in custom Access databases to manage our client's mountains of emissions data, as well as the installation/customization/support of Environmental Management Information Systems (EMIS).  My first week here I was able to assist on an Access database for a telecommunications company, helping them identify & sort all of their stationary & portable generators for permitting.  The project is actually out of the St. Louis office, but we crunched the numbers & assisted them - that's one of the really cool things about Trinity, you get to work with people all over the country & on multiple & various projects.  I'm the kind of person who can get bored very quickly in the corporate world, but there's enough variety here to keep you engaged.</p> <p>As a fellow blogger pointed out, there is a lot of reading.  I've been digging into the EMIS systems & teaching myself how they work, reading their documentation, etc.  I'm not big on the self-teaching method, but you've got to start digesting the mountains of information somewhere & this is where to start.  Luckily, my manager had been working on setting up a training course before I was hired & it was just approved.  All the T3 folks will be coming to the KC office 5/1-5/2 for a training course that will make us certified implementers of one of our partner's software - Very cool & exciting!</p> <p>Last week all I had going was the EMIS education work, and an EPA request for one of our customers sites in Portland needed immediate attention.  Since I was available I went to the customer's HQ here in KC & spent 1 1/2 weeks scanning docs for the EPA request.  It was a little tedious being clerical work, but the legal dept. was footing the bill for the cafeteria & they fed me really well.  And they didn't just have a break room - they had a full soda fountain & featured a local KC coffee called The Roasterie <img src="http://56stories.com/emoticons/emotion-44.gif" alt="Coffee" /> which shames the Folgers coffee also produced here.  Also of note was that the Corporate EHS Director came up to me & thought I looked familiar.  After talking we remembered where we'd met - I'd given him a black eye at a Krav Maga class (unintentional of course - he bruises easy), & we talked training occasionally to break up the monotony of the clerical work.  Funny how small the world is sometimes.</p> <p>Also last week I attended Smoke School and am now Method 9 certified for visible emissions.  Just another example of the varied & cool things you get exposed to here.  Can't wait to use this for a client!  The rain is stopping & so am I.</p> <a href="http://www.stickis.com/feed/?feed.url=http%3A%2F%2F56stories.com%2Fnontraditonal56" title="Stickis: read my blog anywhere!"> <img src="http://www.stickis.com/feed/button/stickis.2.gif" alt="Stickis: read my blog anywhere!" /></a> <a href="http://www.stickis.com/feed/button/" style="display:block;clear:both;font-size:6pt;font-family:verdana,sans-serif;color:gray;"> want this on your blog?</a> <img src="http://56stories.com/aggbug.aspx?PostID=276" width="1" height="1">nonTraditional56http://56stories.com/members/nonTraditional56.aspxWhy Non-Traditional?http://56stories.com/blogs/nontraditional56/archive/2008/04/17/why-non-traditional.aspx2008-04-17T17:26:00Z2008-04-17T17:26:00Z<a href="http://www.blogrovr.com/feed/?feed.url=http%3A%2F%2F56stories.com%2Fblogs%2FnonTraditional56%2F" style="border:0pt none;display:block;" title="BlogRovR: read my blog anywhere!"> <img src="http://www.blogrovr.com/feed/button/chiclet.fetch.gif" style="border:medium none;" alt="BlogRovR: read my blog anywhere!" /></a> <a href="http://www.blogrovr.com/?show=button" style="display:block;clear:both;font-size:7pt;font-family:verdana,sans-serif;color:gray;"> want this on your blog?</a> <p>I was having trouble coming up with a blog name when I thought about a comment our company President, Jay Hoffman, made when he was here a couple of weeks ago presenting.  He joked that Trinity doesn't often hire people with gray in their hair.  It got me thinking that by the time I decided what I wanted to major in I was a non-traditional student & since the majority of Trinity new hires are directly out of engineering schools, I'm definitely a non-traditional 56 at age 40.  But with 17 years of work experience I think I'm well seasoned and hey, I consider the gray hair a mark of distinguishment (let's not talk about the gray in the beard OK! - I blame that on my 3 boys <img src="http://56stories.com/emoticons/emotion-8.gif" alt="Indifferent" /> )</p> <p>So how did I come to be here?  I was looking for a change & saw Trinity's posting on Career Builder.  When I read the job description I thought it was a perfect fit, but I was used to resumes submitted to Career Builder going into black holes, so I was very surprised when they called me 2 weeks later for an interview.  I was expecting a standard interview - it was anything but standard.  I interviewed with 4 people, starting with the Principal Consultant, 2 Senior Consultants, & the Managing Consultant I would work for.  The interview went great & I left in a state of disbelief that a job existed which perfectly fit my 2 degrees.  I guess they thought so too, as I had an offer 2 weeks later.  BTW - I work in the T3 division.</p> <p>Having worked for companies as large as Sprint and as small as an 18 person video production company, I had a pretty good idea that the corporate culture here was going to be great.  I haven't been disappointed.  My last position was frustrating because although the company had a training budget they wouldn't invest in their people.  Trinity is all about training you to deliver the best service possible to our clients, from joining professional associations, to training classes, to on-the-job training - they want you to become an expert in as many areas as possible.</p> <p>The personal stuff: The picture is from Legoland in San Diego last summer.  We went there to celebrate my wife's aunt's 50th Jubilee (she's been a nun that long!) & worked in a great vacation. Andrei is sitting next to me & just turned 9.  Although the picture is worth a million he loved the ride.  Ethan is next to my wife & is 12.  He's not much of a thrill seeker - I guess you can tell I am by the stupid grin.  Daniel is not pictured as he has a little fear of heights & chose not to ride - he's 10. My wife & I have been married for 15 awesome years.  When we're not running Ethan to Tae Kwon Do or soccer, Daniel to gymnastics, or Andrei to wrestling or soccer, we love to work out.  We've been training in Krav Maga for 5 years & are long distance runners from way back.</p> <p>Well, that should be enough for a first post.  Be glad to answer any questions you have, so shoot them to me.  Check out my blog profile for more dirt <img src="http://56stories.com/emoticons/emotion-11.gif" alt="Cool" />.</p> <a href="http://www.stickis.com/feed/?feed.url=http%3A%2F%2F56stories.com%2Fnontraditonal56" title="Stickis: read my blog anywhere!"> <img src="http://www.stickis.com/feed/button/stickis.2.gif" alt="Stickis: read my blog anywhere!" /></a> <a href="http://www.stickis.com/feed/button/" style="display:block;clear:both;font-size:6pt;font-family:verdana,sans-serif;color:gray;"> want this on your blog?</a> <img src="http://56stories.com/aggbug.aspx?PostID=275" width="1" height="1">nonTraditional56http://56stories.com/members/nonTraditional56.aspx