What area do you work in within the VPFA portfolio?

Print Services

What is your current position, and what are your job responsibilities?

I am a Printing Trades Specialist and Lead Bindery worker. My main responsibility is to prioritize the printing projects and make sure they are completed by the due dates. I also direct other bindery employees; I can pitch in where needed and delegate the work. Part of my job is to be available to answer questions and help with troubleshooting and problem solving, while working together with all the other areas of the print shop. It is a collaborative team effort to get everything done on time.

What has been your career path; how did you end up in your current position?

I started 15 years ago in California in various print shops. I was blessed to be able to be mentored by a man I had known for many years. 

My wife and I wanted to get out of the central valley of California because it was hot and very dry, and crime was on the rise. I was already very vested in the printing industry, so I applied for a pressman position at the UO. We were in the process of selling our home and buying another one. And were living with my parents while we completed the process to purchase the next house. The wheels used to turn very slowly here at the UO so several months after I had first applied, the director at the time—Mark Dixon—called me at my parents’ house. I have no idea how he found me! Anyway, he invited me to an interview, so I came up to Oregon. The interview went really well, and he called me the next day to offer me the job. That was October 2004, so my anniversary is coming up!

Actually, the entire process of me getting this job was a Godsend. My wife and I prayed about it and it all worked out. We bought a lovely house in Creswell, and we were blessed because we could afford far more home here than we could of in California. We are very blessed.

What obstacles have you overcome in your career?

The move up from California was a big obstacle. I will never forget the advice from my mentor and supervisor Chris Franco. When he found out I was applying for a job at the UO, I asked him to please not hold it against me because I was considering leaving. He told me that if I were to be offered the UO job and did not take it, he would hold that against me. He knew it was a great opportunity for me and my family.

There have been other obstacles. We have been through a lot at the UO. I was hired for offset press in 2004 but that equipment was decommissioned in 2017. We still have two small presses for that work but most of the equipment is no longer in production. At that time, I was the only pressman left and so I was unsure about what would happen to me. I was always willing to do other things and was well versed in everything that goes on in the print shop. It was a challenging time but an opportunity to learn other tasks here. I worked with the digital press and our ink jet mailing equipment, and even ran mail routes. In fact, they gave me a resiliency award to recognize me for making the best of the situation. I still have that award somewhere. 

So, over time and with support from leadership here at Print services my position, went from pressman to Printing Trade Specialist and Lead Bindery Worker. 

How has working at UO enabled your professional goals and interests?

Print Services is about to expand into inkjet flatbed printing! I have the privilege of learning this new technology. We are extremely excited about this growth.

What I have learned here is to listen to my co-workers and management to find out what there needs are so I can be a better part of the team. I am enormously proud to be part of this team. We are small in numbers, but together we accomplish a lot. And of course, we do not get a lot of recognition for all the amazing work we do but that’s ok. I love being part of what we do and being part of the mission of the university. We play a small part, but it is important.

What do you like about your current position?

These years of being in the printing industry, we never stop learning. There are changes in technology, there is problem solving that needs to happen. There is always something new that comes up. In some ways, the job is the same but, in many ways, it is always different. I like that a lot.

What advice do you have for someone thinking of applying to the UO?

I would tell them to apply whether you think you are qualified or not. All they can do is say “no”. If someone like me can get hired here, anyone can get hired! 

This is a wonderful place to work: the environment, the culture, the benefits, and the people. The team I work with is like family, and we do well together. I cannot talk highly enough of our team.

Share a little about yourself personally:

• Family: My wife is an amazing lady, and she encourages me to do things I never thought I would. We were foster parents for 10 years. We adopted two beautiful little girls, and they have been a huge blessing. 
• Community: I serve as a Deacon at our local church in Creswell. I also serve on the Creswell city council, four years as a councilman, two years as council president. It is an honor to give back to the community.

If you could only take three items with you to a desert island, what would they be?

I would take the Bible, some fishing gear, and fire-starting equipment

How would you like to be remembered?

As a man who loved God and was always willing to help someone and who helped serve his community.

If you could have the answer to any question, what would it be?

“What was it that Jesus wrote in the sand?” John 8:8

(October 2024)