In the next few weeks, the Why Draper series will be moving out of the sales area and introducing you to some of our other folks with whom you may have had contact here at Draper. Fair is fair, so I will go ahead and be the first one in this next group to go “on the record.”
How did you come to be working at Draper?
After a career in radio journalism—mostly public radio in Muncie, Indiana—I found myself working as an assistant editor at a national magazine headquartered in Indianapolis. I liked the work, but the working environment was very stressful for me. Someone suggested I try Draper. I brought in my resume the very day my now-boss, Penny Sitler, was considering candidates for a technical publications position in the advertising department. She called me in for an interview because she felt my work as a reporter would help me in a job where you’re always trying to research and find the correct information. Over the years media relations was also added to my responsibilities.
What do you like best about your job?
A little over a year ago, my position at Draper changed. After 15 years doing installation instructions, architectural submittals, and other technical documents, I became an External Communications Specialist. I now write case studies, white papers, articles, and blog posts; work on social media; support video production with some scripts and ideas; media relations; and still working on specifications. My favorite part is probably the writing, although I enjoy the fast-paced and informal nature of social media.
What are some of your funniest moments at Draper?
Poor Josh.
Back when our current Technical Publications person, Josh Shopp, was a summer intern in our department, our former Web designer Alan Houser and I took it upon ourselves to make him welcome by cluttering up his office with all sorts of daft things. When Josh went away—either for vacation or maybe it was back to school—we pasted his photo on a box and draped his hooded sweatshirt over it to make it look like he was still sitting at his desk. Of course there’s also the time I was joking around in a meeting and climbed on the table to lay down. John Pidgeon walked by, looked in, shook his head and went about his business as if nothing had happened.
What do you like to do in your time away from Draper?
Mostly I spend time with my family. My wife, Karen, and I have a seven-year-old daughter who is the most amazing kid—even though she can drive me nuts by being just like me—so things like PTO meetings and other kid-related stuff take a lot of our time. We are involved in our Quaker Meeting. We enjoy watching old movies (Hitchcock films are particular favorites). I follow the most awesome sport in the world—cricket—and enjoy just about anything British (I even collect British radio programs). I also obsess over the Serial and Undisclosed podcasts. When I have time I love reading—Tony Hillerman, Wendell Berry, and Arthur Conan Doyle, are among my favorites. I am also a writer, and have been trying to finish the follow-up to my children’s mystery book published in 2014 … but I am finding that very difficult to accomplish!
Tell us about your family:
As I mentioned, I have a lovely wife, Karen, and beautiful little girl, Heidi, about whom my friends and co-workers are sick of hearing anecdotes. We also have two dogs—14-year-old Star Morgan, a Carolina Dog, and Annie, an Australian Shepherd who is nine months old—both of whom demand walks every time I go into the house.
