By Chris Rapozo — Dec 15, 2022 11:00 AM
What do you do at Hannon Hill?
I am the primary Product Trainer at Hannon Hill and am the person who introduces new customers to the CMS as well as updates others on various new features within the app.
The main thing I do is that I welcome people aboard Cascade CMS. I help familiarize new clients with the application and how to use it, tailor it to their needs and get them comfortable with using the CMS.
I also hold "Groupcamps" for people that have been Cascade customers for a while and need more technical training or new hires of current clients that need to be introduced to Cascade.
I also write some documentation and help the support staff when needed.
Who inspired you to pursue the career you have today?
About every job I had throughout my professional life involved some element of training and teaching. That's something I really enjoy.
In terms of my current role at Hannon Hill, I was contacted by the human resources manager after she found my resume on LinkedIn. She recognized that I had a knack for training and conveying complex information in ways that made it very understandable to all, and the rest is history, as they say.
What did you do before working at Hannon Hill?
I owned a business for about 18 years, which allowed me to spend time raising my two daughters as a single father. When my kids were ready to graduate high school, I sold the business, took web development classes, and changed careers. That's how I ended up in my current position.
What has been your favorite project at Hannon Hill?
One of the most enjoyable projects I've worked on was a presentation for our 2020 Cascade User Conference with one of my colleagues. It was fun collaborating and creating a training course with somebody else and getting different perspectives on how certain things work within our CMS. I'm planning on presenting again at our upcoming conference in February.
What's the best advice you can give to someone who just started their career?
Be true to yourself and be persistent in following your dream. Of course, when someone is just starting out, it can be hard to even know what "be true to yourself" really means since very few of us know early on exactly what we want to do in life. So the corollary is "move on quickly" if a job doesn't bring personal satisfaction and pleasure in what you are doing daily.
What is the favorite place you have ever visited?
Peru. I spent a full summer there after I earned my degree. My girlfriend and I hiked and camped in the Cordillera Blanca (White Mountains), mostly above 9000 feet. We also hiked the Inca Trail into Machu Picchu and camped there for several nights. It has to be one of the most beautiful places on earth. Peru was wonderful until we were arrested for overstaying our visas!
What do you do for fun?
I love to travel. I've been all over the world and have already planned my next trip, which will be to Chile. I also like to work around my home and complete various construction projects to update my home, including a re-roof and updating an entire bathroom. A widely unknown fact about me is that I am also a reviewer of submissions to an entomology journal, specifically about how insects relate to agriculture in third-world countries.
Motto, favorite quote, or personal mantra?
I enjoy the quote by Winston Churchill:
“If you’re going through hell, be sure to keep going.”
It's inspirational, you know, when times get tough, the tough get going. Make sure when you're going through hard times that you don't stay there but keep moving forward. Don't be stuck in the past.
What is your biggest motivator?
Constant learning. I am motivated most by opportunities to learn new things. If I'm not learning new things, I become pretty stale, so one of the things I've enjoyed working at Hannon Hill is that I'm constantly learning.
