A Year on the Other Side

A year ago I took a break from being on the university side of education and joined Blackboard as a strategic consultant. Although I was on a higher education CIO trajectory, I felt I needed something different at this point in my career. That’s not to say I won’t return to the CIO path — I just needed to try something else at this point in my life.

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Reflecting on WKQX, Q101

Q101 was one of only two stations that I regularly listened to in Chicago. Admittedly, I wasn’t an avid listener. I tuned in during my Hyde Park years from 1997-2002, took a hiatus during the Mancow period (where I switched to WZZN), started irregularly listening at nights later in the decade, and then reconnected in full force as a loyal listener when I started working at home in September 2010. I never thought I’d care about the loss of a radio station, but more and more I lament the departure of Q101 from the FM dial. This particular station meant something to me.

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Career Expedition to Here

As I sit alongside a rain-soaked Coptic Street in London while tapping on my iPad and sipping a glass of merlot, I can’t help but reflect on the last nine months and the career adventure that has unfolded before me. Eighteen years of being at a single employer, a single university, suddenly became nothing but hindsight and experience as I entered into a role as a technology consultant. After a few short words and the penning of a signature, I transformed from client to vendor.

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A Firefighter's Two Families

I was at home celebrating Christmas when I heard the news that two firefighters had fallen in the line of duty in Chicago. It was a cold morning; the building was apparently abandoned. And yet, those men fulfilled their duty, heading inside to where we would never go to look for the homeless who may have been taken shelter from the frigid night. They walked into a deadly situation to ensure the preservation of life even though it meant risking their own and the chance of not coming back.

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Crossroads & Reflection

There are a few points in my professional career that I distinctly remember because in one way or another, something happened that triggered a change in my life. Periodically, I reflect on these crossroads of history to discover more about me. As you might have guessed, I’ve hit one upon one of those moments of reflection.

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