(Brian is the one on the left. Not the big blue bird.)
Once upon a time, my ambition in life was to be a television meteorologist. To this end, through all of 8th grade, I dutifully went to the middle school computer lab most mornings, downloaded a copy of the latest weather map from the newfangled Internet, drew fronts and high temperatures on a map of North Carolina with a wet-erase marker, and presented a weathercast on the television broadcast of the morning announcements.
It was every bit as glorious, dear reader, as you imagine it being.
The weather part quickly faded in college, but the communication piece never did, and for many years I was a radio traffic, news and sports reporter, while continuing that fascination with technology that never really went away. After a few years off to stay at home with my daughter, I started working as an admissions counselor at her school, and was introduced to Blackbaud's Education Management suite.
All of a sudden, everything that had led up to that point clicked: through a combination of deep technical know-how and an ability to explain difficult problems concisely and in a way that's easy for non-database people to understand, I became the go-to for everything Blackbaud-related. Now, through Citrus Consulting, I am thrilled to share my expertise with other schools.
Each of your school's stakeholders — students, parents, staff and anyone else who interfaces in any way with the SIS — deserves a seamless experience with Blackbaud Education Management. My pledge to you is that I will do everything in my ability to not only provide them with that experience but do so in a way that is accessible, accommodating, and 100% aligned with your school's unique approach.
When I'm not looking through databases and spreadsheet code, I'm proud to serve as the scorekeeper and PA announcer for athletics at my daughter's school, and I also scorekeep and announce youth and adult amateur hockey throughout Florida (hopefully that explains the picture of me with a giant blue bird). I live with my wife and daughter near Orlando; no, I cannot get you discounted theme park tickets, but I'll be happy to give you a ride between the airport and the parks if you're ever here and save you a cab fare!