Great to talk to you today Hannah. To start, can you go back to how you got started, how long you’ve been with Walsworth and how that came about.

Sure, I’ve been with Walsworth for 12 years now. I started as a Service Desk Tech I, then moved into a Tech II role, later became the Service Desk Administrator, and now I’ve been the Service Desk Supervisor for about two and a half years.

I didn’t go to school for technology originally. I actually started in music, realized that wasn’t quite the right path for me, and eventually noticed I was doing more technology-related projects at home just for fun. That’s what led me to start looking at technology as a career.

For those who aren’t familiar with your department or those specific jobs, can you walk us through what your roles and responsibilities are?

I really love Service Desk because it touches such a wide range of technology areas. We’re kind of the IT frontline for the Walsworth team. Team members reach out when they’re having trouble or have questions about anything technology-related, and we assess what’s going on and help get them pointed in the right direction.

Because we’re on the frontline, we get to be part of a little bit of everything. We’re always learning something new, whether it’s a system change, a network update, an application issue, or something completely different. That’s my favorite part — it’s definitely never boring.

Was this always a line of work you had considered? Were there any previous career stops before joining Walsworth?

I worked for a foster care agency for a while right out of school, doing some data entry. One thing led to another, and I got to be involved in some of their application development when it came to entering data and tracking it electronically.

Then I worked for the Macon School District in the transportation office and helped move them to an electronic version of their transportation and bus routes. Just getting bits and pieces of that kind of work made me realize technology was something I really enjoyed.

And then I got hired (at Walsworth) for Service Desk, and I’ve always been really grateful for the opportunity given to me since I didn’t have experience in this area.

And now you’ve made it a career here at Walsworth for the past 12 years. What is it about the company that has led you to stay?

A lot of it goes back to the opportunities I’ve had. I’ve been able to work on so many different technology projects and continue learning along the way.

I’ve also been lucky to work with people who have been here a long time and really understand the company and how everything fits together. I’ve learned a lot from those teams. There’s always something new to learn, and I really enjoy seeing how all the pieces connect.

I would imagine it can be difficult trying to ensure that you stay on top of the latest developments and certifications you need to stay up on.

Especially in the last few years, as everybody knows, there’s been a surge in the need for cyber security knowledge. From there, it’s gone into AI.

There’s so much we would like to do, and while it can be a challenge to make sure you are staying up to date with everything, there’s also so much opportunity to learn and grow. You have to be almost an expert in everything just to make sure all of it is covered.

As you look to the company’s future, what do you see as some of the more interesting tech trends, specifically related to your job in particular?

I think cybersecurity and AI are probably the two biggest areas that will continue to impact Service Desk the most. Cybersecurity has already become such a big part of everyday technology support. I don’t see that slowing down. A lot of our work now is helping people understand not just how to use technology, but how to use it safely.

AI is another area that is really interesting because it has the potential to change how we troubleshoot, document and support people. I don’t think it replaces the human side of Service Desk, but I do think it can help us work smarter and respond faster.

For me, the exciting part is that Service Desk gets to be right in the middle of those changes. We’re often the first point of contact when something new rolls out, so we get to help people adjust, learn it ourselves and figure out how to support it in a practical way.

Shifting things away from work, did you grow up in the Marceline area?

I actually grew up in New Bloomfield, which is just in between Fulton and Jefferson City. It’s 10-15 minutes from Fulton.

New Bloomfield is a tiny town – less than 500 people. The sign was always at 499, and there was a joke of finally breaking that 500 mark, which I think it has by now.

Can you tell us about your family

Sure, I’ve been married to my husband, Jacob, for 15 years, and we have a 10-year old daughter, Mila. We live in Macon, Missouri.

We’ve been there for close to 20 years.

Do you have hobbies outside of work? What do you guys do for fun?

I am a homebody – I love to be at home. But other than that, my daughter is in dance and loves it. She does dance competitions and that’s where we spend a lot of our time.

You mentioned earlier that you studied music initially?

Yes, my mom’s side of the family is very big into music. They were choral musicians. My grandfather was a choir director and my mom grew up travelling to sing, including to Europe. I thought that’s really what I wanted to do. I thought I wanted to be a choir director.

Then I got into music theory and realized that was a lot less fun than singing. That’s when I started reconsidering my plans.

Time for our series of fun questions. Do you have a favorite vacation destination or trip that you guys have ever taken?

I’d probably say the first trip where we took our daughter to the ocean in Florida. She was five years old, and I’ll never forget watching her run into the water for the first time and seeing how excited she was. That’s still one of my favorite family memories.

Florida has become our favorite vacation destination, and if my family gets a vote, that’s usually where we end up.

Do you have a favorite book?

I don’t really have a favorite book because it changes all the time. Usually my favorite is whatever I finished most recently. My mom was a librarian for most of her career, so reading was always a big part of our household growing up.

What about a favorite movie or TV show?

I’m not a huge TV or movie person, so I don’t really have a favorite. But when I do watch something, I like it to be funny and lighthearted. There are enough problems and challenges at in the real world that I don’t really want to be stressed out by my entertainment too. I usually gravitate toward things that help me relax and laugh.

Do you have a favorite type of food or meal?

I love corned beef, but unfortunately my family doesn’t share that enthusiasm. Every year around St. Patrick’s Day, I make a corned beef just for myself and couldn’t be happier about it.

What’s an interesting thing about you that most people do not know?

In my late 30s, I somehow became a plant person. What started with just a few houseplants got a little out of hand, and at one point I had close to 80 different types in my house.

Before that, I struggled to keep even one alive, but I started to really enjoy learning how to care for them and figuring out what each one needs to thrive.

If you had a personalized coffee mug, what would it say?

Actually, I’ll send it to you. I’ll send you a picture of what my coffee mug image is because it’s kind of hard to explain. You just have to see it.

(Editor’s note: Picture of the mug is on the right.)

Do you have maybe a favorite memory from your career or maybe an accomplishment that you’re most proud of?

I don’t know that there’s one specific accomplishment that stands out. What I’m most proud of is the opportunity I’ve had to grow throughout my career and the trust people placed in me along the way.

I started in a field where I didn’t have a traditional background, and I’ve been able to learn, grow, and contribute to a lot of meaningful projects over the years. Looking back, I’m proud of how far I’ve come and grateful for the opportunities I’ve been given.