I’ve finally closed out an open task to refresh my blog! The last year has seen a lot of changes both personally and professionally, most of which have left me with very little time for much besides work. Things had finally started to settle when COVID-19 hit the area. Finally I have gotten to a point where my routine allows me to focus on more than just completing the next task.

Early 2019 left me dealing with the aftermath of my mother’s mental health crisis. She’s dealt with schizophrenia most of my life. The last 20ish years have been fairly uneventful for her aside from my brother’s passing in 2006. Unfortunately, her husband’s terminal cancer and eventual passing created a situation which resulted in her hospitalization. After she was released, we attempted to have her live with us in SC unsuccessfully. I would like to say she is back to herself, but anyone who has dealt with schizophrenia can tell you they are never really the same afterwards. My family is still dealing with the ripples created by this event and likely will for a long time yet.

Mid 2019 presented us with a very different challenge. The VP over my role was abruptly let go, and I volunteered to fill in as ‘acting VP’ until the role could be filled. I absolutely loved the opportunity to explore strategy, understand why our credit union operates the way it does, and get to know our leadership team. But filling two roles is challenging, and frankly I was not ready to jump headlong into being a VP.

Things at work have finally settled out in my new role as the Director over our IT Department. I get to lead a great team of guys, help them develop, and leverage my experience to build our team to best serve our credit union.