Larry of our Corporate Services IT Team was nominated by his boss Dwayne and selected by the GRIT committee as our first-place winner. There are not enough accolades and adjectives to describe the efforts of Larry in the year 2020, but he has certainly distinguished himself through exceptional leadership, extraordinary vision and operational focus. His ability to remain calm and composed during times of crisis is commendable and he performs the demanding duties of an IT Operations Manager with professionalism and poise.
We spoke with Larry to learn more about what inspires him and how he continues to exhibit grit during challenging times.
How did you come to ECS? Can you share a bit about your career path, roles you’ve had while at ECS, etc.
I came to ECS from a well-known training company, having worked at that same company for 15 years. I was looking for a company away from the Tysons corner area, with an easier commute. The most important aspect of why I chose to move to ECS is the ESOP, my previous company did not offer any ownership possibilities. I was also looking for a larger organization with a larger footprint.
What motivates you to push so hard for success?
My motivation is love for the work. I have never considered what I do to be like real work, because I really love working in IT. It was my attitude 30 years ago when I started, and it hasn’t changed.
What advice would you give to someone just coming into the industry?
New IT employees, need to be able to accept constant change. The Information Technology world changes, sometimes radically every few years. It’s an industry that requires regular education. To stay in IT you must always be learning new technologies, and understand how that works in the larger frame of IT as a whole.
What does it mean to you to be nominated by your colleagues for this award?
I am really humbled by the nomination. I feel the IT Operations group won the award. All of my staff acted professionally under really awful circumstances, and over a long timeframe. The professionalism of my staff makes me very proud to lead this group.