I opened a little boutique in a trendy area near my house in 2004 and kept it going for four years. but closed it in 2008. That’s when the economy turned and things got a bit tough for a small business. Then I found the job I have now after looking and trying to figure out what the next steps would be. I was temping at some companies to try and figure out what I wanted, and found the company I’m with now. It’s only eight minutes from my house, which is pretty stellar. No morning commute. I support the VP-CIO who is also the Executive Director of the Foundation, and have been with him for the past 6 years. I love my job and am so fortunate to have found it. The IT department is about 75 people and I do everything—big and small events, meetings, and whatever is needed. I run to my boss and tell him where and what needs to be done. He’s a very nice man and we enjoy working together. I’ve had some opportunities to move to other departments but won’t, because we have such a good relationship. Those are really hard to find.
The company is about 4000 people and we are the world’s largest producer of mozzarella cheese. We are the sole supplier of cheese for Papa John’s, Little Caesar’s, Pizza Hut and Domino’s. We also are into nutrition and make lactose, baby formula, etc. We use the by-product of the cheese, which is whey, and turn that into additives for other food products. It’s a $4 billion company and is still privately owned. I count my blessings every day that I found this job and it will probably be the last one until I can’t work any longer. I love getting up and going to work every day and enjoy the people I work with and the whole thing. No stress, no issues! That’s a hard thing to find now.
