I'd worked with her 8 years, which considering that I've worked with many people twice that long, isn't all that long, but she was someone who inspired me to be better at what I do, and not many people have done that.
Jen was hired to be "me" for the Petroleum Supply Division. I work for Natural Gas and wear two hats, one as someone who works closely with users of our software and another as the person responsible for maintaining the operations of the software system. I'd been doing that several years for Natural Gas and the client decided that they needed someone in a similar role for Petroleum Supply - enter Jen.
A few years later we had a layoff and I was laid off. Jen, who worked for the Prime Contractor ( I work for a Sub-Contractor) stayed. As I was prepared to look for a new job I asked to see her resume. One big thing I noticed was that she was certified in the software that we work with. I figured if she could do it so could I, and spent the 8 weeks I was unemployed studying for the exam and passing the first test. This was a huge boost to my self-confidence and set me on a path of becoming more proficient at the software, which I'd already used for years and years. I went on to pass the second level of certification, and even presented a paper at a User's Group in Burlington Vermont.
Jen was really into the User's Groups for SAS, and I attended two of them with her. One in Baltimore, the other in Burlington Vermont. To save money on the hotel she and I commuted to Baltimore from my house in the DC area, and we shared a room in Burlington.
I'm pleased to have worked with her.
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| Left to Right: Ginny, Jen, Julie. |
She has taken a position as a Federal employee at the Department of Education, where I'm sure she'll bring her enthusiasm and terrific organizational skills to bear on their data gathering operations. I know I'm going to miss her and I'm sure the people in Petroleum Supply will too.
