James Green says, “Learning the base tools and what was necessary at the job, was my best takeaway from Ranken, the greatest being structure.” James graduated May 2009 with a degree in Internet Web Based Technology. He is now the Director of Field Services for Verve Industrial Protection.
John Livingston, CEO, Verve Industrial Protection explains “One of the most challenging things about hiring young people is how to spot potential leaders. Leadership is hard to teach, but it has foundational elements: being responsive, having a ‘can do’ attitude, being able to solve new problems, not just knowing the answer to old ones. James was leadership material from the day we met him. He ‘got’ how to work within a team, how to ‘own’ a problem or task and not just do the minimum. His technical abilities are very strong. What sets him apart is his ability to lead. That leadership appeared in his early roles as an individual contributor to projects. It shines particularly as he has grown into building and managing a team where his problem-solving, interpersonal skills, and commitment show through every day. The best term I have is ‘ownership.’ He was trained to own the results – his own and his team’s. That is very rare…and valuable!”
“I knew James was in the right industry when I saw how much he enjoyed his craft,” says Evan Gudmestad, IT Assistant Division Chair. “The more technical something was, the more he smiled. The more challenging the task, the more he dug his feet in. I recall him writing code to send a friend text messages from a fake phone number or using command line commands to remotely shut down a friend’s computer. He loved doing these things. Now, ten years later, it’s no surprise his employer raves about him. He chose the right career, and now he’s reaping the rewards.”
One memory that sticks with James is, “The time Evan made me go shave. Honestly, a true-life lesson on setting policies and abiding by them . . . that’s very important in what we do as a cybersecurity company.” James has several Ranken alum in his family: brother William (2002 Industrial Electricity); cousins Patrick Green (2002 Electrical Engineering), Michael Green (2002 Control Systems Technology), and Keith Green (2010 Industrial Technology); plus uncles Tommy Green and Gordon Becker.
Learn more at https://ranken.edu/find-your-career-path/
https://verveindustrial.com/