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Amy Oldham
June 14, 2021
What do the pandemic lockdowns and Alex Vandyke have in common? They both started on the same day!
It goes without saying that 2020 was quite an unprecedented year. While it had its share of challenges, Equinox was truly blessed to continue working with and serving the most awesome companies in the telecom industry. In our never-ending quest to ensure each customer gets personal attention, we had decided to increase staffing in Equinox Support as 2019 rolled over to 2020. Our recruiting efforts led us to Alex Vandyke. His resume and interview landed him an offer to join the team.
Once Alex accepted the offer, we agreed upon a start date. As that day in March approached, the pandemic unfolded in several new ways…but we truly entered uncharted waters when the mandated lockdowns coincided with the very same date selected to be his first day. Thankfully, we had the technology and infrastructure in place to fully support a remote working environment. Thus, Alex’s career at Equinox began with online introductions and some adaptive onboarding. A first in company history, for sure!
Alex’s unusual start at Equinox is not the only interesting thing about him either. Before joining Equinox, Alex worked full time (upwards of 70 hours a week in the peak season!) while pursuing a math major, computer science minor from Middle Tennessee State University. He also bought his first house and married his high-school sweetheart Michelle while working full time and earning that Bachelor of Science degree (which he successfully completed in December 2019). That means that although Equinox is his first post-degree job, Alex already had 7 years’ experience as a Sonoco production worker making biscuit cans for Pillsbury. Interestingly enough, Alex says that was a family affair, since he, his dad, and brother all worked together at Sonoco. The dad and brother currently still work at Sonoco.
As a support specialist, Alex works directly with Protector customers in preparation for initial product installation, assists with system maintenance and updates, and helps answer customer questions on all aspects of the Protector application. One of his most important tasks is to review Protector’s “I’m Alive” alerts at the start of each day. He and the team address these items before they turn into issues. And most of the time, they do it before the customer even is aware of the alert. The rest of his time is devoted to responding to customer emails and calls, a task he shares with Protector teammates Ernest and Mitch. According to Alex, the best thing about Equinox is the calm, collected work environment.
Alex loves all things computer related and has provided technical support to his friends and family for years, so he’s a natural for the role of Protector support specialist. And not surprisingly, his favorite part of the job is problem solving. That’s a good thing, since Alex completed all his training and almost one year on the job without physically meeting 98% of the Equinox team. He rose to that challenge but is grateful to be in the office in recent months to experience the team dynamic. Alex is very much looking forward to PUGM 2021 this fall for the opportunity to meet the customers with whom he’s conversed this past year.
Originally hailing from Riverbank, California, Alex moved to the middle Tennessee area with his family at the age of 10. While at Riverdale high school, Alex met and began dating Michelle, and the two wed in 2019. Outside of work, Alex enjoys spending time with Michelle (who is an insurance coordinator at a local rehabilitation hospital) at their Smyrna, TN, home and in the great outdoors hiking. Alex also plays in an adult softball league. Beyond that, he devotes much of his free time to fixing and building computers, programming/working with Linux, hosting a server for himself and his friends, and working on SBCs (single board computers) like the raspberry pi for building projects. For the sheer joy of it (as in free of charge), Alex builds computers for his friends and family.
In the last year, Equinox’s customers have been busier than ever helping folks around the globe stay connected and adapt to virtual work environments. So, while the start to Alex’s career at Equinox is certainly an uncommon one, we are so very glad he persevered through the challenges to become part of the team. And I know the members of our Protector community feel the same way. If you come to Nashville this fall for the Protector User Group Meeting, Alex would love to meet you!
Amy Oldham is in Corporate Communications at Equinox Information Systems, where she creates and maintains the company’s technical documentation and all other customer-facing publications. Amy is also responsible for the company’s newsletter, email campaigns, press releases, and social media presence. When not writing, Amy enjoys spending time with her family, playing tennis, attending Dave Matthews Band concerts, and swimming.
To learn more about Equinox, its products, and staff, visit www.equinoxis.com or call (615) 612-1200.
