Hired: August 2001
Background:
Born and raised in the small (pop. 1500) southern MN town of Eagle Lake, near Mankato. Now residing in Blaine.
Education:
- Mankato State University: B.S. in Automotive Engineering Technology (magna cum laude)
- Microsoft Certified Professional
Work & Account Experience:
Starting as an intern at Digital Café Inc., Joel learned how to make himself useful with many hardware and software packages. From creating screen savers for clients such as Energizer (yeah, the one with the bunny) and CDROM games for Ralston-Purina, to administering an NT network and building websites, he has worn a lot of hats. As a Senior Developer at Zentropy Partners, he worked with clients such as Community First Banks, Purina (Dog and Puppy Chow), the U.S. Navy, 8th Continent L.L.C. and General Mills. Since joining Risdall Joel has continued to wear many hats. He is the "go-to guy" for e-commerce application design and development, technical proposal writing, as well as phone, desktop and network support. Recent account experience includes Premier Mounts, Employers Association, Pearson Assessments, AGS Globe, Compex Technologies, P.B.Loco, and the Minnesota Medical Association.
Professional Highlight:
One of Joel's website projects, Navy.com, won Best Government Agency web site in 2001 and Best of Show in 2002.
Hobbies & Interests:
Fishing, golfing, softball, basketball, network gaming, carpentry, learning, teaching, and spending time with his wife, Rose, and their two children, Jemma and Owen.
Family:
Joel is the youngest of 4 siblings. Instead of following in his father's footsteps (barber), he chose to follow his oldest brother into the tech industry. As a result, he now shaves his head.
Quirky Fact:
Joel led his high school team to win a regional Physics and Engineering competition by creating a Rube Goldberg machine. The purpose of the machine was to, in typical Rube Goldberg fashion, crush a pop can and dispose of it in a recycling container. The winning machine employed, among other things, a bowling ball, toaster, steel-toed work-boot, plastic Nixon figurine, bar stool, dominos, a record player, a mousetrap and a flyswatter.
Agency Nickname:
"Daddy"