Meet George Nelson, NOC Administrator

 

George Nelson is the FastServers.Net Chicago facilities Network Operations Center Administrator. Yes, it’s a long title, but with three data centers, we have to specify the facility where George works his magic. No, he doesn’t do any magic tricks, but he does install servers, manage inventory, deploy network hardware, troubleshoot operations issues, and plans for future development of where servers will be located in the Chicago data center. One reason we staffed George at the new downtown Chicago facility is he has extensive experience with Enterprise-level solutions. His role is crucial to the success of our customers who need a high-level engineer with years of experience in building servers and managing NOC operations.

When George is not helping our Enterprise-level customers and building solutions that fit their exact needs, he still manages to spend time on a computer. But, he’s not configuring a server or building a network. Instead, he’s playing World of Warcraft. We asked George who his favorite character is during game play. His response, “There’s no one character that is my favorite, so I’ll just say the Undead race. They are allied with the Horde for convenience to further their own needs. Are they friend or foe? Who knows.” Unless you’re an avid World of Warcraft player, you probably have no idea what George is talking about. We have no idea either, but that’s okay. We do know the game seems to be pretty cool.

If George is not in front of the computer, he’s watching his favorite television show – Law and Order. This NOC manager knows his television characters. In fact, he says Jack McCoy is his favorite character on the show. “Jack is strong-willed and driven by principle, yet does have some compassion locked away somewhere,” said George. “I think his character’s personality is by far the greatest television personality – ever.” For all of you out there who enjoy watching Law and Order, join George’s enthusiasm by sending him an email about your favorite episode or favorite character. This may be the start of a FastServers.Net “Law and Order” fan club.

If you like candy, George is the team member to go to when you get a craving for a sugar buzz. His favorite candy, Reese’s Pieces, is always nearby and easily accessible so George can get his sugar fix every second of the day. “If I could put them in a bowl and add milk, I’d eat them for breakfast,” said George. “A close second to Reese’s Pieces has to be chocolate covered gummy bears. I eat about a half a pound of them every month.” Imagine how much candy George ate when he was a kid. Anyway, regardless if George has Reese’s Pieces or chocolate covered gummy bears, he is not allowed to go anywhere near the NOC or data center floor with candy. Not a single piece! We mean it George!

To our surprise, George has a hidden talent most people would never guess. He used to cross-stitch! Yep. He sure did. “When I was a kid, my grandma used to crochet while she was babysitting us,” said George. “I couldn’t crochet to save my life, but cross-stitching was fun and easier so it became something I could to do to spend time with grandma.” George gave up cross-stitching and now dreams of earning a pilot license. He has mentioned something about flying a stealth fighter jet, but will gladly accept the opportunity to fly a single-engine prop plane. Hey, Ian may let you fly 99FS?! “It would be nice to be able to fly a plane for traveling, but I don’t want to put someone close to me at risk if they flew with me,” said George. “I think I’ll just stick to building servers and managing network operations.”

Time and time again we hear FastServers.Net employees talk about how much they enjoy working for the company. “There’s always something to do or going on. Whether it is a queue of new server installations, tackling trouble tickets, improving department policies, learning new technologies, or launching new products that customers will use, everyday is filled with exciting things to do,” said George. “I feel challenged every day when I come into the office. That’s a unique feeling that I have never experienced with any other company. No one rests on their laurels here.”