Socket's You-Make-the-Difference Award is given monthly to the employee who best exemplifies Socket's Core Values and Beliefs. Recipients of the award are nominated and voted on by their peers.
Recent winners include:
January 2012:
Sam Johnson, Business
Center Analyst
Sam Johnson was chosen as Socket's You-Make-the-Difference-Award winner for January. He joined the Socket team in July 2010, beginning in residential technical support and transferring to our Business Center shortly after. He now helps answer technical questions and troubleshoot issues with Socket's business clients.
"Sam is always there to help in the Busines Center, and he's a favorite agent for many of our business callers," said a fellow employee who nominated him for the award.
In his free time, Sam likes to be outdoors and enjoys going to concerts and spending time with friends. If you're looking for him, there's a good chance you'll find him at one of Columbia's downtown establishments.
"I'm quite honored to win the award," said Sam. "I always strive to do my best and help as many people as I can along the way."
December 2011:
Dave Sill, Inside Network Operations Manager
Dave Sill was chosen as Socket’s You-Make-the-Difference-Award winner for December. He joined the Socket team in January 1999 and has since done everything from splicing fiber to writing software. In his current role, he maintains Socket's servers, internal office equipment and security systems.
"You can go to Dave with just about anything and he knows the solution," said a co-worker who nominated him for the award.
In his free time, Dave can often be found with his wife, Brandi, and his sons Noah and Leo. He also enjoys biking, running and listening to all kinds of music.
"It's such an honor to know how much my co-workers value my contribution to the company," said Dave. "I've spent my entire adult life here and it's really amazing to see what I've helped accomplish!"
November 2011:
James Hicks, Technical Support Representative
James Hicks was chosen as Socket’s You-Make-the-Difference-Award winner for November. He joined the Socket team in May and helps residential customers install new connections and troubleshoot problems. He also helps with any computer problems employees run into here at the office.
"James is so calm and patient with his customers, so I know they're smiling when they hang up the phone with him," said a co-worker who nominated him for the award. "He has definitely made a difference at Socket in his few months here!"
Originally from Kenoma, MO, James moved to Columbia earlier this year. He likes to play games in his free time--video games, roleplaying games, first-person shooting games, and real-time strategy games.
When asked why he thinks he won the award, James said, "I’m pretty sure the only reason I got picked is because I always have candy."
October 2011:
Jeff Gray, Programmer/Analyst
Jeff Gray was chosen as Socket’s You-Make-the-Difference-Award winner for October. He joined the Socket team two years ago and is responsible for building tools and reports for use throughout the company.
"Always willing to help, Jeff never says something can’t be done," said a co-worker who nominated him for the award. "He will find a way. And he has. He makes a difference."
Jeff is originally from Lebanon, Missouri. He and his girlfriend, Jennifer, like to travel. Their most recent journeys took them to Nashville, TN and Broken Arrow, OK. He also likes playing video games and cheering for the St. Louis Cardinals.
"I have the privilege of being part of a great team here at Socket," Jeff says. "I couldn't be happier!"
September 2011:
Jason Vander Veen, Technical
Support Supervisor
Jason Vander Veen was chosen as Socket’s You-Make-the-Difference-Award winner for September. Jason started at Socket earlier this year as a technical support representative. He now supervises the day-to-day operations of the department.
"Jason is like a duck. He's calm and cool on the surface, but paddling like heck underneath," said a co-worker who nominated him for the award.
Originally from Grand Rapids, Michigan, Jason later moved to Jefferson City and then Columbia, MO. He likes golfing, fishing, cooking or spending time with his family (wife Kim, son Gavin and daughter Adilyn).
"I feel honored to receive the award, but I owe a lot of thanks to tech support and to customer service for making it easy for me. I think it's our entire Socket team that
really makes the difference."
August 2011:
Kevin Gandara, Customer Service & Sales Supervisor
Kevin Gandara was chosen as Socket’s You-Make-the-Difference-Award winner for August. Kevin started at Socket last September as a customer service & sales representative. He later went on to become an evening lead and now supervises the day-to-day operations of the department.
"Kevin has really stepped up in customer service & sales," said a co-worker who nominated him for the award. "He has not stopped striving for excellence."
Originally from New York City, Kevin moved to Columbia last year. He likes riding bikes, watching movies and partaking in exploring the ins and outs of Missouri with his family.
"It's great to know your peers appreciate the hard work," said Kevin. "But it's very much a team effort. I wouldn't be successful without the support of my team and others within Socket."
July 2011:
John Weant, Business Center Analyst
John Weant was chosen as Socket’s You-Make-the-Difference-Award winner for July. John started at Socket as a technical support representative about three years ago. He currently serves as a tier III business center analyst, resolving tough technical problems for Socket's business clients and assisting with the occasional install.
"John has recently gone above and beyond for two different customers that were experiencing trouble," said a fellow Socket employee who nominated John for the award. "He dispatched himself to ensure our customers were up and working."
Originally from Moberly, MO, John has been spending his summer taking bike rides with his family, working in the yard and just enjoying the sunshine. He also likes to play with computers and video games when the weather's not so great.
"I'm very humbled to win the award," John said. "I truly believe everyone at Socket makes a difference, and it's a real team effort here."
June 2011:
Ryan Luff, Installer
Ryan Luff was recently given June's You Make The Difference (YMTD) award. Luff joined Socket in April 2010 after meeting with Nick Pena, a geographical mapping expert for Socket. During their meeting, they discussed Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and the GIS application created specifically for the iPhone platform. Luff was then shortly hired as a technical support agent after impressing Pena and the rest of Socket with his knowledge in geography and confidence in the latest technology. After working at Socket for a year, Luff has continued to make an impression on the company. In addition to winning the monthly YMTD award, he has also been promoted to an installer.
Luff attended the University of Missouri-Columbia where he studied geography and played on Marching Mizzou, the University of Missouri marching band. When Luff is not at work, he enjoys playing wiffle ball with his longtime Marching Mizzou friends, building and playing video games, and playing Pathfinder, a Dungeons and Dragons variant. He can also be found hanging out with his roommate and fellow Socketeer, Chris Terrell.
Luff has made a positive impact on other Socket employees and the company as a whole, but all the attention has not changed the unassuming employee that started at Socket a year ago. When asked how he felt after winning June's YMTD award, Luff smiled and said, "I'm humbled to be chosen as this month's YMTD. I just take the time to get things done right in our system and out in the field, but I wouldn't be able to do it if everyone in the office wasn't doing the same thing. We all work hard to claim our market share!"
May 2011:
Allie Schomaker, Marketing Representative
Allie Schomaker was chosen as Socket's You-Make-the-Difference-Award winner for May. Allie joined Socket's marketing team in June 2006 and handles projects such as customer communications, e-mail campaigns, newsletters (like this one) and more.
"Allie makes the difference because of her attitude and work ethic," said a co-worker who nominated Allie for the award. "She is always educating herself on how to be a better employee, leader and team-player."
Originally from Marceline, MO, Allie now lives in Columbia with her husband and their two-year-old daughter. In her spare time, she enjoys reading, running, and traveling throughout the Midwest to Kenny Chesney concerts.
When asked what she thought of winning Socket's You-Make-the-Difference award, Allie said, "There are so many hard-working and knowledgeable employees here at Socket. When they tell you you're making a positive impact, that's really gratifying."
April 2011:Aaron Myers, Residential Installer
Aaron Myers was chosen as Socket's You-Make-the-Difference-Award winner for April. Aaron joined the Socket team in June 2009 as a technical support representative. He now serves as a residential installers for Socket's home phone and Internet services.
"Aaron shows a lot of patience in his customer relations," said a co-worker who nominated Aaron for the award. "He takes the time to explain the install to the customer."
A Columbia native, Aaron likes to enjoy the local music scene. Sometimes, you might even find him singing or playing guitar at an open mic night.
When asked what he thought of winning Socket's You-Make-the-Difference award, Aaron said, "It is a great honor. I'm happy I was able to stand out among all these hard-working people."
March 2011:
Corey Wyatt, Business Center Analyst
Corey Wyatt was chosen as Socket's You-Make-the-Difference-Award winner for March. Corey joined the Socket team in November 2006 as a technical support representative. He now serves as a business center analyst and will soon be transitioning to a provisioner role, where he will build customers' data and phone services on Socket's switches.
"Corey is one of the hardest working and knowledgeable individuals at Socket," said a co-worker who nominated Corey for the award. "I admire his ability to handle so many tasks and still find time to help answer questions from the surrounding techs. He has taught me a lot."
Outside of work, Corey likes to read, play video games and listen to electronic music.
When asked what he thought of winning Socket's You-Make-the-Difference award, Corey said, "It's great to be recognized for the little things I do to keep things running smoothly."
February 2011:Chris Green, Customer Service Supervisor
Chris Green was chosen as Socket's You-Make-the-Difference-Award winner for February. Chris joined Socket in October 2009 as a customer service agent. Earlier this year, he was promoted to customer service supervisor.
"Chris has stepped up and provided the leadership the department needed," said a co-worker who nominated Chris for the award. "He is the customer's advocate and supports his employees."
Chris is originally from Flat River, MO, but has lived in Columbia, MO for almost two years. In his spare time, he enjoys volunteering, watching TV or playing with his pet guinea pigs.
"It was really unexpected to win this award," said Chris. "I am very appreciative of my staff for helping me make such a difference. It's an honor to work with such good people."
January 2011:
Nate Howland, Installer
Nate Howland Nate Howland was chosen as Socket's You-Make-the-Difference-Award winner for January. Nate joined Socket's team last year and now serves as an installer for Socket's business clients. He spends most of his time in the Jefferson City area.
"Nate keeps customers running and happy," said a co-worker who nominated Nate for the award. "He never complains about his duties and always maintains a professional attitude."
Nate is originally from Hannibal, MO. In his spare time, he and his wife enjoy playing video games and hiking. They also keep busy with their new addition, baby Asher.
"I'm glad my peers like the work I do," said Nate. "I couldn't be as good at my job if it wasn't for the superb team of folks I work with."
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