Erica is a native of Lewistown, Pennsylvania. Though she sometimes misses the peaceful countryside of central Pennsylvania, she is happy to call Alexandria, VA her home for the last 17 years. Erica loves learning about the local history of Alexandria and the Washington, D.C. metro region, and enjoys walking around D.C. and Old Town Alexandria with her family, finding interesting places and stories.
Erica studied Microbiology and Biochemistry at Penn State, where she graduated with a bachelor of Science in General Science and a focus in life sciences.
1. What is your role at Obsidian?
I am an Operational Project Analyst at the Department of State. In this role, I am the ISO 20000 (ISO 20K) Document Manager for the Enterprise Network Management Operations Division (ENM/OPS) of the Department of State. I collaborate with team leads and subject matter experts to create and maintain the documents necessary for the division to achieve and maintain the coveted ISO 20K certification. To facilitate this, I also learned how to administer the division’s SharePoint site, lists, and libraries.
2. What do you enjoy most about your job?
I really enjoy the wonderful people I work with in ENM/OPS, and that we all believe in the mission of our services, and of the division as a whole. It is motivating to see how the different services work together to meet the mission of the entire division and enhance the entire IT operations of the department of state.
3. How long have you worked at Obsidian?
I have worked at Obsidian for 4 and a half years.
4. What is your favorite pastime or hobby outside of your work with Obsidian?
I have a large garden in the backyard, where I grow tomatoes, cucumbers, beans, herbs, and other vegetables, and am learning how to best use my garden space during the winter months to increase my harvest throughout the year.
5. What is your favorite book/movie? Why?
My favorite movie is Casablanca. It is the best movie of all time, it has some of the most memorable lines, and it stars Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman. You just can’t beat it.
6. What is something you’ve never done, but want to do?
I would love to travel around the world to see many of the amazing places and experience different cultures I have heard about.
7. What is your personal motto?
Do what you love, and you’ll never work a day in your life.
8. If you could meet anyone in the world, dead or alive, who would it be and why?
If I could, I would want to meet astronaut Sally Ride to learn what inspired her to reach for, and achieve space flight, which was a childhood dream I had.
9. What is one food you can’t resist?
I really can’t resist indulging in some Hartley’s potato chips, when I visit my parents. They are made locally in Lewistown PA, and there is a story that they have never changed the grease in the fryer, which is why they’re so good. I’m sure that’s not true, but they are my favorite treat.
10. Any goals or resolutions for 2021?
My goals for 2021` are to find ways to get myself and my kids more involved safely in sports and activities, so that we can all be more active. I also want to bring back my family’s annual tradition of vacationing at the Jersey Shore.
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