As a veteran who left the Marines in 2015, I bounced from job to job eagerly trying to find the type of leadership that inspired me to be the best. But it wasn’t until I was volunteering on Arbor Day in 2019 with the Carlsbad Chamber of Commerce that I met an employee from a company I’m truly proud to work for. In hindsight maybe I should have been volunteering in my community before then, and I would’ve found an organization that I believe in quicker. Nonetheless I ask, do you ever get the feeling that some people are just a good fit? Fortunately, that’s the connection I felt about ECI after interacting with one of their employees who was volunteering alongside me on Arbor Day.
I started my new career at ECI in June 2019 with minimal experience in the vegetation management industry, key word on the minimal. I was scared to say the least but as veterans can attest, we are well adapted at overcoming adversity. My first week on the job began with me being flown to Wake Forest, NC for a comprehensive training program that was designed to bring me up to par with industry expectations. Of course, during this training there were doubts if I had made the right decision, but this apprehension was put to rest after interacting with the leadership at ECI. We’ve all had that senior leader who thought they were the best thing since sliced bread, but not at ECI. The genuine care the leadership possesses about their employees and down to earth attitude put me at ease. With confidence I can say thus far, humility has been an attribute of every employee I’ve had the pleasure of interacting with.