Posted: Monday, January 26, 2015
The start of a new year at Merkle RMG means that I can take a few moments to look back at the previous year and reflect on our accomplishments and the key members of our team who stood apart from the rest. This year there were many team members, across all of our departments, who gave 110% to our clients, our goals and our company. I am very proud of what they achieved. However, as is always the case, a few members of the team stood out from the rest and I’d like to showcase those individuals in this blog entry.
Maggie Clark, Data Entry Manager
Maggie joined Merkle in 2000, working after school as a Data Entry Keyer at our Grantsville, Maryland facility. Maggie advanced to the position of Data Operations Lead, which she held until relocating in January 2005. Maggie re-joined Merkle at our Hagerstown, Maryland, facility in February 2009 as a Data Capture Supervisor. In January 2015, Maggie was promoted to Manager of Data Capture, assuming overall responsibility for the data capture and data output processes. When not at work, Maggie can be found at her local gym or on the many hiking trails around Winchester, VA. If you spot her out and about, I would approach with caution as she might have her guard dogs Briggs, a Doberman; Caydem, a Husky and Malinois mix; and her husband’s actual K-9 Shepherd close by. One secret that most people may not know about Maggie is that she was selected as her high school’s Homecoming Queen her senior year.
Jessica Schaut, Manager of Exception Services
Jess has been with Merkle for six and a half years. Very process oriented, she came to Merkle from GE and served as quality coordinator, overseeing the company’s International Organization for Standards (ISO) 9001:2008, and annual Statement on Standards for Attestation Engagements (SSAE) 16 certification processes. Jess’s operational skills were invaluable in her next role as implementation coordinator. From there, Jess moved into a client-facing role as account manager with sole responsibility for assuring the satisfaction of clients like Trout Unlimited, the Heritage Foundation and Susan G. Komen. In 2014, we asked Jess to step into the fulfillment department and assist in restructuring it for improved quality and efficiency. Jess came up with a new organizational structure, dividing two larger groups into subsidiary groups over which she put leadership in place. After successfully completing that assignment, Jess is now focused on Merkle’s Exception Services Team and will bring the same level of passion, production and quality expertise and client commitment to the products and services flowing through that department. When she’s not trouble shooting things at Merkle, Jess is quite content showing off her domestic side, canning, cooking, baking and playing Mommy to her favorite two-year old son, Jacob. On Sundays she enjoys relaxing and cheering on her favorite team – the Pittsburg Steelers.
Sara Socks, Image Manager
Sarah joined Merkle in February 2002 as a mail-processing clerk, working evenings while attending high school. After graduation she gained experience in various departments and eventually worked her way up to image coordinator. In May 2011 Sarah was promoted to supervisor of the image department, and then in August 2012 she was promoted to manager of the Commercial, Government and Image departments. Sarah’s determination in performing well – not only in her current position – but also striving for continued learning, have afforded her the opportunity for growth. Sarah has an unwavering dedication to Merkle, her team’s performance and meeting the client commitments within her departments.
In her free time Sarah enjoys the outdoors on her four-wheeler and hanging out with her dog Bella and her cat Midnight. If there is a spare moment on Sunday afternoons, she and her pets might be cozied up on the couch catching a football game. I also have learned that Sarah has no fear of pain and has been tattooed three times – so far.
It will be exciting to watch the performance of these three throughout 2015, as well as that of other team members who who I know will go above and beyond to deliver the outstanding service, support and quality that the industry associates with Merkle RMG.