Gregor Vacketta, a systems administrator, is known in the Division of Public Safety for his willingness to help his co-workers, a quality that earned him the division’s Carol Bailey Civilian Employee Award in 2005. Vacketta so enjoys helping others that he and his brother took a mission trip to Lake Charles, La., during March to aid Hurricane Rita victims. Vacketta plans to make a second trip to the New Orleans area in June to help Hurricane Katrina victims. Not one to turn down a challenge, Vacketta, who is a self-taught “computer guru,” upgraded the division’s e-mail system and the mobile data computers in its squad cars. Vacketta joined the division’s staff in April 2004 as an extra-help telecommunicator and became its systems administrator the following October.
What does your job entail?
I maintain all the computers and all the specialized items we have, such as voice recorders and computers in the squad cars. We’re going to update some of our security measures soon. We’ve already installed some security cameras, the new lock system should be installed soon, and we’re updating our Web page.
What’s your educational background?
I graduated from Parkland College in 1984 with an associate’s degree in construction technology and worked for my family’s construction business – Ore W. Vacketta and Sons – for about 16 years. I set up the computer network, installed the software for the accounting system and trained everyone how to use it, and was a construction project manager. We did a lot of remodeling and built quite a few buildings at the university, including the Ubben basketball facility, the Irwin football center and Wohlers Hall.
When the owners retired and the business closed, I applied for the telecommunicator job. It seemed like it would be a real challenge.
What do you enjoy most about your job?
The people. I love coming in to work. Everybody here’s so pleasant. There’s always a challenge, every day. A lot of the problems are pretty simple or people aren’t sure how to handle something, and my job’s to help them as fast as I can so they can get their work done. I find I learn something every day. Also working with the officers, they care about making sure the campus community is safe. If I can help them in the smallest way I feel I have done my job.
What’s the biggest challenge?
Keeping everything running. The computers in the cars go through a lot because they’re out in the elements and used 24/7.
What kinds of things do you like to do in your free time?
I do woodworking. Working with your hands and finishing a project is a great feeling and is very relaxing. I’ve made hope chests, picture frames and display cases. I have a few computers at home that I play with. I still do some Autocad drawings. I like spending time with my family and my dog Mandy; she’s a Dalmatian mix. I also enjoy camping, fishing, cruising around on my motorcycle; basically any time in the outdoors is great.
Tell me about your mission trip.
My brother sent me an e-mail saying “here’s your big opportunity” and talked me into going. It was through my church, Central Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), to work on various projects in Lake Charles, La. We started out working with Habitat for Humanity. They were getting ready to build four homes, and we prepared for that. They told us that maybe we’d feel like we hadn’t done much because we didn’t build a house, but by doing the prep work we were helping out just as much. We also split up into groups, and one group helped a gentleman repair his barn roof, and the other group put storm doors on elderly people’s homes and repaired fences. There were more than 20 people in the group, and it took two nine-hour days for us to drive down. Being with friends, making new ones and helping people made it all worthwhile.
Dealing with the damage day after day, people can lose hope. By doing small projects we may give them back some hope that everything will work out. One lesson I learned on this trip is that helping others can be the most fulfilling experience you can have, whether it be a mission trip or just helping out a neighbor.
