This year marks our 75th Anniversary. To celebrate, we’re publishing 75 stories about members of our community. Ed Jamison has worked at MBX Systems for more than 18 years on their sales and marketing teams and is currently preparing himself for a brand-new role in management.
ABOUT ED
A Michigan native, Ed moved to Illinois for college. He started working in internet marketing and was always interested in technology. During a visit to MBX Systems, a custom computing hardware manufacturer, to buy some computer components, he was asked if he would like a tour and he jumped at the chance. Ed loved what he saw there and knew this was where he belonged. He applied that same day, started soon after, and 18 years later Ed is still happy to be there! Ed has been a member of the sales team and has spent time working in marketing and product management as well. In January 2020, Ed will hold his first management role, which is ultimately what brought him to CPED for Manager Boot Camp. “This role is new, so it’s nice to have a few months to plan for next year, to come to CPED to grow my management skills, and then plan ahead some more. I always like finding out what customers need and solving problems. In sales, I did it directly for my own customers and in marketing I get to do it for a much broader audience, all MBX customers. I really enjoy interacting with more people in different ways, telling their stories, and then yelling it from the rooftops. I love that sense of discovery that my work brings in marketing.”
When he’s not working, you’ll find Ed woodworking, volunteering, and home brewing 90 varieties of beer! “I am always looking for new experiences. I volunteer a lot. I am an election judge and was president of a school board. I am the youngest election judge by close to 40 years. There’s a very serious need for election judges in general but particularly young ones. It’s all computer-operated now so you really have to help people vote. It is a really rewarding thing to do and it is interesting. You’re helping people and you’re helping the public; it is really cool.”
CPED IMPACT
Manager Boot Camp was Ed’s first CPED experience and he hopes to be back soon. “Professional development is very important. I have seen people shy away from it and it has impacted their success versus being actively engaged in professional development to move forward. There are a lot of great programs here, especially in leadership. Some of my team members have taken the Lean Six Sigma programs which I appreciate from a teammate perspective. What they learned in Lean Six Sigma made an impact on our team so I am curious about taking those, and being in Manager Boot Camp has been exciting for my teammates too.”
Ed has one important piece of career advice for young professionals. “Don’t exclude yourself. There were times along my career where there were opportunities and I would say ‘oh well I know this isn’t the right time for me’ or someone else would say they wanted that opportunity so I would back out or not consider
You can learn more about Manager Boot Camp and Lean Six Sigma by visiting our website. Check out more stories from our community in the 75th Anniversary section of our blog.