About Brandon
Brandon has been with Barton for over 3 years as a Systems Administration Assistant at our York office. He attended York College of Pennsylvania where he earned a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science.
When asked what he likes the most about the ESOP, Brandon states, “Besides the benefits, the events where we all get together are definitely a plus. It gives us a chance to be humans around each other, and not just cogs in a machine as in other companies.”
Tell us a little bit about your life at home.
I was born in the old York Memorial Hospital and have lived in York with my family almost my entire life, aside from a stint in our United States Marine Corps.
What was your first job in engineering like?
Though it’s not engineering, per se, the company and people there are very nice, and I’ve learned a great deal while there. In fact, I’ve liked it so much that I haven’t left!
What was the first job you got a physical paycheck?
I worked a summer job at Turbon International. It was a factory job assembling printer cassettes before they were finally completed elsewhere.
What does being part of an ESOP mean to you?
A rising tide lifts all boats. If we want to reap the individual benefits of an ESOP, the company as a whole must succeed. This keeps us accountable to each other and should motivate us, even if not for the group, but for ourselves.
How does the ESOP impact you the most?
I don’t know if it’s the awesome people here, or the fact that it is an ESOP, but I’ve felt a great impetus to make sure my fellow employees are receiving the best help that I can give them.
What do you love most about your job?
Helping my fellow employees! Being in IT, every issue is like a puzzle to solve, with the reward being a grateful “customer” which gives me great joy!
If I wasn’t a Systems Administrator, I’d be?
If I wasn’t in IT, I’d be a Software Engineer, since that is what my college training is in.
What is your favorite sport?
I don’t really watch sports, though I will root for the Eagles if they reach the Super Bowl.
I’m seldom without?
Wallet check, keys check, phone check; “I’m good, let’s roll.”
When I’m not at work I’m doing……
…cooking, watching internet videos, video games, then bed. I’m really lazy in my time off, though I am working on that.
Favorite pizza topping?
Pepperoni and mushroom, the classic.
What’s on your “stranded on a desert island” playlist?
Orinoco Flow, by Enya. I’ll listen to mostly anything, though recently I’ve started listening to synthwave music.
What’s your hidden talent?
I seem to have a superhuman ability to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory.
What’s the one movie you can watch over and over again?
John Carpenter’s The Thing (1982).
What’s on your bucket list?
Fully read the Bible and get closer to God, build a home, and have a family. Anything else would-be filler.
When I go to a cookout I hope there’s ____________ to eat.
Cheeseburgers!
What’s your favorite holiday and why?
I love Thanksgiving! For the Miller family, it was pretty much a reunion where I got to see family from all over the Susquehanna Valley, and beyond that, I don’t get to see that often and share great food with them. As time goes by that table gets quieter and quieter, though…
Have you ever met your idol or someone famous? If so, who?
I’ve met Alex Trebek during Fleet Week in New York in 2008(9?). My fellow Marines and I were walking past a parking garage that he was exiting. We didn’t recognize him at first and walked right past him! He called out to us, “Hey, Marines!” He was a little taken aback that we didn’t recognize him. Most of us remembered him with the mustache, but he exclaimed, “I haven’t had a mustache for years!” It was fair, though, as he always reserved seats for Marines at his show, and he had a large following with Marines. I don’t exactly remember what we talked about after, just that we had a pleasant conversation with him afterward.
Best book you’ve ever read?
I think the best professional development book I’ve read (and recommend) is “The Mythical Man-Month” by Frederick P. Brooks, Jr., which is devoted to project management in the software engineering sphere.
What’s the best piece of advice that you’ve ever been given?
“Do the homework.” said my professors. (A lesson I had to learn the hard way.)