Getting to Know James Keeler
Job Title: Systems Engineer 2
Based out of: Chattanooga, Tennessee
Former Job: Formerly, I was an Information Systems Specialist for the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office here in Chattanooga. One of the best parts of working for the Sheriff’s Office was getting to know, and be a part of, the law enforcement community. While I was a deputy, complete with a gun and badge, I never worked in the jail or on the street, so I was never exposed to the life-threatening scenarios of being on patrol, but I’ve seen the toll that it takes on these men and women and it has affected me deeply. I have the utmost respect and admiration for those who risk their lives to serve as our protectors.
What do you enjoy about your work: In the process of describing what I enjoy about my work, I must also describe what I enjoy about where I work and those with whom I work. I love to create, to innovate, to find solutions to problems that people often overlook. My employer allows me that freedom, the freedom to wander from problem to problem, developing solutions as I go. This is a mutually beneficial arrangement in that the more freedom I am given, the harder I work to help the enterprise work efficiently. Add to this a management team who speak technical jargon as well any engineer and who are willing to stand by their direct reports, teammates who are similarly dedicated to innovation, and you have an environment that is ideal for creating a high performance organization.
About your family: I am awash in a sea of estrogen! And I wouldn’t have it any other way. I have been married for fourteen years and have two beautiful daughters. Yes… My dog is female too.
Favorite 3 movies of all time:
- Act of Valor
- Die Hard
- Blazing Saddles
Favorite 3 books:
- Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card
- Snow Crash by Neal Stephenson
- The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant by Stephen R. Donaldson
Favorite hobbies: Golf and drumming
Interesting fact about yourself: For the past ten years I’ve been playing snare drum for City of Chattanooga Pipe Band (http://www.ChattanoogaPipeBand.org). In 2014, the band went undefeated and received four Above Grade Level comments from various judges. As a result, the band has been upgraded to Grade 3. We are the first, and only, Grade 3 pipe band in the state of Tennessee.
City of Chattanooga is a competition band, competing in many events in the Southeast, US. These events are sanctioned by the Eastern United States Pipe Band Association (http://www.euspba.org).