A Day in the Life of Erin Maher-Moran
1. Thank you for joining me for this month’s edition of the “Tech Manager Spotlight.” Start by telling us a little about what you do and a little about your background.
Thanks for having me! I serve as the Multimedia Services Manager at Johns Hopkins University. In this role, I manage the Classroom/Audiovisual Technology Services team. On top of managing the team, I’m also the staff programmer; control systems, website, etc. I took my first Crestron programming class in 2000 to gain more marketable skills. Around that time I also had started my MS in IT which I did not end up finishing since I moved to Maryland before finishing. I have been considering going back to school for an MS in Technical Management.
2. Have you always worked in AV? What did the path look like for you to get where you are now?
I have always worked in AV. When I was in college, my work-study job was in the “projector sector”. I never thought that it would end up developing into my career. During orientation, I went to the job fair knowing I didn’t want to get a food service position so I wandered around and saw that the Educational Technology Center was looking for AV assistants. It sounded like a decent gig that I could do in the hours around my classes. I worked my way up to being the first female Crew Leader. After graduation, I had not yet secured a full-time job and it turned out that the Supervisor I had worked for was changing positions. They needed a replacement at least part-time ASAP. I figured why not, I could do that for a little while and I could look for something else in the meantime. A couple of months went by and they had not found a candidate that had as much experience and knowledge as I already had so they asked if I would consider applying full time. I finally started to feel like AV was something I could do as a career. I stayed there 5 more years before being lured to JHU.
3. Looking back at the last year, how do you feel COVID affected you and your university? What would you have done differently and what would you have done the same?
At JHU, we’ve been very fortunate. We had already started using Zoom before the campus closed and much of the faculty were able to transition swiftly. My team was able to switch to remote supporting of systems. The biggest thing I would have done differently is I would have insisted on being directly in communication with Leadership. For some reason, I was continually cut out of the loop and fed information second-hand. I feel like some things got lost in translation when I was giving information back up the chain… especially the urgency at which the decisions needed to be made. Pretty much everything else I would do the same… We did a great job of coming up with solutions that we could implement quickly but also serve multiple purposes as well as integrate permanently later on if needed.
4. What is your morning routine?
Since I’m still working from home, for the most part, my morning routine is pretty simple. I roll out of bed at about 7:50 and start to wake my son up before my long commute down the stairs to my living room where my desk currently resides. I’ll stop by the fridge to treat myself to a Coke Zero before starting my day at 8 am. (I don’t drink coffee…. I know, what a weirdo!)
5. What does an average week-day look like for you?
Like all Higher Ed Tech Managers, my day depends on what time of year it is…. But typically it’s a balance of writing and responding to all the emails, attending meetings, webinars, training, and the like. It is a marvelous day when I actually head to a classroom myself. Those are the ones where I feel most useful. When the workday is over, I make dinner for my family, help my husband (college) and son (middle school) with their homework, and watch some DVR’d programs.
6. What does your busiest day look like? What are the challenges your role faces, and how do you overcome those?
My busiest day is the one right before the semester starts. No matter how many years I’ve been at it, I still have the feeling like everything is going to go wrong and hold my breath for a few days until I realize all is good. I spend the days leading up to the first day of classes helping to wrap up whatever installations or system upgrades we did and fixing any lingering issues that were found during room checks. One of the challenges I face is resource allocation. It seems like we never have enough people to do all of the tasks that we need to get done. Typically, I have to establish priorities; events, projects we are being paid to do, internal projects, etc. Then I have to consider time and talent management. My team may not always agree with how things are broken down and I take their opinions into consideration, but in the end, I do what needs to get done based on past experience.
7. What energizes you and inspires you?
Creativity energizes me. I love the opportunity to think not only outside of the box but also getting to build, paint and decorate the box. I get inspired by those who are doing new and exciting things.
8. If another tech manager were to follow you around all day, what would they most be surprised by? What would they learn?
They would probably be most surprised by what a disaster my office is. It has been referred to as “organized chaos”. People are always amazed at the fact that I know where everything is despite it looking like a mess. They’d also find that when I get excited or am really passionate about something my voice gets louder and louder… to the point where it seems like I’m yelling. I try to be conscious of it, but sometimes I get carried away by the moment.
9. Tell us about the project you are currently working on now?
This summer we plan to overhaul the AV system in one of our large lecture halls. This project was supposed to get done last summer but our priority had to shift and we pushed it off a year. For me though, my biggest project right now is completing the Crestron Certified Programmer exam.
10. Comparing your career path over time, what are some of the moments, accomplishments, or projects that you’re most proud of?
I would have to say the project I’m most proud of is the renovation of Shriver Hall Auditorium. There were so many roadblocks and setbacks, but despite it all, my team pulled it off. We were responsible for a full audio/video upgrade including two projectors, a digital media server, and touch panel control. I’m also proud I received my CTS right before I went out on maternity leave in 2008. I had pregnancy brain fog so bad and had not prepared as well as I had hoped for the exam but managed to pass.
11. What do you enjoy doing on weekends? How do you spend your time outside of work?
I’m a very social person so I tend to participate in virtual gatherings with my roller derby peeps or sorority sisters. I really miss getting to go out and dance with my girlfriends. Since I had retired from skating and coaching roller derby, I stayed involved as an announcer during bouts. Hopefully, I can continue to do that once the league is able to get back to skating. Road trips are awesome… I can’t wait to take more again.
12. Similar to many tech managers, we are sure you have increased your workload over the last year and continue to stay quite busy within the industry, how do you maintain a work-life balance?
Early on, I figured out that I needed to establish a routine and stick to it. I continued to work my normal work hours and not check my email after hours unless it was important. I made use of Outlook’s ability to sort emails to Focused/Other so I would only get alerts for emails that were vital and needed my attention. The hard part has been to stay on track work-wise while making sure my son is logging on to his virtual classes.
13. What is your life motto and how do you apply it to your daily routine?
Esse Quam Videri. To be, rather than to seem. It is my sorority’s motto (Delta Phi Epsilon) and I absolutely believe in it. I strive to be nothing more than my authentic self.
14. Now one year into COVID, what is your number one takeaway moving forward?
My number one takeaway is the importance of clear communication…. Between team members, other departments we need to work with, vendors, higher-level administration, etc. Also with less face to came communication I learned I had to be more conscious of what I wrote since tone is lost.
This Month’s Manager: Erin Maher-Moran
Erin Maher-Moran is the Multimedia Services Manager at Johns Hopkins University. She manages the Classroom/Audiovisual Technology Services team, lovingly referred to as KIT-CATS. Her team designs, installs, supports and maintains the classroom technology in general pool classrooms, as well as supports events, on the Homewood Campus.
With over 25 years in Higher Education AV, Erin has seen the industry grow and change in leaps and bounds. She has been programming Crestron control systems since the early 2000’s and is finally taking the exam to be a Crestron Certified Programmer. She has been an AVIXA Certified Technology Specialist since 2008.
Erin is a former roller derby skater and coach. This has helped her understand the importance of building a dynamic team as well as allowed her an opportunity to develop her leadership skills and style.
Erin holds a BFA in illustration and an Advanced Graduate Certificate in Interactive Multimedia Development from the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT).