Get to Know StuartCo

This is going to be a very unusual Bellringer article, as most often the basis for this feature story is something specific an individual or team has done that deserves recognition. However, this time we’re recognizing someone for having done nothing specific, but simply for just being such an all-around nice person. Even if his name were not mentioned above, there’s no doubt everyone knows we are referring to Jon Rambeck—as nice a person as you will ever meet, and our January 2013 Bellringer!

Jon joined our StuartCo team on December 1, 2011. He came to us shortly after receiving a Network Administration degree from St. Cloud Tech, and he has recently earned an A+ Certification while working here. Jon is now working on earning a Network+ Certification. He is our Desktop Support Specialist, which means he supports our computer systems by troubleshooting and repairing any technical issues our employees encounter. Jon also configures and deploys new computer systems, works with Property
Managers and Portfolio Directors on IT issues, and he keeps our computer users informed and trained with StuartCo’s software and applications. Jon also helps IT Systems Manager Travis Guza by eagerly taking on new challenges and responsibilities as needed. Not only has Jon taken on the role of Help Desk and Support Specialist, but he is also starting to take on some more of the networking responsibilities.

Prior to writing this article, a request went out for stories about urgent situations that Jon has addressed—
stories about “putting out fires,” so to speak. But no one had such tales to tell, because the resounding opinion was that Jon is so quick to respond to calls for assistance and keeps everything operating so smoothly that nothing ever gets close to an “emergency” stage! So, without such stories to share, really all that’s left to share are the kind words many people expressed about our Bellringer:

Andrea Maloney, property manager, 430 Oak Grove: Jon totally deserves this award! He has helped me tremendously with all types of computer questions and troubleshooting. The best part about Jon is that he’s so genuine and eager to help—a positive attitude all the time. When computer troubles arise, the song “Hallelujah”runs through my mind as he enters the room. A great guy to receive this award, for sure! (Editor’s note: Andrea took the time to write this message while she was in the midst of construction chaos, preparing for an Open House, and first move-ins. That in and of itself says something about how strongly she feels about Jon!)

Angela Laskowski, property manager, Riverview at Upper Landing: Jon is great and always has an upbeat attitude, even when we call with problems that are “user errors.” He is great at communicating with us and follows up even when he has dozens of other work orders pending from other sites. I’m so glad he’s Bellringer—very well deserved!

Cynthia Davis, assistant manager, Century North: Jon Rambeck is the guy with all the technology answers,he really knows his stuff! If you need any kind of tech support, he’s “The Man”!

Dawn Schmidt, executive assistant, Corporate Office: Jon is very kind, thoughtful and friendly. He is extremely helpful and will drop everything to help out, and does so without complaining. He is extremely knowledgeable and gets the job done right the first time, and he always has the answers to the issue at hand! In addition, his smile is contagious.

Jeanne Schilz, property manager, The View: Jon is always positive  and helpful via phone! He is such a great example of what a StuartCo employee represents. Awesome choice for Bellringer!

Jenny Noll, property manager, Heritage Landing: Jon is very prompt about anything responding to our needs at Heritage Landing. He is always so positive, professional, and has that “can do” attitude. We thank him for coming to our rescue on more than one occasion this past year!

Kelly Harnitz, property manager, Woodstone: Jon is an angel! He has helped us with so many issues I don’t even know where to begin. I do want to say, he has the patience of a saint to deal with those of us who have no formal computer training, and he gets us to problem solve technical issues. Also, Jon’s training is in computers, but he often finds himself troubleshooting issues with technology that probably predates him. For example, this summer we had an issue with our fax machine that he helped to resolve. Something that sounded simple—moving a wire from one room to another—turned out to be a much more complicated process. Jon stuck through to the end and helped us reach our goal. He often works on weekends or odd hours of the day and night in order to work around site schedules so our day-to-day operations are not affected. He is one of a kind, and StuartCo is truly blessed he is a part of our team!

Kim McIntosh, property manager, Southwest Gables: Jon is such an asset to StuartCo! He is smart and addresses problems quickly and professionally. What I appreciate most about Jon is his prompt response and follow-up. Whether it is a problem ticket, email, or phone call, Jon will always fix the problem, then he contacts me later to make sure everything is still going ok. Jon definitely treats his customers like GOLD!

Kim West, property manager, Coachman Trails: I love Jon! He is always so helpful and does it in a way so as not to make us feel, shall I say, “unintelligent.” I’ll be the first to admit I am not the most computer savvy person in the world. So I very much appreciate the fact that I can call Jon or write a ticket, and he is able to fix the problem or walk me through how to go about fixing it on my end without difficulty. Most important, he always seems so positive and happy to help. Thank you for all you do, Jon. I hope you keep up the good work because I am sure we’ll all be in need of your help again soon!

Sheryl Neil, administrative assistant, corporate office: I have never met someone who is always smiling as much as Jon, despite the different challenges he comes across. Jon is our “go-to guy” and he is always so prompt with resolving issues, and he follows up to be sure you are happy with the end results—even if it is me requesting something for someone else. I love stopping by his office to say “hello” and see how his new member of his family—Vern, the Siberian Husky he recently adopted— is doing. Jon truly deserves being Bellringer because he always goes above & beyond his normal daily duties. We appreciate you more than you know, Jon!

Shirley Ketchum Grewe, property manager, Westchester Village: I have only needed to call Jon a couple of times, but I know his attention to detail is second to none. He is on top of his game—always!

Terry Steffen, CFO, Corporate Office: Normally you don’t think of an IT guy as “cool.” However, Jon’s ability to stay cool under pressure was just what we needed a few weeks ago when the email service for the entire company was interrupted in the middle of the night. Travis was off at his usual watering hole (ha ha), and Jon was called into action from home at 7:20 a.m. I’m not sure if he has an entire network cave in his apartment that he steps into (I am picturing Batman stepping into the bat cave), or if he just pulls out an iPad and taps the screen a bit, but Jon somehow managed to methodically troubleshoot the problem, power down the system briefly, and bring it back to life! During the process, he not only worked on the problem but also assured me that Plan B to communicate the issue, if necessary, to all email users without having email to do so was ready and waiting. I was glad to have Jon in the trenches!

Lisa Moe, president and CEO, Corporate Office: Jon is a great addition to StuartCo and our IT department. He provides not only great technical talent, but also a willingness to help train, develop and work with people who have varying levels of computer skills. He reacts calmly but affectively when there is a network issue or a specific PC problem. He’s been a great help to me when my computer isn’t operating correctly – and I am pretty sure most of the issues are ‘user problems’, though he kindly never lets on to that fact.

Now that we know more about Jon’s professional side, it’s time to get personal. Jon is the oldest of four children; he has two younger sisters and a younger brother. He grew up in Savage MN and attended Burnsville High School. Jon is very close to his immediate family and also has many cousins living in the area. Jon recently adopted a two-year old Siberian Husky (Vern, mentioned previously). He enjoys playing tennis with his brother and fishing at his family’s cabin in Alexandria MN.

Positive. Prompt. Professional. And as we’ve now learned, a whole lot more. That’s our Bellringer Jon Rambeck. We hope this article about how much he is appreciated has put that “contagious smile” on his face!

As echoed by the many praises above, we’re so appreciative of all that you do, Jon!