Yes, but I would prefer to move to a warmer part of the US rather than a wintry region.
Why did you leave DuPont?
In 2004, the DuPont Company set a cost reduction goal of $900 million and a substantial part of that plan involved a layoff of approximately 3,500 employees world-wide. The layoff first involved an incentive offer with an invitation to leave voluntarily (carrot) followed by involuntary termination of selected candidates if the voluntary targets were not met (stick). I worked in the marketing communications function (which was identified as "overstaffed for current work requirements") and all MC personnel in my business received an invitation to leave. I chose to accept the incentive. Many of my colleagues did not. In my old DuPont Communications Solutions group, 15 out of 19 web developers, writers, editors, illustrators and project managers were let go. Obviously, this has been a painful time.
In my opinion, the Company's approach to communications did not value loyalty, product knowledge and experience more than headcount reduction cost savings. Work in the corporate environment is increasingly being outsourced. I believe that small groups of experienced, skilled people who live in close proximity to the business and share their goals, strategies and network of contacts can be more responsive and more effective than "the lowest-cost bidder" for tactical work. I do not believe that marketing promotions, technical literature and marketing communications are simply short-term tactical projects that do not require integration with overall business activities. The Company and I differ in our opinions -- and I felt it was better for me to find work where my values were more at home.
What about your personal background?
I was born in Baltimore, MD, and grew up in Edgewood (about 25 miles north east of the city) in Harford County. My family usually had a boat or a travel trailer and we enjoyed the Chesapeake Bay area very much. My mother, Jean, was a Registered Nurse who worked in area, mostly at Harford Community Hospital in Havre de Grace. My father, Vince, was a salesman for VWR Scientific, selling laboratory supplies, equipment and reagents. My brother, Mark, and I grew up familiar with science, math and technology and influenced by a love for people and a fascination for good story-telling.
My parents are retired and live in Cecil County near Port Deposit, MD. Mark and his wife, Louise, live in Portland, OR, where he is national sales director for Neil Jones Food Companies.
My wife, Chris, and I live near Wilmington, DE. She works at the University of Delaware. We have one lovely miniature dachshund, Dolly, and we enjoy living near the great cultural treasures of Philadelphia, New York, Baltimore and Washington, D.C. We enjoy travel, including Colonial Williamsburg, Florida and Ireland. Many of the photos in the photo gallery were taken on our travels.
