Just who is Mark Carrara? Currently I am the Technology Coordinator for the School District of Gilman, in Northwestern Wisconsin. Gilman is a small (430 students), rural and poor (70% free and reduced lunches) district. I work with all phases of technology, maintenance, administration and integration. I came from the world of business and not from education. My personal goals are to make technology available, secure and transparent. I am a big supporter of open source software.
Before Gilman I worked at a factory doing computer support. We made lighting ballasts for a division of Philips. Before that I was an independent computer consultant. I started working with computers part time in 1992 and full time in 1994, so I have been at this game for about twenty years.
In previous lives I have farmed, sold livestock feed and worked in restaurants. My wife and I also owned and ran a restaurant for five year. That takes you back to the dark ages when I graduated from North Central College, a small liberal arts school in Naperville, IL, in 1979. Along the way I also earned a Master of Science degree in Agricultural Industries from University of Wisconsin – Platteville.
So much for a history lesson. Now to the current me. I recently completed my MBA from Lakeland College. I hope to bridge the worlds of business and technology (the suits and the geeks) in my next job. Often we hear that technology people just don’t understand the business of business. With my years of management and an MBA I think I can be the exception that proves the rule.
My philosophy of life includes continuous learning. I try to learn something new almost every day. With technology that is not hard to do. In the last few years I have become an expert in live streaming video on the web and often speak and conferences on the topic. I have strong opinions and willing to share them. However at the same time I am open to new ideas and I am willing to change.
