LaGrange College

Pixar Animation Studios

As an IT Manager at Pixar, I'm responsible for integrating, maintaining, and supporting the full stack of our end-user facing SaaS environment. On any given day our team may be vetting and bringing in new cloud technology, incorporating new applications into our ecosystem, ensuring applications meet our security standards, or troubleshooting and supporting applications both at the integration level and with those that use these applications most. Getting to interact with so many parts of the technology and seeing firsthand how jobs, processes, and workflows are made more efficient is one of my favorite parts of the job!

Manager, Cloud Identity & Applications

As a Program Manager in Technical Operations I focused primarily on the planning and execution of a wide range of projects spanning the technology organization. 

Working specifically with Storage and Database Operations, I enabled these teams to make progress on and ultimately complete projects through being a conduit for information, removing issues and roadblocks, and initiating/driving processes to maximize efficiency. Additionally, I oversaw the creation of quarterly and fiscal year budget plans for Technical Operations, as well as managed and maintained it on an ongoing basis throughout the year.

I began at Box as a generalist within Technical Operations, which was extremely fun and challenging. The position varied quite a bit in duties and responsibilities, often requiring learning how to perform a new task or creating a new process. While at a high level I managed and drove projects, events, and general operations for the team, I also: 

- analyzed operations; improving and supporting where needed
- managed and facilitated all purchasing for the department (largely datacenter hardware)
- operated/administrated self-created inventory management system (learned PHP and MySQL for it!)
- managed the company's domain and SSL certification process and portfolio

Program Manager, Technical Operations

During my compact tenure as a communications specialist, I wrote copy and created engaging stories and features for communications publications within Apple Retail. This writing came with the added challenge of translating corporate directives into clear, compelling written communications a very specific audience. I also had the pleasure of working alongside a talented development team developing an iPad app for content and aiding in the transition to it from the existing platform.

I began my time at Apple Retail as a part time Specialist (sales associate if you aren't familiar with the vernacular). I eventually worked my way through full time Specialist, to Family Room Specialist, and ultimately Creative. 

As a Creative, my primary job function was to teach, and I found it incessantly fun and rewarding. Each session and customer was completely different from the last, necessitating quick thinking and mental agility. Being able to provide tailored, discovery-based learning sessions on nearly anything Apple (including both hardware and software) and seeing that light of discovery and creativity on someone's face was unforgettable.

I also had the distinct pleasure and challenge of creating a training module on Microsoft Office: Mac 2011 (before it was released and without ever using it...a whole new level of challenging!) designed for all retail employees to take and learn about the newest version of Office for Mac.

Apple Inc.

Internal Communications Specialist

Determined to use my degree in music theory, I began as an intern and was ultimately paid to manage and implement all aspects of music recording sessions and production projects with producer James Salter. I coordinated with musicians, labels, producers, engineers to facilitate productive sessions and events; arranged, wrote, and played/sung music; and soldered broken cables and repaired various equipment (including a Neve analog mixing console and Hammond B3 organs). I also assisted during recording sessions including set-up of instruments/mics and recording environment and attended and promoted at SXSW in 2007 and 2008. And, of course, I made many, many pots of coffee.

Jess Snipes