Educator Backstage: Dan Gomoll

 

 

Job Title: VP of Learning Management Systems Operations

Background

I was born and raised in New Berlin, Wisconsin - a suburb outside of Milwaukee.  I now live with my wife Kelly and our two teenage kids, Rachel and Jake, in Muskego. Our current home is about 5 miles away from where I grew up.  The winters are a bit rough here but the summers are outstanding.

I started working for Ucompass 5 years ago, and it has turned out to be one of the most fulfilling career choices I have ever made.  I am a doing something I  genuinely love, and I learn something new every day from some truly brilliant minds.  I also get to make frequent trips  to Florida to collaborate on projects which is especially nice this time of year.

Typical Day

Generally, I start the day out like a lot of people. I answer emails and get up to speed on anything I missed the previous night.  Every morning we have an Educator development meeting.  I am responsible for forming the daily agenda and leading the meeting.  We go over any issues that have come up over the past 24 hours along with progress reports on various projects, and we start planning any future enhancements to Educator.  Many of the items discussed come directly from end users (you!).  We weigh out the feasibility of getting ideas implemented within Educator, and then we plan how to best proceed.

The rest of my day depends a great deal on the morning meeting.  Some days I will help out with support issues or meet with various folks both inside and outside of Ucompass regarding current initiatives.  I am even called into meetings with FLVS personnel on occasion. Many days can turn on a dime because of unexpected support issues or various customer requests.  Like everyone else on the Ucompass team, I have learned that priorities can shift very quickly!  In my heart I am really and truly a software developer. Consequently, I cherish the rare days that I can spend writing code and solving problems.

Interests

Life is not all work for me. First and foremost, I am a dad and husband.  Both Rachel and Jake have been heavily involved in their schools’ chess programs for many years.  As I love the game myself, they probably got that from me. I am coach of the middle school chess program, and I often help out with both the high school and grade school programs.  During the school year, there are chess tournaments at various schools in Southeastern Wisconsin just about every Saturday. Over the years with a lot of help and some hard work, Muskego has developed a well-known chess program and routinely takes home championship trophies.

My son Jake plays baseball in the summer, and I help coach that team as well.  Between Jake’s games and the Milwaukee Brewers games, the Gomoll clan takes in a LOT of baseball over the summer.

Having basically spent spent my entire life in Wisconsin, I am obviously a big Green Bay Packers fan.  I have been fortunate enough to see a few games up at Lambeau field and even managed to make a couple of playoff games.

I have been working with FLVS and FLVS franchises since the day I started at Ucompass.  I have always been impressed with the passion and dedication teachers and administrators have regarding education and students. I look forward to working with you for many years to come!