The Journey

The best thing about having a diverse background is that it has empowered me to train, develop, and share my knowledge with a wide range of individuals.

 

On September 21, 1993, at just 17 years old, I joined the US Coast Guard (Being a minor, I  needed a signed permission slip). My journey began in the engine room, assisting diesel mechanics—an entry level start in what would become a life of diverse experiences. We had specific job titles, called “ratings,” but I’ll use simpler terminology to describe my path.

​

Eventually, I decided to become a cook, and for the next twelve years, I honed my skills in the kitchen, ultimately running kitchens on both ships and on shore. But my journey didn’t end there. I also completed Navy diving school; the Coast Guard was not large enough to have its own dedicated divers. We took on diving responsibilities as needed, in addition to our regular duties. Towards the end of my career, the Coast Guard started creating full-time diver positions, and I decided to embrace the challenge of switching roles and going “out of rate.”

​

As both a cook and a diver, I naturally gravitated toward training and development roles; it’s where I truly thrived. I’m proud to say that, time and again, those I trained excelled in their roles. By the time I retired, I had achieved so much, but I realized I had fallen behind on the newer technologies being adopted. After an embarrassing moment where my lack of tech knowledge prevented me from completing a task, I made a promise to myself: whatever company I joined next, and whatever software or systems they used, I was going to dive headfirst into mastering it.

​

After retirement, I attended the University of Houston, graduating at the top of my college with a major in Construction Management and a minor in Business Administration. I stepped into the world of project management, working for the largest Houston, TX based general contractor. They were an enterprise-level Procore customer, and I fulfilled my promise to myself—I fully immersed myself in learning everything I could about the Procore platform. Within my first year, the company recognized this and offered me a new role: Construction Technology Manager. It was my primary responsibility to maximize Procore’s potential for the company. With over 700 users and 600 concurrent active projects, the learning opportunities were limitless. It was both a challenging and rewarding experience that fueled my passion for Procore even further.

​

During this time, Procore reached out to me, asking if I would lead the Houston Area Procore User Group in their online community. I gladly accepted. I quickly realized that many users from other companies had questions—questions I could answer. This created a desire in me to assist an even broader audience, beyond just the company I worked for. That desire led me to change paths once again and start Course Consulting.

Today, my mission is simple: to provide Procore users like you with the solutions and support you need to succeed.