Matt Durbin, Technology Designer and Information Systems (IS) Manager, has taken an interesting path to land where he is today. Below, we journey along that path with him.

 

 

 

 

Where did you go to school?
I attended Olney College, majoring in General Studies and playing first base on their baseball team.

And your path from there?
My second year at Olney, we came back from Thanksgiving and I was out hunting with friends. Apparently, I was mistaken for wildlife. I was sprayed with buckshot in both legs. After my friends carried me back to my truck, they drove me to the hospital, where I lived for the next couple weeks. Following that, though, I didn’t go back to Olney. Instead, I got a job as a surveyor.

How did you transition from a Surveyor to a Technology Designer?
I started getting tired of being wet and cold from working outside, so I moved inside at the Civil Engineering firm I was working for. I realized I had gotten pretty good at Autodesk software and understanding computers.

At the time, there was no real degree that would support my interests, so I had to learn on the job. I joined a technology committee at my office and helped install my first network in 1990. I made several professional moves, acquired some key certifications, and eventually landed at Schmidt Associates as the Information Technology (IT) Manager. From there, I transitioned back into the design side of things and started designing technology for clients, not just Schmidt Associates. I moved from IT Manager to Technology Designer.

Obviously, Schmidt Associates is your favorite employer, but have you done anything else interesting along the way?
Actually, yes. I worked for the Indianapolis Zoo for a while. It was pretty cool to just walk outside and see an elephant or flamingo. Did you know that penguins are ridiculously loud and don’t smell like roses? I installed a camera in their habitat one time and had some up-close encounters with them!

What do you do in your free time?
I guess you could say I am an outdoorsy kind of guy. I like to fish, ride four-wheelers, tractors. It took me a while to get past being shot, but I actually do some target shooting now too, but I don’t hunt anymore.

Do you collect anything?
Hats. I probably have 50 or 60. I have always worn them, so somewhere along the way, I started collecting them. I have a wall in my basement where I keep my favorites displayed. The others are just stacked in boxes.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Matt and his wife, Kristan met while visiting mutual friends at Ball State and have been married 25 years. They have two daughters, Mackenzie and Morgan, and a dog, Copper. Mackenzie is finishing her senior year at Herron College studying photography. Morgan is a sophomore at Marian University’s School of Nursing and is a student in the Evans Center for Health Sciences—a facility her dad designed the technology for. Copper is carrying out his duty of being a good boy.

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