Meet Lori Butler of Sustainable Pittsburgh!

TNotes:  What is your “real” job title?
LB:  Executive Administrator.

TNotes:  Why are you considered an accidental techie?
LB:  I have a ten year background in IT with a degree in MIS.  I am the Procurement/Systems & Networks/Helpdesk department of larger organizations combined into one and coordinate most IT aspects here at Sustainable Pittsburgh such as: purchasing/installing and upgrading software, email account set-up/administration, hardware purchasing, set-up and system redeployment, database management, password administration, software/hardware problem shooting and support. 

TNotes:  What do you like best about dealing with your organization’s technology? 
LB:  I like the challenge of working with the organization’s variety of operating systems, platforms and software versions.   I find it enjoyable and motivating.

TNotes:  What do you least like about dealing with your organization’s technology?  
LB:  Ideally, a standardized platform of software, operating systems, and hardware would be great and free up my time, but this solution is not sustainable nor does it utilize the resources already in place at Sustainable Pittsburgh.

TNotes:  What is your big dream for technology in your organization?
LB:  My dream would be a content management system to streamline and integrate all processes especially online membership and registration tracking and payments.

TNotes:  How do you manage your role as an accidental techie? 
LB:  Happily, I love it!  Some aspects of “accident techie” support require a great deal of time.  There have been instances where I have had to prioritize and work with time constraints between Executive Administrator and “accidental techie” since some IT tasks and duties take longer than recognized, but I have managed my time between the two thus far.

TNotes:  You are a regular attendee at one of the Bayer Center’s Bagels & Bytes group – what do you get from going to those meetings? 
LB:  The meetings are useful in the sense that those of us can share our “accidental techie” experiences and I love getting together with fellow IT’ers as we are a unique group.  The diverse set of IT problems/solutions shared by us has sparked many an idea and solution for me.  I especially like to hear how others have improved their organizations with software and hardware purchases, solutions and upgrades, etc. 

TNotes:  Any words of advice or encouragement for other accidental techies out there? 
LB:  My advice is “Do what you love!”  My guess is if you are an “accidental techie” then you are already doing what you love, just consider the other duties part of the package – onward “Accidental Techie!”