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Choice Mindsets

Choice Mindsets

27 Oct

Posted at 11:15h in Uncategorized
Troy Niese:
“I’m in the market for a nickname… every time someone talks about the City of Troy, I answer.”
Design engineer Troy Niese joined the Choice One crew in June 2017. Since that time, we’ve been confusing him (probably hourly, prompting him to pop over his cube wall in response) when we talk about projects we’re working on in and for the City of Troy, Ohio.
The problem with Troy’s request is that assigned nicknames rarely stick. Instead, nicknames seem to happen spontaneously. Moreover, if you work at Choice One, your nickname likely comes from some act of unusualness, clumsiness, or embarrassing yourself, so they’re not exactly a compliment. (Indeed, how Kaye hasn’t become “Beggar,” or Jeff Kunk “Scrooge McDoughnut,” is a mystery…)
Give it time, Troy. We’ll eventually have a motive to give you a new title when you fall down, spill, or generally act like Ryan Francis. Until then, be honored to be known by the same name as the city whose quick-witted staff once gave Jeff Puthoff a very appropriate nickname.

13 Oct

Posted at 11:15h in Uncategorized
Kaye Borchers:
“I think this guy is asking for an autograph. Craig’s an ODOT legend.”

When he attends the Ohio Transportation Engineering Conference (OTEC), Choice One traffic engineer Craig Eley is quite the celebrity. With 25+ years’ traffic engineering experience with ODOT and now at Choice One, it’s no wonder he knows pretty much every person in the room, not to mention every piece of traffic control gadgetry in the exhibit hall. (Nerd alert!)

We have a few other “celebrities” at Choice One. Our survey crews are occasionally caught on Google Earth Street View. Megan Bornhorst once appeared on the gameshow Let’s Make a Deal. She won $450 and a home gym (which she admits she has used a total of five times in six years). And Mitch Thobe once appeared in ESPN stock footage as the typical disgruntled Cleveland Browns fan on the network’s Around the Horn talk show.

While being renowned celebrities sounds fun, it’s not all meet-and-greets and parting gifts. Megan has to dust that home gym. Mitch had to adopt a life as a Browns fan to become famous. And for Craig, trying to get anywhere at a traffic conference is impossible—he’s endlessly stopped to swap roundabout tips and snap selfies. Which means if you’re traveling with him at OTEC, you are probably going to miss out on the nacho bar in the exhibit hall.

P.S. In case you were curious, big brother Owen Kuck welcomed home twin sisters last week, Eleanor and Olivia. Oh, and engineer Matt Hoying welcomed baby boy Ethan, while engineer Dane Sommer welcomed baby girl MJ. See photos on our Facebook page!

29 Sep

Posted at 11:30h in Uncategorized
Employment Application:
“Owen enjoys the outdoors, red tractors, and dressing like daddy. He is very productive, with the exception of nap time, and would like to get out of the house more with two new siblings* coming soon.”
Choice One is looking for a new survey crew member,** and when we received this “application” from Owen Kuck, we thought we had an ideal candidate. (Allegedly, our administrative assistant Brittany took the dictation from two-year-old Owen word-for-word.) Unfortunately, upon further review, we were crestfallen that our seemingly perfect candidate needed 16 years’ notice to his current employer: his mom and dad, Choice One surveyor Eric Kuck and wife Manda.
While we like to start them young at Choice One, we have to decline, Owen. If the position required semi-accurate car and tractor noises, obvious orneriness, and an infectious smile, we’d hire you on the spot, no questions asked. Plus we could finally prove that a two-year-old can swing a sledge better than his dad. But until you fill out that safety green shirt a little better, we’ll keep searching!
*Eric and Manda are expecting twins any day now!
**Seriously, we’re looking for a field surveyor! Know someone who likes to be outdoors and doesn’t mind wearing green? Direct them here!

15 Sep

Posted at 11:10h in Uncategorized
Nick Selhorst:
“Jason Brown insists on calling me ‘Seahorse’ when he calls the office. He is determined to make that my official name when people talk to me.”

Lately, when Jason Brown with Ryan Homes calls into the office he has been asking for one “Nick Seahorse.” Well Nick, considering these Mindsets reach thousands of people, you can let Jason know that he is a trendsetter. We’ll start expecting more calls asking for “Seahorse” aaaaany minute now.
We’ve covered our various nicknames (and NICK-names!) before, but this might be the first nickname requested by a client. Here at Choice One, we very much respect the needs of our clients, and so we certainly can’t say no to Mr. Brown. So give us a call, and ask for Nick Seahorse–we’ll know exactly who you’re looking for. (Heck, it will help with the Nick/Not Nick situation, too).
While you’re at it, sign up your team for the Loveland Charity Cup (teams accepted from today until Thursday, 9/21!). That way, on November 8, while you’re enjoying some bucketball and Vonderhaar’s , you can catch our Seahorse in the fish… er, flesh.

01 Sep

Posted at 11:15h in Uncategorized
Inquiring Mindsets want to know…
“Ninjas or pirates?”

 Andy Shuman, Project Manager
“Definitely ninjas. I can’t swim very well.”
Craig Eley, Project Manager
“Pirates. I don’t know of a ninja baseball team.” (Although ninja baseball might be less boring, right Jeff Puthoff?)

Allen Bertke, Professional Surveyor
“Ninjas. When I was a kid, everyone wanted to be a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle. I wanted to be Leonardo: the blue one with the awesome swords.”
Megan Bornhorst, Administrative Assistant
“Pirates. September 19 is National Talk Like a Pirate Day, and at a previous job I spent a whole meeting talking like a pirate. No one acknowledged it.” (Flat Tony would have noticed, Megan…)

18 Aug

Posted at 11:15h in Uncategorized
Craig Eley:
“We’re engineers. Our laughter is on the inside.”

If it’s not completely obvious, we caught a rare photo (above) of engineers laughing hysterically at a joke. Not convinced? Think about it: they’re actually looking at the camera and not their shoes.

Engineers are often stereotyped as introverts who hold everything in. Since it’s a bit of a mystery, then, what else might be inside of Choice One’s engineers? Let’s see, there’s certainly a continuous flow of coffee. Add to that a fair amount of dirt/dust (a complex blend of construction, farmer, and ball diamond). Unquestionably, any number of naps. And, of course, Arby’s, Burger King, doughnuts, Starburst, Pop-Tarts, and Mt. Dew. And that’s just Brian Schmidt after breakfast!

All joking aside (lest our engineers yuk it up even MORE than in the photo), we think civil engineering and surveying offer a lot of opportunities for enjoyment (find 153 such examples here). And in case you’re curious, the joke Kaye told our engineers to get them to “laugh” above? “I promise I’m not taking a photo for a Mindset!”