IT manager enjoys technology troubleshooting

IT manager Amber Addison poses next to a server rack in the Truman State Office Building in Jefferson City.
IT manager Amber Addison poses next to a server rack in the Truman State Office Building in Jefferson City.

The IT (information technology) world has a variety of roles, many of which Amber Addison has filled in her 17 years with Missouri state government.

Growing up, the IT manager enjoyed playing video games and tinkering with her family's first computer. She remembers when her school installed its first computer and was able to use it to publish the school newspaper as a seventh-grader.

"I've always had a love for technology, but I didn't realize it (early on)," Addison said.

She also has had a lifelong interest in helping people, which initially sent her to college to become a nurse. But she found her calling in computer science, starting with an internship in the Office of Administration's division of design and construction.

"I had a cellphone and liked technology, so I wanted to know how it worked," she said. "There were so many options; I liked being a part of all of it."

Addison said she enjoyed the end-user support role, both during her internship there and her first full-time IT job at the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE).

"I loved helping people," she said. "The best part of the job was knowing every time the phone rang, someone had a problem.

"The troubleshooting is so gratifying."

As IT became a more integral part of state government operations, Addison was chosen for a new project management oversight office to get a "good grasp on what's going on," she said. Each of the 14 agencies had their own IT programs and applications.

"We developed a portfolio to use enterprise wide," she said.

After that, she returned to DESE to develop a large project and then became a client service manager for the Information Technology Services Division (ITSD), serving as liaison to the Department of Natural Resources.

Eventually, she had the opportunity to return to the Office of Administration as a business analyst and project manager.

"Back then, developers were wearing many hats," she said.

Today, developers may focus on developing while others meet with the agency customers to identify their needs and then graphic designers can help make a new application appealing.

For the last two years, Addison has been the IT manager at the Office of Administration for application development and web presence.

Addison is part of a 50-person team that functions well by sharing resources and knowledge.

"Multiple heads are better than one," she said.

What is appealing to this group of people is constant learning and continual jobs, she said. She is part of the leadership team that helps inspire fresh ideas and create career development opportunities for employees.

With a high number of large projects going on at any one time, Addison said she ensures communication is happening, the products are high quality and the staff has a good work environment.

"Projects can take a year; everyone needs to know they're accomplishing something," she said.

She is able to break down a big picture into smaller "wins," so staff can celebrate the phased development of a project.

One of Addison's strengths is ownership. "I like to see an idea from beginning to end," she said.

And she still gets to troubleshoot, one of her greatest satisfactions in the job.

"If nobody else knows the answers, I don't mind digging in to find out," she said.

Addison also encourages her employees, as she does herself, to strive for better and never become comfortable.

"I plan to stay at the state until retirement," she said. "I hope to continue building teams, accomplishing projects and solving problems."