Our Veterans Day series wraps up with Mark Goodman, program manager for Charlotte Water’s Utility Management Systems, whose Army and Army Reserve career spanned 42 years.
Key Takeaways:
- Mark Goodman served 42 years in the U.S. Army and Army Reserve.
- He leads Charlotte Water’s Utility Management Systems program.
- His team supports the technology behind billing, meter reading and field crew scheduling.
An Assignment Nobody Could Explain
Mark’s parents wanted him to go to college, but he wasn’t sure he was ready. Then a friend talked him into “an adventurous day at the regional recruiting station.”
The Army offered him an assignment in Japan, though recruiters couldn’t tell him much about what he would be doing. “The cloak-and-dagger intrigue had me hooked,” he said.
That moment marked the start of his career. He advanced from basic training private to code breaker, then to drill sergeant and commander. Along the way, he served in intelligence, infantry, special operations and signal, the Army’s communications branch.
His proudest moment was his first graduation parade as a drill sergeant and platoon leader. “Several of my trainees told me that I had changed their lives, and I’ll never forget that,” Mark said.
Back to School
Most of Mark’s active-duty years were spent overseas, so coming home took some adjusting. After nearly 10 years of high-intensity intelligence work, he started college at the University of Idaho.
“I quickly learned that most people don’t speak in acronyms, live within a bubble, or work within strict hierarchies,” he said. “It was a good lesson in learning to see things from a different perspective.”
His Dream Job at Charlotte Water
In 2004, a friend told Mark what a great place the City was to work. A job appeared tailor-made for his background. This was a role as technical team leader in Charlotte Water’s Utility Management Systems (UMS) program.
Today, he leads that program, a role he calls his dream job. UMS supports technology systems behind billing, meter reading and field crew scheduling. It encompasses billing, meter reading, and scheduling field crews. Mark plans budgets and project road maps and oversees projects and day-to-day operations.
Most customers never see that work, and Mark says that’s the point. “When those systems work well, most people never have to think about them—which is exactly how it should be.”
Lessons from the Army
Mark leans on his Army experience every day, especially the analytical, organizational, leadership and planning skills he built. Most of all, he said, it taught him “how to adapt, work with different kinds of people, and keep moving forward when the situation doesn’t go exactly as planned.”
“To me, there is nothing more inspiring than a group of well-trained and motivated people working toward a common goal,” he said.
Off the Clock
Outside of work, Mark plays tennis, does agility training with his dog, gardens, travels to far-away places and helps with community volunteer projects. He also drives the occasional race car, teaches street-survival courses for teen drivers and does just about every New York Times puzzle he can find.
So what would his coworkers say about him? According to Mark: “What’s with the wisecracks?”
What Veterans Day Means to Him
For Mark, Veterans Day is a reminder of “the profound respect we have for one another’s journeys” and of the lessons veterans carry long after their service ends.
“I’m also reminded that every veteran has a story, and we can never fully know what experiences someone else may be carrying with them,” he said.
Thank you, Mark, for your service to our country and to Charlotte Water.