Marylanders tell what they want to be: Greg, pilot for Johns Hopkins

Daily Record, The (Baltimore), Aug 1, 2008

Greg

Pilot / Assistant to the President

Johns Hopkins University

>> Education

Middle School: Parkville Junior High

High School: Parkville Senior High

Favorite subjects: Math, biology, physics

Activities: Track, pole vaulting, high jumping, basketball, tennis

Summer jobs: Gas stations, paper route

What did you want to be when you grew up? Architect, automotive engineer

What obstacles did you face growing up and how did you overcome them?

I come from a very large family; I have eight brothers and sisters. We did not have a lot of financial resources. We lived a very simple life.

What or who inspired you growing up?

My father was such a huge figure in my life and it was due to one very simple thing: his incredible work ethic. He was just a machine and it was such an example to us kids that you fulfill your obligation. His obligation was to take care of his family. He worked seven days a week for 20 years when I was growing up.

What do you wish you'd known then that you know now about high school?

How much the teachers really wanted me to succeed. Many of my teachers wanted more for me than I wanted for myself. When you're in high school, you have a sense that teachers want to make your life miserable, and that couldn't be farther from the truth.

>> After High School

College: Johns Hopkins University

Degree: B.S.

Major: Business Management

Graduate school: Johns Hopkins University

Degree: M.S.

Field of study: Information and telecommunication systems

Favorite classes: Physics, business law, project management, anatomy, physiology

Activities: Whitewater canoeing, skydiving, softball

What obstacles did you face and how did you overcome them?

The huge transition for me was how independent we were. In my first semester of college, I got some low grades that I had never seen in my life and it just scared the heck out of me and inspired me to buckle down.

What or who inspired you to really go after the profession you are in now?

My oldest brother, Jack, was a CPA and said I would be good as a systems analyst. At the time, I didn't really even know what that was. As for flying, I've wanted to fly since I was 5 years old.

What critical choices or decisions did you make that helped you get where you are today?

To get as much formal education as I could. My parents instilled in me that if you've got abilities in certain areas, you need to use them.

What do you wish you'd known then that you know now about education after high school?

You separate yourself from the crowd by two things: your integrity and your work ethic.

>> Career

What do you do in your job?

I'm responsible for the transportation for the president anywhere in the United States. I also design and implement computer information systems for central administration at Johns Hopkins.

Why do you do your job?

1. I absolutely love to be at 30,000 feet going 400 miles an hour.

2. I love to make things more efficient. I like to free people from doing boring or monotonous tasks that technology can do.

What is your approximate annual salary range?

Over $80,000

What perks or other tangible benefits do you get?

Four weeks paid vacation, tuition reimbursement -- even my family gets tuition benefits -- and I get to work with some of the brightest people in the world.

How did you get your job?

I was working in plant operations and got a call from the president's office that he wanted to talk to me about coming to work for him. I didn't even apply.

What school subjects do you use at work?

Writing skills, technical computer training, flight training

If you weren't in your current profession, what would you be?

Fighter pilot.

>> Beyond Work

What do you do in your free time?

Read, do household projects (I can fix anything), flying and travel. I've been to 46 states.

>> Typical day for Greg

6:30am: I get up really early and do the weather analysis. From that, I create a schedule and a flight plan, which has to be filed with the FAA.

9:00am: I have the plane ready, fueled and avionics set.

1:00pm: Unless we're going to California, we're there by noon. I may be driving the president to his meeting. Then I have to do a return flight plan.

7:00pm: We may be back by then. Filling out the flight log, any maintenance issues have to be scheduled and then securing the plane for the next flight.