June 2009
Gail Mayo is a Programming Hero for Campus Partners. Actually she is a Senior Developer, but that is about the same thing. Programmers are unsung heroes at our office because of their commitment to keeping our system in tune. Along with her remarkable programming abilities, Gail is a woman of many interests, including an affinity for playing Guitar Hero the minute she gets home from work. Gail has a big personality to go along with her exceptional job performance to the delight of everyone who knows her. Gail’s job responsibilities include responding to System Information Requests in concert with other members of the Application Services and Product Services teams, writing programs for new projects, and programming enhancements for our system. Because our system is continuously monitored, and Gail shares on-call duties with other programmers in case there is an issue that arises at night or on-weekends.
Recent projects that Gail has worked on include programming changes for 1098-E reporting, working to implement FISAP changes for 2009, adding new cancellation types to our system, and developing the Accrual Summary Report for our private loan customers. This report has been adopted by several campus-based customers, who have large institutional loan programs. “Many customers like account reporting because it provides all the information they need on one page,” stated Gail, who took the lead in developing the report.
Gail has nine projects that she is currently working on, but that does not faze her. She loves to program. “I like to sit at my desk for hours at a time and code. I don’t want to be interrupted to do anything else. It is a little strange because I am an outgoing person away from work,” Gail observed. Gail previously worked at Wachovia Bank for 13 years, which gives her a solid background for her work at Campus Partners. She says working as a programmer suits her and she never wants to be in management or do anything else.
The job at Campus Partners is perfect for her. She gets to code non-stop and has co-workers like O.H. Walker and Judy Smith, Director, Application Services, to rely on for support. O.H. is a “fountain of knowledge” about our system, and “Judy is always available for my many questions,” Gail explained.
Gail has been with the company for almost three years as an employee and 10 months as a contractor. As her manager, Judy has immense regard for Gail. She enthusiastically mentions that “Gail starting working for us as a contractor when the Private Loan business effort first started up. She immediately started running rings around the other contractors and it took me all of a few hours to know I wanted her on my staff permanently. She is a major asset to Application Services and all of Campus Partners. She has such a positive ‘can do’ attitude and is an inspiration to all of us. I think she raises the bar for all with her energy and drive. She is such a pleasure to manage and work with every day!”
Gail finds that achieving a successful implementation of programming changes is the most rewarding part of her work, and she works hard to achieve that goal. “When things go without a hitch, I get a good feeling,” she said. And she is awash in good feelings these days as she gets to focus on what she describes as “nerdy math brain logic stuff.” In this interview, she stated, “I am as happy as I possibly can be right now.” This statement really says it all about her radiant spirit and positive attitude.
Gail is originally from Baldwinsville, a small town in upstate New York, near Syracuse. She graduated from Ithaca College and began working as a programmer 25 years ago. Tired of the endless snow and winter, Gail moved to North Carolina in 1991 to continue her career. After so many years away, she remains close to her mother and four brothers and sisters still in New York or living elsewhere. A favorite niece attended school in North Carolina and stayed with her for about a year, which Gail really enjoyed.
For the past 25 years, she has attended and helped organize a Girls’ Camping trip with her female friends and family. They camp out in someone’s backyard and have a great time talking all night. Around seven of the participants are members of the original New York core group, and they try to get together twice a year. That is quite a testament to the bonds that exist within their group to be able to carry on this tradition for so long. Gail is totally committed to keeping this event going for as long as possible. She has also traveled to places such as Costa Rica, London, Bangkok, and Hawaii to visit her friends and family.
Gail has made many friends at Campus Partners and has organized more than a few activities with her coworkers. She enjoys reading crime fiction, watching shows such as the CSI franchise, and listening to the Allman Brothers and classic rock. She has also attended over 200 concerts, including nine Dave Matthews concerts.
And then there is the Guitar Hero business. She laughs when she says she is addicted to it. She goes home from work and plays for hours. After concentrating all day at work, it’s probably relaxing for her to go home—and concentrate on something else. She also likes to solve number puzzles. In other words, Gail loves to think and that is what makes her great at her job. She is our programming hero, and everyone loves her for both her commitment to her job and her sense of fun.
