News + Ideas

The Impact Blog is a spotlight series that highlights and celebrates the diverse employees that make MGAC tick. Beyond their day-to-day schedules, we want to know how they have a greater impact on their colleagues, their company, and the communities in which they live and work. We want to know what makes them get out of bed in the morning, what led them to their current role, and what they hope their lasting impact will be.

Today, we get to know Keith Cramer, Director of Information Technology at MGAC.

MGAC: Hello and welcome to the Impact Blog, Keith!

Keith Cramer (KC): Thank you!

MGAC: What is your role here at MGAC?

KC: I’m the Director of Information Technology at MGAC. I like to think of my role as a gatekeeper from a risk and security standpoint and facilitator for our folks to get data, information, and work product out to our clients. That’s how I view my job, which has changed a little bit in the time that I’ve been here!

MGAC: And when did you join MGAC?

KC: I started in June of 2014. I just hit my 10-year anniversary!

MGAC: Congrats! How did your path lead you to MGAC all those years ago?

KC: Well, it wasn’t a straight trajectory!

MGAC: Tell us more! 

KC: I started off in the construction industry, but as a laborer. I did that from the age of 16 to 20, working for a small homebuilder. It was hard, physically demanding work, but it was satisfying. You didn’t take anything home with you except aches and pains; but you also didn’t take stress back with you. At a certain point, I realized the job would wear me down physically, and I sought out a job behind a desk. First, I went into the federal government: I was at the General Services Administration, where I ran the very first (that I know of) Novell network in the federal government.

MGAC: Wow! We can’t wait to hear what comes next.

KC: After that, I came back to the construction industry and worked for Western Development—which went public and became the Mills Corporation. That’s the company that built Potomac Mills, Franklin Mills, Sawgrass Mills, and Gurnee Mills—lots of mills! I was there for about four years and then went to work for Lincoln Property Company for 15 years. From there, I went to SAGE Solutions Group. A year later, they were bought out, and when the layoffs came, I was one of those who had been let go.

MGAC: Then what?

KC: After a couple of months of interviewing, I knew I needed to do something to impress in interviews. So, I wrote a book! It’s called Understanding, Hiring, and Using Managed Services Providers (MSPs) for Information Technology Outsourcing. After that, it was great to walk into an interview and leave my book behind. People were impressed with that, and I started getting more interviews. My wife and I had some savings, so I was able to take my time to find the right opportunity. That’s when MGAC came into the picture.

MGAC: You weren’t kidding about it not being a straight trajectory!

KC: I had a friend who worked at MGAC who recommended the company. I came for an interview, and I was immediately impressed—even before the interview started. I dressed up in a suit—which I rarely do—and I walked into the lobby. Right when you walk in, there was this huge red carpet. It was the most unusual red carpet I think I’ve ever seen! It looked like wooly mammoth hair, and it’s red. It immediately caught my eye. I decided that I was going to work here before I even talked to the receptionist, who, by the way, was also one of the friendliest people I have ever met in my life. They still work here.

MGAC: Wow! The first carpet mention on the Impact Blog!  

KC: Well, it made quite an impression. Then, the actual interview following the carpet incident was great. I remember thinking I’d found the perfect place for me. I sometimes feel like a fraud when I interview, putting my best foot forward, but I really felt so comfortable and excited. The rest is history!

MGAC: Sounds like you found the right fit! What’s kept you around all this time?

KC: I love that my role is always evolving. The daily grind is no longer the daily grind when there’s always something new to learn! The days of the five-year plan are long gone. Now, technology plans are two years—maybe three years—out. So, we’re always adapting to that. It’s also been really enjoyable to see the younger generations coming into MGAC having a real interest in all things technology in a new way.

MGAC: You mentioned your role has changed over the years?

KC: My role was a new one, so it started with a specific memo and a specific set of tasks. Originally, it was supposed to be achieved within 90 days. It turned out to be akin to asking someone to build an entire house in 90 days, so it definitely took longer than that! Beyond that, as technology changes, my role changes. It’s getting everyone on the cloud, identifying and protecting against security breaches, and ensuring everyone at MGAC is equipped with what they need from a technology standpoint. All of those things evolve over time, so the IT team is always working hard to stay on top of it all.

MGAC: What does your day-to-day look like juggling those responsibilities?

KC: I wake up at 6:30 and check my calendar before I get ready. By 7:15, I’m sitting at my desk with a hot cup of coffee. By 7:25, I’ve torn through my morning emails. My philosophy is, a lot of IT problems you can nip in the bud if you get in early. Once I am here in the office, I usually prep for meetings, then I take care of any of my regular tasks that I need to do on a daily basis. For instance, right now, we’re in the process of making some phone system modifications for the organization, so I’m working on that today. Of course, some projects can be delegated to others on my team. But they’re often busy with their own project work as well, so I’m happy to take on the odds and ends.

MGAC: What gives you energy each day?

KC: Odd requests! I love when there’s something new to investigate and work on. That could be a productivity question, a security process question, or even reviewing client contracts to confirm that all looks good from an IT policy perspective. Every one of those things evolves over time too, so I might have the same question as I did years ago, but the answer could be entirely different.

MGAC: Sounds like you really enjoy change!

KC: I suppose I do. The only thing you get from looking in your rearview is a sense of what you could have done better. There’s value to that, but, at the end of the day, what excites me is looking ahead to what’s next and how I can apply what I know now to keep pushing forward.

MGAC: What has surprised you most over the years?

KC: Everything! Technology is always surprising, and overall, I’m surprised by—and happy to be able to look back on—all of that I’ve done here at MGAC. I’m incredibly grateful for the opportunities I’ve had here to grow and have an impact. A lot of what we do is planning for the long game; some of that work takes time to see a payoff. When you do, it’s so rewarding. For instance, when MGAC expanded globally with an acquisition, that might have been a really tricky technology challenge, but because of the groundwork we’d already laid, it was a walk in the park. Same thing with COVID; we didn’t miss a beat because we were forward-thinking and ready.

MGAC: What else have you found rewarding in your role over the years?

KC: I’ve said some of my favorite moments at work are solving odd problems, but I also love it when I hear back from team members I’ve helped with tasks here and there. It’s wonderful when people come back to me and say, “Hey, Keith, I did that thing you recommended the other day, and it works wonderfully or has saved me so much time.” I really appreciate hearing that about myself or other members of the technology team. It makes my day every time.

MGAC: That’s so great. Now, are you ready for some rapid-fire questions?

KC: I overthink things too much, so we’ll see!

MGAC: You’re starting the workday. What’s the first thing you do?

KC: Check my email.

MGAC: And the last thing? 

KC: Check my email!

MGAC: What’s the first item on your to-do list right now?

KC: After I grab a coffee, check in on my primary project.

MGAC: What’s the most interesting thing we might find around your desk?

KC: I keep a jacket here for when I need to get a bit more dressed up for a meeting.

MGAC: What can you not get through the workday without?

KC: Coffee and talking with my team on Microsoft Teams or in person!

MGAC: What’s the most-used app on your phone?

KC: Lately, it’s MyNetDiary. I’m trying to eat healthier, so I’m counting my calories!

MGAC: How might you describe your job in five words or less?

KC: Securely facilitate information sharing.

MGAC: What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever received?

KC: Plans rarely survive first contact with the enemy. Eisenhower said that in a military context, but it’s true for everything. This doesn’t mean plans are useless; you just need to be able to think creatively and deal with problems as they come up.

MGAC: Looking at the industry ten years from now, what do you predict will have changed?

KC: More apps versus browsers, and virtual buildings you can inhabit when you go to work. Maybe MGAC will project manage that virtual environment!

MGAC: What do you think will remain the same?

KC: We’ll definitely have more AI, but AI won’t be able to make all of our business decisions. We’ll still have human colleagues among the bots!

MGAC: What would your dream project look like?

KC: I’m working on it! My goal at MGAC, which I told Mark in my first interview here, was to have us completely in the cloud. We are 95% there, and if we lost any of our sites from a localized disaster, we would be 100% fully functional, providing our people are okay.

MGAC: What are you known for around the office?

KC: I’m a notoriously casual dresser. Being a director doesn’t exempt me from manual labor, so on any given day, I might be crawling around beneath a conference table or desk, messing with plugs. That’s my excuse, anyway, but I can always turn my t-shirt inside out and grab that jacket when I need to!

MGAC: What’s something your colleagues don’t know about you?

KC: I’m a wannabe writer. When I eventually leave MGAC, I don’t expect to retire out to the Riviera with a long smoking pipe by the pool. I’m going to start writing my epic fantasy novel series and competing with George R.R. Martin and Joyce Carol Oates!

MGAC: Where might we find you if you’re not at work?

KC: Probably at home with the family. I’m often helping my 11-year-old son make YouTube videos. He has a channel with basketball videos and Minecraft videos. I help film the basketball ones, and I appear in some of the Minecraft ones, goofy voice and all!