I started working at the NYC Department of Education (formerly the Board of Education) in May of 1997 as the network manager under the most wonderful boss ever named Miriam Delany. I immediately began the hectic work of managing a team of engineers that were responsible for maintaining thousands of nodes in a 5-building network in downtown Brooklyn. We were also responsible for converting the network from Token Ring to Ethernet and upgrading the server operating systems. I worked there for 2 ½ years and during that time I hired dozens of people. One of the folks that I hired was Wade B. Green. If my memory serves he was working as a chef and going to school to break into technology. He had passed a number of exams that would lead to certification. He had no applicable experience when I interviewed him but he did have drive and he convinced me that he could learn to do what was needed in order to be successful at the job. When I concluded the interviewed with him I told him that I wanted to give him the position and I believed he could do it. He was so appreciative and flashed a smile that could win over the hardest of hearts. When the department heads got wind of him being hired and began expressing concerns about his inexperience I told them not to worry. I have a belief that has served me well many times that if an excellent person lacking experience is given a chance it will work out better than giving the same opportunity to someone who is very experienced and skilled but not an excellent person. The department heads that complained the most became the ones that eventually went around proper protocol for getting assistance and asked for him specifically. He provided excellent service and was so humble. I took pleasure in mentoring him to continue growing in the field. Eventually he moved on to his next opportunity and I was proud of his progress. I often site Wade (and did so many times before his untimely death) as my chief example of how I will hire someone who is an excellent person but lacks experience. I have often wanted to share this reflection with his family and hope that they happen to read this post. I am sorry for taking so long to do so. I feel so hurt that Wade was snatched away and express my deepest sympathies to his family and friends.

Posted by Lyron Andrews