Campus Closeup: Lee Francisco

Throughout his five years as a PC building/inventory specialist at NMU, Lee Francisco (Academic Computing) has repaired it all, from roommates spilling pop on keyboards to laptops being accidentally pushed out of windows.

                                           

“Our job at Micro Repair is to take apart the laptops and repair them, and depending on what was done to them, it can get pretty disgusting sometimes,” he said. “Every day is unique.”

 

Francisco was originally hired by NMU as a PC technician in 2001. His current job was created shortly after. “It was a job that was created to oversee the work orders and keep track of any parts that are needed for technology use.”

In addition to laptops, Francisco also does repairs on laser printers. He also played a major role in creating “Austin,” the Web-based program that NMU uses to track the history of every laptop—what repairs have been made on it, who worked on it, and how long it took to fix. Austin has increased productivity and efficiency of notebook repairs while also creating a paperless environment.

 

Wanting to stay close to his hometown of Crystal Falls, Francisco came to NMU for his college education. The laptop initiative had just started at the time and he was hired during his sophomore year as a student employee at Micro Repair.

“I wasn’t really interested in computers until I got that job,” said Francisco, who received a bachelor’s degree in computer information systems and a master’s degree in training development.

 

In Francisco’s spare time, he enjoys golfing and spending time with his wife, Adrian, and six-month old Australian Shepherd Border Collie.

“I’ve played golf since I was 11. My dad had played when he was younger and then for a 20-year span he decided not to. When I showed an interest in it, he picked it up again. He is now a greens keeper in Colorado where he golfs every day.”

 

Being a pro golfer would be his dream job, he said, “but I don’t think that’s going to happen.” Another dream would be to manage his own company and watch it become successful, which isn’t too far-fetched. Francisco has started a small computer company in Marquette that specializes in laptops, printers and Web development.

“I wanted to start a business of my own because my parents had their own successful business while my brother and I were growing up.  My dad is very happy to see that I started a company, and I know my mom would have been also.

 

One of the things that kept Francisco in the area after he graduated was Marquette’s unique atmosphere. “It has the city atmosphere, yet it’s surrounded by wilderness. You forget about places like Presque Isle until someone drags you out there.”

 

As for the future, Francisco is content to stay at NMU, but is keeping his options open. “My brother and I work in the same department and Northern has been very good to us. I really appreciate the opportunities and experiences that we’ve been given. I could definitely work here until retirement, but who knows what other opportunities are out there.”

 

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Updated: September 11, 2006

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