Week # 1 of 52 New Things for 2011 -- A New Job!

On Monday, January 3rd of 2011, I began my new position as Marketing Director with North American Medical Management (NAMM/PrimeCare) in Ontario.

This is a great way to start this "year of something new" off with a huge bang!

This week in my new and very bare office in Ontario -- looking south at the 10 Freeway just west of Mathis Brothers Furniture Store.

I've been working since I graduated from college in 1991. (And, yes, if you're doing the math, I was a slightly older than usual college graduate.) I followed an "old school" path and got married very young -- in my case, age 18. I had four children by the time I was 28; and, to keep my sanity when the kids were young, I attended college part time in the evenings for over 10 years to earn my bachelor of science in health care administration from Cal State San Bernardino. I started college in 1981 as the mother of two children and finished in 1991 with four kids.

At that time, my youngest, Hayley, was five years old. So, when I was recruited by Partners Health Plan when I graduated, I took the bait and have been working full time since then. My husband, John, was a teacher in our local schools, so after school, the kids just spent the afternoons in his classroom. I never had to worry about day care or after school care.

My first job was meeting with primary care physicians all through the Inland Empire, writing short bios about them and taking their photos to create a more friendly, interactive directory of our doctors to help our members feel comfortable choosing a doctor. After that, I stayed with the company through their purchase by Aetna Health Plans and worked in provider relations, provider contracting, provider communications, member communications, marketing and then in sales.


This photo was at a sponsored walk for charity when I was working in Marketing for (as you can tell by the shirts) Aetna. (That's me flipping my hair in the baggie blue shorts.)

I quit my job at Aetna in late 1997 (after an upleasent merger) and enjoyed a few months at home -- kind of as a sabbatical. When the money I'd saved ran out, I began working as a Marketing Manager with PacifiCare in 1998 and stayed there through that company's merger with UnitedHealth Group. Working various marketing, sales and account management jobs, I stayed there until December 23rd 2010. The entire 12+ years I worked there, I commuted from the Inland Empire to Orange County. I drove 33 miles to Cypress for years and then 44 miles (one way) to Irvine along the very slow and frustrating 91 freeway.

I did have a great office on the 2nd floor of the PacifiCare building in Cypress for most of the time I was there. Because my desk looked out of a second story window with trees, the movement of birds and butterflies (in the Spring) would catch my eye and be a nice reminder about the "real world" outside the walls of the workplace. One day, an owl stayed perched in the tree right outside my window the entire day (and it wasn't sleeping).

This photo is me in my office in Cypress around 2002 or 2003.


I now have a 13 mile commute and I really enjoy working in Marketing at NAMM/PrimeCare. I have my work cut out for me but its going to be a challenge I'm looking forward to.

Working -- why do we do it? As one of my favorite authors, Studs Terkel said, "work is a search, sometimes successful, sometimes not, for daily meaning as well as daily bread"

I enjoy having a reason to get up, get dressed, and get going early each day. I like seeing and talking to people. I like the actual challenge of working -- especially marketing. I have to think, write and be creative and try to get a feel for what will make people think and take the actions our company wants them to. I like earning money not only for paying the bills and spending it now but I also like the idea of socking some away for a nicer retirement in a few years. I want to have the financial reserves to serve a mission with my husband in about ten years.

When I have all day to spend at home, I'm a total bum! I find myself getting lazy, spending too much time in my pajamas, not getting out of the house to do much of anything until late in the morning. I waste too much time on facebook and just surfing the net. I'm just one of those people who manage their time better when they're busy. I actually seem to get more done -- even personally, when I'm working and, as a busy wife, mother, grandmother, Relief Society President, sister, daughter, and employee, that really is a good thing since I've got a LOT to do!

More next week.....