As an Implementation Consultant for Maintenance Connection, Steve Gustafson enjoys working with clients from many different industries and learning about their unique business processes. In his year since joining MC, he has already implemented 40 clients from 15 different states. Steve was especially appreciative of a recent opportunity to travel to Australia to provide customer training, partaking in “down under customs” such as driving on the wrong side of the road, mingling with some of the local wildlife (koalas and kangaroos), and eating shrimp on the Barbie with our Maintenance Connection AU Team.

Steve feels fortunate to have been raised in Colorado, where he has taken full advantage of the beautiful environment by mountain biking, skiing, fishing and hiking. Through both high school and college, Steve played football and kept busy with extensive extracurricular activities. While attending the University or Northern Colorado, he became very involved in student government and the Greek community, even serving as the student body president. The highlight of his college experience, however, was meeting his lovely wife Erin. Steve and Erin now reside in Centennial, a suburb of Denver, with their three rather rambunctious sons, Braden (4), Conner (3), and Carson (1).

Steve has a special involvement in Over the Rainbow Association, a non-profit organization founded by his grandparents. Over the Rainbow is dedicated to providing independent living solutions for individuals with physical disabilities, such as cerebral palsy or muscular dystrophy. The organization was formed by a group of Chicago area parents, concerned about their children’s future. Steve considers his Uncle Bob, who has cerebral palsy and has been confined to a wheelchair his whole life, to be one of the most influential people in his life. He is inspired by his uncle’s ability to maintain the best disposition and virtually always wear a broad smile, even though he encounters adversity every day.

Steve has always been amazed at the personal growth and satisfaction that comes from helping others and encourages all to get behind a cause of their choosing. If anyone would like to learn more about the Over the Rainbow Association, visit their website at http://www.otrassn.org/about-us .

Paul Chen, who joined our Sales Team in April of last year, enjoys working with prospective customers to determine how Maintenance Connection can best meet their needs. He finds it very rewarding to hear customer success stories and share these with organizations in the decision making process.

Paul and his lovely wife of 8 years, Carol, were born in Taiwan and immigrated to the United States in their youth. Paul arrived in the US at the age of thirteen with limited English skills, but worked hard to master the language. Within nine months, he had improved his skills dramatically, allowing him to attend high school without any special ESL instruction. Paul spent his high school and young adult years in Seattle, and now lives in Denver where he and Carol have resided for four years.

Although Paul and Carol have no children, they enjoy hosting international students so their house is always full of young people!  In addition to helping international students adjust to life in the US, Paul is very active in his church, helping to lead the Youth Group and providing Mandarin Chinese translation and interpretive services.

Paul, pictured below visiting his family in Taiwan, relishes every opportunity to travel back. As an AVID sports fan, he actually hopes to someday move back to Taiwan and open a sports bar!

In the meantime, he must settle for cheering on his favorite teams from the Northwest from home. While still recovering from the Stanley Cup loss of his beloved Vancouver Canucks, Paul is looking forward to next fall when he can cheer on the Seattle Seahawks and the University of Washington Huskies!