EDCOE Team Member Spotlight – Greg Hawthorne

14:00 PM - November 30, 2022

Briefly describe your background (where you grew up, family, why you came to work for EDCOE).

 I was born and raised in Sacramento. I am the second of four children raised by our mother who I love dearly. I think she did a fantastic job raising us on her own. I graduated from Kenney High School in Rancho Cordova at 17 years old and joined the Army immediately. While in the Army, I became a diesel mechanic and worked primarily on tanks, Jeeps, and power generators. I have been married for 16 years to my beautiful wife Koreena, who also works here. She is my center and is the reason why I came to work at EDCOE.

What is your department, title, primary work location, and how long have you worked for EDCOE?

I work in Maintenance and Operations (M&O).  My title is Warehouser and Courier. I have worked at EDCOE’s Green Valley campus for 11 years.

Describe how your role helps support programs/schools/students directly or indirectly.

Every EDCOE program orders essential office supplies like chairs, desks, and computers. All these materials are received in the warehouse, inventoried, and then distributed to the intended location. Important school resources are also brought through the warehouse system. I feel like a great support to students and faculty when receiving and distributing school supplies like books, paint, paper, and playground toys. 

What do you most appreciate about your department/team?

I most appreciate my departments willingness to help whether it’s for the M&O team or helping an EDCOE program. 

What is your proudest moment at EDCOE? Why?

Every day here at EDCOE is a day to be proud of, but the moment that stands out for me the most when I visited two of our preschool classrooms and the children had made me a thank you poster. I still have that poster hanging in the receiving area in the warehouse. Moments like these are very special and make me proud to be on the EDCOE team.

What do you like to do in your spare time?

 I like to repair, restore, and collect old “key wind up” clocks and wrist watches. I currently have about 20 antique regulator clocks and over 300 wrist watches. There is something about their “tick tock” that is so calming.

What is something many people may not know about you?

Many people may not know that I like to carve wood. I enjoy taking a raw and natural log and carving something on just one side. This way the carved object is half in the log and half outside of the log.

If you could meet anyone in the world, living or deceased, who would it be and why?

I would love to meet both of my grandfathers who passed away before I was born. One grandfather was in a coal mining accident and the other was hit by a drunk driver. Family is very important to me, and I would have loved to hear family stories they could have shared with me. 

From Phil Jones, Director of Facilities and Maintenance

Why is this individual crucial to your team? 

Greg serves students and staff across the county, from El Dorado Hills to South Lake Tahoe. Greg is a critical player in the functionality of our Programs. One day he’ll be delivering student lunches, the next he’ll be navigating snowy roads to make sure districts receive payroll. Having an all-around team player like Greg makes the day to day happen. He delivers the paper in your printer, repairs custodial equipment, stocks supplies, assembles furniture, runs a forklift, maintains a warehouse, manages a thousand archived boxes… all with a smile. He’s like the main spring in a clock which aids in all other cogs being able to function. 

What are this individual’s greatest qualities?

Greg is a man of many talents. His ability to focus and see something through, sets him apart. He is detail oriented and timely. He can be trusted to complete large and small tasks, knowing he will take the same care with both. He is someone who cares for and knows the community he serves. Greg is trustworthy and someone I can personally rely upon.    

 

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