Sherry Stafford has worked at FSU for almost 34 years. She has seen a lot of change in that time—starting in a secretarial role and then taking on more and more IT responsibilities. In her current role as a network administrator, Sherry documents the campus building networks and supports our campus customers with their communications needs. Outside of work, you are likely to find Sherry gardening or relaxing and soaking up the mountain views in her favorite place, the Smokies.

Where are you from?

I was born and raised in Tallahassee.

Where did you attend school?

I graduated from Rickards High and got my associate degree at Tallahassee Community College in information technology.

Why did you choose to work in technology?

It kind of adopted me.

I started working in secretarial roles at FSU in Information Systems and the School of Library and Information Studies. I was quick to learn computer applications and developed a passion for sharing and teaching these skills to students in the program. This gave way to the network manager taking me under his wing, and thus began my journey into computer support and networking. I have been fortunate to work with great people and have been able to grow with each position I have held throughout my time at FSU.

So, technology kind of adopted me, and I adopted it back.

How long have you been at FSU?

This October will be 34 years.

What is your role at FSU?

I work in the Core group, and my official job is documenting the campus building networks. We keep building specifications up to date because we need to be able to look at the network and get information quickly. I also assist with network troubleshooting, communications and general support.

What do you enjoy most about your job?

Working with people. I enjoy working with our team members and everyone on campus. I like helping people and teaching our interns as they come in to learn knowledge and get more skills to do what they want. I enjoy that the most.

What is the most rewarding project you have worked on at FSU?

That's a hard one. There is no one project I can think of. We always have a team that make our projects successful. No one, individual accomplishment.

Other than your cellphone, what is your go-to, can't-live-without piece of tech?

I actually don’t have a go-to piece of technology. I use technology all the time to look stuff up; it’s very convenient for that. But I wouldn’t carry anything else with me.

If you were to invent one piece of technology, what would it be?

It would be some type of organizer that allows you to take notes and then somehow uses AI to sort things out so you can go back and retrieve that information later. For example, if you have a problem with a plant, you can quickly look up what you researched last time to figure out what is going on and how to fix it. Stuff like that. It sounds very geeky, but there is a lot of information you must reference again and again.

What is a fun fact about you?

I love fall in the mountains with all of the color changes. Since I can’t always get there, I brought the colors to me through the Japanese maples I grow. I might also have a talent for baking.

Talk a little bit about your family.

I have been married for 33 years. We have two grown children, a daughter and a son, and a very sassy 5-year-old granddaughter. Our family is local also, so I am just surrounded by the inlaws and outlaws alike.

What do you do in your free time?

Besides gardening and tending to the many critters we have, I love to travel. The Blue Ridge Mountains are my home away from home.