Andrew Peterson started working at the Gartrell Group in August of 2021. Happy ONE YEAR Anniversary, Andrew! We’re so glad to have you on the team! Let’s tell everyone a few things about you.
Let’s start with your Job Title. Full Stack Web Developer
But what do you tell your mom when she wants to tell her friends what you do? I enhance and sometimes fix software tools used by utility companies.
What did you do before becoming a developer? I’ve done a few things; I was a production manager on a documentary, I worked on the sales floor of an antique shop specializing in circus ephemera, I assembled camera lenses at a local company called Lensbaby, and I lived with late author Mike Oehler where I helped him build underground houses in northern Idaho and proofread his memoirs.
What is your favorite thing about your job? The feeling that what I am doing is useful and beneficial to others.
Are there any projects that you've worked on at TGG that you're particularly proud of? I have enjoyed working on the MDU instance of the IQGeo platform.
Are you remote? In office? Hybrid? More remote with the occasional office appearance
Where did you grow up? Sarasota, FL
How long have you been in the Pacific Northwest, and what brought you here? 9 years. A friend of mine was living out here supporting himself as a painter, and I moved here to play music with him.
What do you like to do outside of work? I enjoy spending time outside, wandering parks and wildlife areas and playing music on my guitar.
Got kids? Pets? Plants? I keep several species of fish, shrimp, and snails. I also care for a selection of decorative and edible plants.
Followup: What kind of fish, and what got you interested in aquariology? I have had a fascination with fish for a long time but never considered setting up an aquarium until I read Diana Walsted's Ecology of the Planted Aquarium. I love the idea of creating tiny self-sustaining ecosystems and watching them develop. I find aquarium gazing engaging and relaxing at the same time. My aquariums are all freshwater. I gravitate towards small, plain looking fish. I have least killifish, mosquito fish, bluebarred pygmy sunfish, and rainbow darters. All of these species are indigenous to North America, which unexpectedly makes them uncommon in the hobby. They're all tank bred with the exception of the first generation of the least killifish which were collected from a pond in my hometown of Sarasota, FL.
Do you like to travel? Yes, I enjoy traveling. I went to the Galapagos islands last year.
