our culture

Robert Inez is a Consultant based in Albuquerque, NM and member of our Veterans Colleague Resource Group (CRG). Before joining Rural Sourcing, he served in the Marine Corps. Robert says that Rural Sourcing is a great place to work for Veterans because of the culture. “I believe that Rural Sourcing’s culture is very similar to what I experienced in the military. Everyone is very eager to lend a hand, colleagues have the ‘One Team, One Fight’ mentality, and the practicing of servant leadership reminds me a lot of the Marine Corps.” He advises anyone leaving active duty and transitioning to a career in technology to “keep an open/growth-oriented mindset in order to absorb as much as possible.”

When he’s not working Robert loves being outdoors and doing things like hunting, fishing, camping, kayaking and hiking. Thanks, Robert, for making Rural Sourcing a great place to work!

Nikki Clark is a Senior Consultant in our Oklahoma City Development Center who has worked in technology for ten years. She loves having the chance to work in different types of project manager roles and says she’s never worked anywhere as colleague-centric as RSI.

Nikki is extremely creative and over the years she’s designed everything from birth announcements to wedding bouquets to company logos! Outside of work, Nikki loves to play video games and go to comic conventions with her sons. “My kids and my career are what drive me. They keep me centered and focused and striving to be my best continuously. Other than that, I’m a goofball.” Thanks, Nikki, for making RSI a great place to work!

Fun Fact: After completing a doctoral program, Nikki wants to reward herself with a full-sleeve tattoo.

Brett Harper is the co-chair of the Veterans Colleague Resource Group (CRG) and is a Senior Consultant based in Oklahoma. He served in the US Navy for six years, where he was a certified nuclear machinist mate. Brett has worked in technology for 17 years and specializes in Java. He says that Rural Sourcing is a great place to work for Veterans because “RSI is very open to making accommodations for its colleagues who may have different needs. Setting up the CRG was a way for us to ensure that if we have something that is impacting our Veteran colleagues that we have a support group in place for them.”

Brett is married and has a 14-year-old child and a 21-year-old step-child. Outside of work, he enjoys target shooting and playing video games (he’s actually a former video game designer!) He’s also a great baker and loves making confections and pies. Thanks, Brett, for making Rural Sourcing a great place to work.

Fun Fact: Brett is a PADI certified scuba instructor.

Before joining Rural Sourcing in 2015 as a Consultant in our Augusta Development Center, AK worked as a Micro Lab Analyst for multiple companies. His scientific background has served him well, as he’s spent his nearly five years here focusing on LIMS (Laboratory Information Management System and Functional Quality Assurance). “I chose to work at Rural Sourcing because of their principles of doing the right thing and changing the experience, along with their core value of continuous improvement for colleagues, clients, and community.” He also loves the “family-like” atmosphere he’s found in our Augusta Development Center.

Whether his day consists of playing sports, reading, or traveling, AK starts all of them the exact same way: by reading the Bible. “I truly believe that one small positive thought in the morning can change your whole day. You may not be able to control every situation and its outcome, but you can control your attitude and how you deal with it.” Thanks, AK, for making Rural Sourcing a #greatplacetowork!

Fun fact: AK has held the record for most goals scored in soccer at his Ghanaian high school since 2002!

Marcelle Carlson is a Senior Consultant who specializes in user experience and product design. She’s currently working with a client product team to build an MVP and validate product/market fit for a new product offering. Marcelle says that the best part of her job is collaborating with colleagues of various expertise and backgrounds to create successful products for end users and businesses. “There is nothing better than seeing a product come to life and hearing from users and stakeholders that their goals have been met or exceeded by our teams’ work.”

When she’s not working, Marcelle loves to golf and has won the longest drive contest in four different golf tournaments! She also does yoga, cycles and redesigns rooms in her house. Thanks, Marcelle, for making Rural Sourcing a great place to work.

Fun Fact: Marcelle attended the Emmys with her sister in 2012 and met more celebrities than she can remember! She says the best part was attending all the pre-party celebrations, wearing glamorous dresses and walking down the red carpet.

Jeff Schlindwein is the co-chair of Rural Sourcing’s Veterans Colleague Resource Group (CRG) and a Senior Consultant living in Albuquerque, New Mexico. He served as a Combat Engineer in the Army and did one tour in Afghanistan before entering the tech field. He’s currently leading a group of developers who are working on a client in the trucking industry.

Jeff says that the best part of his job is his fellow colleagues: “My coworkers are amazing and I always feel supported. I can ask all the questions I need to succeed.” When Jeff’s not at work, though, you’ll probably find him playing games with his friends or working on and detailing his Shelby Mustang. “I can wash cars really well!”

While the transition from active duty to civilian life can be challenging, Jeff found that the tech industry was the right fit for him and encourages his fellow Veterans to think outside the box in terms of their chosen careers. “There are tons of opportunities and potential avenues for success. Don’t let people push you into a career path you don’t want. Don’t feel like there are no other options for you. Your only limiting factor is your determination to succeed.”

David Henise is a Senior .NET Developer living in Albuquerque, NM who has worked in technology for a total of 23 years. They established the charter for RSI’s Veterans Colleague Resource Group (CRG). Before transitioning to the software development full time, David was a “computer nerd” in the Army, where they served as an Information Assurance Security Officer and administered network equipment and servers. David says RSI is a great place to work for Veterans because of the “collaborative environment. It can help fill a little bit of the void that most Veterans feel when they exit the military.”

If you’re a Veteran considering transitioning to a career in technology, David says, “If IT is new to them, they should really focus on the team-based aspects of programming if at all possible. That will help them to make the transition smoother, not only because working with a team-based mindset will help them to learn concepts from others but because most of the best programming nowadays takes place in flexible teams where work, assignments and sometimes even design/architecture are decided together. Focusing on the team aspects can help ease the transition out of the military as well.” Thanks, David, for making Rural Sourcing a great place to work!

Fun Fact: David is a proud and passionately involved solo parent.

Rachel Young is a Consultant based in Albuquerque, NM. Her current engagement has Rachel working on APIs for a global car rental company. She’s also a member of RSI’s Veterans Colleague Resource Group (CRG) and a proud supporter of Veterans’ causes, with family members having served in the Air Force, Army and Navy. One of the Veterans CRG co-chairs has been a friend of Rachel’s since 2013 and introduced her to RSI. “I was sold on RSI just by talking with Jeff! He told me about how they handled the pandemic and ensured that colleagues could work in whatever environment they felt most comfortable.”

Rachel has been impressed with the support that is shown for Veterans since she started at RSI after graduating college in 2021. “They make all the effort in the world to showcase Veterans and how they succeed working for RSI. The work environment that a Veteran needs to succeed is available even if we’re working from home. You’re never alone!”

In 2012, Rachel was in a car accident that tore her spinal cord. She was told she’d never walk again, but after months of hard work and persistence in rehab, she’s now able to walk! “I never gave up and pushed myself and have learned that I’m capable of anything I put my mind to!”

Outside of work, Rachel is very crafty and can make things out of yarn or old “trash.” She’s also a self-proclaimed plant doctor who’s an excellent gardener and composter (even without a yard.) Thanks, Rachel, for making Rural Sourcing a great place to work.

Fun Fact: Rachel can fix things around the house with just duct tape and a sandwich bag!