Mat Harrison: Socketeer of the Year 2013
Mat Harrison, a longtime Programmer at Socket, was recently named the 2013 Socketeer of the Year
The Socketeer-of-the-Year award was started 9 years ago, when Socket's owners decided to honor one of the year’s monthly You-Make-The-Difference-Award winners based on their embodiment of our Core Values and Beliefs.
Mat joined Socket’s tech support team in October 2004 before moving to the programming department in 2005. He writes a variety of applications we use here at Socket to keep our customers running smoothly, and he also develops and improves elements of Socket’s website.
"Mat is one of Socket's best kept secrets. He shows up every day and lives our Core Values and Beliefs," said a co-worker who nominated him for the award. "I am always confident night and day we can depend on Mat."
"Even under a sizable normal work load, Mat always makes himself available to provide others with needed help," another co-worker commented. "He constantly fields questions and provides useful assistance and input."
Mat went to high school in Steele, MO and earned a degree in systems engineering from the University of Arkansas-Little Rock before moving to Columbia in 2004. In his spare time, he enjoys hanging out with his dog, Rex, playing golf, home brewing and playing video games.
Deborah McDuffie, Runner-Up
Socket's owners also honored Deborah McDuffie as a runner-up for the annual award.
Deborah originally started with Socket's residential technical support team before moving to the business center in 2009. Since 2012, she's been serving as a service delivery coordinator. She's instrumental in the delivery of our hosted business phone systems, doing everything from assisting with orders to training new customers on using the new phones and features.
"Deborah is consistently helpful and always looking out for the best interest of our customers," said a fellow Socketeer. "She is devoted to her work, her company, her co-workers, and her high standards."
When she's not hard at work for Socket, Deborah enjoys cooking. She's also involved in the Society for Creative Anachronism and enjoys researching and sewing 10th-14th century outfits to wear at historical events.
Congratulations and thank you to Mat, Deborah and to all Socketeers for truly making the difference for our customers at Socket. With hard-working attitudes and exceptional customer service, these individuals embody what Socket aims to be for the people we serve throughout Missouri.