EMPLOYEE SPOTLIGHT
David Heale
SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT TEAM LEAD
Meet David – a seasoned programmer, avid video game collector, pseudo-mechanical engineer (in his own words), and an all around great family guy!
What is your current position with FastTrack? How long have you been in it?
I have been a Software Development Team Lead for over a year now here at FastTrack.
What is your typical workweek like?
My weeks involve leading scrum meetings (daily fast-paced meetings with my team to discuss the day’s work), reviewing code, sprint planning (prioritizing work for the next few weeks of development), design, and developing code.
Do you work with any specific customers?
I’m behind the scenes for all the carriers in one way or another! I focus mostly on our newer products to ensure that our code is efficient, maintainable, extensible, reliable, and well-structured.
What has your career path been like at FastTrack?
Originally—when I started—I came on as a Developer, but my roles changed a few months in. I soon became the backup Database Administrator, backup Deployment Manager (overseeing tech update releases to our customers), and Team Lead.
How has FastTrack helped your personal and professional development?
Working side-by-side with a Database Administrator, Developers, and others in leadership roles helped me hone my skills to a level that I couldn’t have previously done in other companies I worked for.
What is something you love about working at FastTrack?
There are lots of benefits to working at FastTrack. Everyone here has a good sense of humor and are easy to get along with. We all also come from various backgrounds and everyone brings something unique to the table. I’m always learning something new!
Do you have any accomplishments within the organization you’re particularly proud of?
I am proud to work with a great team of Developers. We have all created over 10 new applications together.
What is your favorite book, TV show, movie, or podcast?
I enjoy reading books that help improve soft skills; John C. Maxwell is on the top of my list for authors I enjoy. My favorite video game series are the Mega Man and Halo series.
Do you have any hobbies or special interests?
Pseudo-Mechanical Engineering. I have actually designed and built my own clock from the ground up. This included everything from programming a microcontroller called the Arduino Micro to operate a step motor controller board, creating the computer-aided design (CAD) in a program called Fusion 360, and using a Shapeoko CNC machine to cut out all the parts.
What type of activities are you mostly likely to be up to on the weekends?
I try to spend as much time as I can with my family. We all take turns picking out what we’re doing for the weekend. It’s always fun trying to top the previous weekend.
What is your favorite vacation destination? What’s one you haven’t visited yet but would like to in the future?
My extended family from around the country gets together and rents a bunch of houses every year in Ocean City, NJ. It’s always amazing to see the family and how much has changed in a year! I would like to go to England in the future and visit “Heale Garden”. It just seems appropriate.
What’s the first thing you would do if you won the lottery?
I would purchase a workshop for my carpentry/machining hobby.
What’s a surprising fact about yourself?
I used to weigh over 260lbs in high school.
If there was a movie about your life made, who would you want the narrator to be?
Steven Wright.
Connect with David on LinkedIn
