EMPLOYEE SPOTLIGHT
Thomas Shubick
Database Administrator (DBA)
Meet Thomas – a sci-fi junkie 🛸, bike riding 🚴🏼, ice hockey loving 🥅, rockstar Database Administrator (DBA) for FastTrack. Celebrating his 4 year anniversary this month (June 2022), Thomas was a major team player in the successful transition of FastTack’s production platform over to the Microsoft Azure cloud. 🚀
What is your current position with FastTrack?
I am FastTrack’s Database Administrator (DBA). I have been here in that position for 4 years this month.
What is your typical workweek like?
For a DBA, there is no such thing as a typical day. Most days will involve reviewing new and updated code and monitoring the databases to ensure everything is running optimally. However, there are days when fires happens and everything will shift to getting everything into working order, going back and looking at the cause of the fire, and taking steps to make sure it doesn’t happen again in the future.
Do you work with any specific customers?
Mostly I just work with other members of the IT team, but I support all our customers in doing that.
How has FastTrack helped your personal and professional development?
Working in a small company has allowed me to build friendships with my coworkers that you don’t have the opportunity to do when you are working in a large company. FastTrack is a very good and close-knit family. This makes the work environment much more enjoyable since you’re working with friends and not just coworkers.
Do you have any accomplishments within the organization you’re particularly proud of?
Working with the rest of the development team in moving our production platform into a cloud-based system and then splitting off one of our larger clients into a new environment. These were two big projects that took a lot of work and some long hours, but the team did a great job coming together to get it done. 🙌
What is your favorite media or series?
I’m a sci-fi junkie and especially a huge Star Trek fan. I have always been fascinated with space. When I lived in Florida, I would make many trips across the state to the Kennedy Space Center to watch shuttle launches. 🌌🚀🛰️🧑🏽🚀📡
Do you have any pets?
I have a Blue Crown Conure named Ramsey 🦜. He’s almost 12 years old now and he’s quite the handful.
Do you have any hobbies or special interests?
Bike riding, either on my outdoor bike or on my Peloton. I enjoy sports, especially hockey, baseball and football. And I love to relax with a beer at a local brewery. 🍻
What type of activities are you most likely to be up to on the weekends?
When the weather is nice, I will probably be outside on my bike getting in 30+ miles of riding. Most of my riding up until now has been gravel/trail riding, but I recently purchased a set of road wheels to swap out and I just did the NYC Five Boro 40 mile ride with them. I can also be found going to Devils hockey games 🏒, NY Mets games ⚾️, or just hanging out at a local brewery.
What is your favorite vacation destination? What’s one you haven’t visited yet but would like to in the future?
Any place that is quiet and relaxing will work, but I love new places where I can take my bike and explore. One place I have wanted to go to is Innsbruck in Austria. I’ve been to Austria twice and been to Vienna and Salzburg but haven’t made it there yet.
What’s the first thing you would do if you won the lottery?
After paying off my bills and helping my family out, I would take a nice long vacation. Then I might look into opening a Tiki bar 🌴 in Key West.
Do you have any unique or hidden talents?
I’ve been a member of various choirs over the years and have performed on stage at Carnegie 15 times. I have also performed in front of over 18,000 people with Andrea Bocelli as well as several concerts in Austria.
Have you ever had an encounter with anyone famous?
I have met several famous people over the years but the most fun encounter was in the Adventurers Club at Pleasure Island in Disney World. There was show going on in one of the other rooms so there were just a few of us sitting at the bar when Drew Carey came in and sat with us and had a few beers. 🤩
What is your motto for life?
Carpe Diem. This was the motto for my college and over the years it has taken on new meaning to embrace life and live.
What are your top three most overused words or phrases?
“It depends”, “Really?”, and “DOH!”
What’s a surprising fact about yourself?
For 6 years I was a voting member of the Recording Academy (which gives out the Grammy Awards). Please don’t blame me for some of the past winners. 😆
If there was a movie about your life made, who would you want the narrator to be?
Samuel L. Jackson.
Do you have any nicknames?
“Shubie” as a play on my last name.
Connect with Thomas on LinkedIn
