Leadership Q&A with Jamie McClave Baldwin

Leadership Q&A with Jamie McClave Baldwin

Find out what Dr. Jamie McClave Baldwin had to say about leadership, business and how those two things intersect below. 

If you could summarize your general philosophy on life, what would it be?

Be generous. Work hard. Stay humble. Forgive easily.

It’s my own version of The Four Agreements (which I love but find hard to remember sometimes). If I find myself off course, I am usually not doing one of these things. When I go back to the basics, the path always becomes clear. 

 

If you were to summarize your general philosophy on business, what would it be?

See above. 😉

 

In a perfect world, how would the two overlap?

I’ve never really understood why there would be a difference between life philosophy and business philosophy. Business is simply a reflection of our values and our life philosophy.  I don’t buy it when someone tries to tell me “business is business” as an excuse for treating someone poorly or cutting corners. How you do anything is how you do everything. Freedom is having all parts of your life in alignment. Infotech is a place where we are lucky to have that overlap. Where we get to be kind and generous, work hard, stay humble, forgive easily. We get to be ourselves.

 

If you were to give a TED talk to an audience full of young women entering the workforce, what are five things you’d like them to know?

  1. Doers make mistakes. If you’re not failing, you’re not trying. Forgive your mistakes, learn, move on. We need doers.
  2. Everyone suffers from imposter syndrome. Even the most experienced and educated person in the room. Do it anyway. Be nervous and unready and do it anyway. Do it scared.
  3. Take nothing personally. You will face unfairness. You might feel insulted from time to time. You can’t control what other people do or think but you can control how you react. The difference between humans and most of the animal kingdom is that we get to choose our thoughts – maybe not that first knee jerk thought – but all the ones after that. We all have instant reactions. Learn to pause and think about how you want to choose to react. Let the first feeling pass and then think.  Get in line with your values and act accordingly.
  4. No one is laying in bed at night thinking about the mistakes you made. We all lay in bed at night thinking about our own mistakes – I know I do! So don’t worry so much about what others think about you – they aren’t.  Take care of yourself and your loved ones. Limit whose opinions you let matter and guide you.
  5. Lead from where you are. Leadership is not about a title. It is about getting off the bench and into the game. Even if that means cheering from the sidelines. Get in the game. Do something to make a difference. Take the initiative. Stand up for someone in need. You might find yourself having made a wrong choice or messing something up but at least you are trying (see #1 above).  
Creating Room for Employees to Volunteer

Creating Room for Employees to Volunteer

In the wake of so many recent tragedies on a national and international level, it is easy for us all to feel hopelessness and despair – a frustration that things feel completely out of our control. Our problems are too big for a single individual to solve them, and we feel powerless to make our world a better place. Yet, as my favorite government educator, Sharon McMahon, says, “The antidote to despair is action.” When the weight of the world feels heavier than ever, I find that volunteerism is an effective means of taking action. Many of us are desperate for ways to see or provide hope, to make a positive difference in the world or our communities. While it may seem small, volunteering can provide a direct means for being the good and taking action where circumstances seem too big for us to have an impact. Companies can play a critical role in encouraging and providing the means for their employees to spend time volunteering. 

Last summer, after months engrossed in research on the impact of the opioid epidemic on children entering the dependency system, I decided to become a Guardian ad Litem volunteer. The Guardian ad Litem (GAL) program ensures that every child in the dependency system – in foster care, or otherwise involved in cases of abuse or neglect – has someone representing that child’s best interests and giving them a voice in the process. Each state has its own program, so volunteers work close to home. I know that my own child has the security of a safe, loving home with access to everything she needs; and I wanted to be able to help give that to others. I can’t make sure every kid in this country has the shelter, food, education, and affection that they need, but I can at least do this for some.

Anyone with compassion and commitment can be a Guardian ad Litem volunteer; all necessary training is provided after the volunteer screening process. But becoming a volunteer does require two indispensable resources: emotional strength and TIME. Along with the minimum requirement of monthly visits to each family assigned to a volunteer, GAL volunteers are expected to submit reports to the court, attend court hearings, and participate in meetings involving the attorneys and case managers working with the family.  Volunteers often need to spend time interacting with a child’s school and functioning as a go-between among the many agencies involved to be sure the child gets all the services they need. Above all, the volunteer endeavors to make the child feel seen and heard; and this can be the hardest part of the job. It’s a significant commitment, and a commitment that is so much easier to make when you know your employer is behind you. 

During the interview portion of my application process, I was asked how I expected to balance the time requirement of the GAL program while working full time and having my own child to care for. I was able to respond that my work is fairly flexible, and that my employer is understanding and accommodating of non-work priorities. I realized then, and I realize now, that this is remarkable. 

While working for Infotech Consulting can mean demanding schedules and time-sensitive work, when I told my supervisor I was interested in becoming a GAL volunteer, she gave me her full support. In fact, she wrote one of my letters of recommendation. Infotech has allowed me to take an hour on an odd Thursday to attend court or to log off early on occasion to conduct a visit at the only time that works for the caregiver. On one occasion, I had a visit scheduled that was critical in order to submit a report to court; and a longer client meeting was scheduled to overlap with the visit. When I told my boss that I would need to leave the meeting early to make my visit happen, I was met with complete understanding, knowing that she trusted me to meet our client’s needs while still ensuring that I could provide necessary support to the children.  Thanks to this supportive environment, I also had no reservations about being able to attend my first adoption ceremony as a GAL volunteer on a recent Tuesday morning, and I celebrated a happy ending for a baby and his new family. 

Many companies profess a commitment to participating in and improving the communities in which they operate or serve. There is, however, an appreciable difference between encouraging employees to participate in one-off opportunities on weekends or after working hours, and providing an environment where employees can commit to an organization and remain consistently involved. The fact that Infotech has enabled my commitment to the GAL program and, critically, seen it as valuable work is, to me, the epitome of the company living its values: “Family first” and “treat people right.” By empowering employees to volunteer, Infotech shares its best resource – its people and our talents – to make lasting, positive change in the community. 

Dr. Jim McClave: Innovation as the Origin

Dr. Jim McClave: Innovation as the Origin

Innovation is us. We don’t exist without innovation. 

Hi I’m Jim McClave, and I am founder and CEO of Infotech. 

Starting Something New 

The thing about Infotech that was innovative from the time that my partner and I founded the company is that we were the first to use  statistical and computerized techniques to detect bid rigging. 

Doing the innovation with the detection of bid rigging, it set the tone because no one else was doing it and we had very early successes using the tools. And so we happened to use it in the highway industry first, but since then we’ve used it in dozens, probably hundreds of industries in which there have been issues or problems. And so, I think just the fact that we were first into it into this area and developed the tools has allowed us to thrive. 

A Tried and True Methodology 

In the Consulting division we were doing the expert witness work on these cases developed by using our software tools. The cases we worked on early on and the methods we developed were truly innovative because we were finding patterns of collusion in bid rigging using not confessions, but in fact, data. Tom Rothrock and I strongly believed that you can’t make rigged bids look like competitive bids. And so, the innovative work in Consulting was putting that out there – the fact that we can take five years’ history of your bids and figure out whether you’re getting competition or not.

 A case that comes to mind where we had to really innovate was the first time that our software was tested in court. Most of the early cases settled before getting to court. One very major contractor who was being accused of bid rigging decided to take it to trial and tried very hard to get hold of our software. When the contractor couldn’t get hold of it, [they] fought tooth and nail in this case. And so we knew this was going to be the first opportunity to be able to explain that this software really works and try to convince a judge and jury doing that. 

And we went to trial, and again I could go on forever, but ultimately prevailed despite the other side putting up a big fight. 

Balancing Truth and Discovery

In doing the expert witness work that Consulting does, we’re almost forced to use standard methodology because if you take something new to court, the first attack will be, “Well, that isn’t even tested yet.”  So, the innovation in the Consulting work and expert witness work is: how do you apply those tools, those standard tools? Can you find innovative ways to do so?  

The way that we have pushed innovation in statistics and econometrics, which is well established, is not in developing new tools – we use those tools – but it’s the manner in which we use them and, in particular, the way we’ve learned to explain them to our clients, which are primarily attorneys and judges and jurors who haven’t been trained in the same area that we have.

And so, we use these sophisticated techniques, but then we keep it simple for them. We graphically depict them. We put it in a way that we can, that I can be a professor again and explain them. 

That’s what we try to do with our work. That’s where the innovation comes in.

Infotech Launches Expanded Comprehensive Benefits Plan Focused on Inclusion

Leading Florida tech employer offers unparalleled coverage with fertility solutions, gender affirmation procedures and more

April 20, 2021, Gainesville, Fla. – Infotech, a leader in infrastructure construction software solutions and expert statistical and econometric consulting services, announced today they are elevating their already comprehensive benefits package for the purpose of inclusion, offering employees access to critical services supporting fertility solutions, gender affirmation, holistic wellness and more. The new, inclusive benefits focused on additional value for employees are unprecedented for a company of its size and reach, with 350 employees in 27 states.

Among the new health offerings, Infotech’s fertility solutions benefit helps cover the costs of a range of fertility treatments including, but not limited to, assisted reproductive technology (ART), in vitro fertilization (IVF), storage and retrieval of reproductive materials and insemination procedures. The plan ensures services are available to all employees wishing to start a family, including same sex couples. Already, the company offers a generous eight week paid maternity leave in addition to a three week paid parental leave for birth and non-birth parents welcoming a child through foster care, adoption or birth.

“We have been very intentional with this coverage, right down to its name,” stated Tara Blythe, Vice President of Talent, Strategy and Communications for Infotech. “Fertility solutions ensures everyone in our chosen family of employees has access to the support they need to start a family when the time is right for them.”

Gender affirmation services have also been expanded under the comprehensive benefits package. This includes gender-affirming hormone therapy, surgeries, counseling and social transition support for employees and their family members covered under the plan.

These intentional investments in Infotech’s healthcare plans are offered at no additional cost to employees. In fact, Infotech employees will see no increase to their healthcare plan costs from the 2020 coverage year.

In response to growing needs and feedback from employees over the last year, the company also focused on the mental and holistic wellness of its employees. As a result, acupuncture will now be covered for employees, many of whom see it as a preferred alternative to prescription medication treating ailments like migraines, anxiety, insomnia and chronic pain. Every employee, regardless of whether they opt into one of Infotech’s healthcare plans, will also have access to the new Employee Assistance Network that offers mental health, behavioral, emotional and career counseling, among other support services.

“For us, it all comes back to inclusion,” shared Blythe. “We always give our employees a voice, and we’ve heard their needs. This comprehensive benefits package works to address those needs head on. By helping our employees start a family, access mental health counseling and support, identify holistic approaches to wellness, access gender affirming services and more, we are building a culture that values not just medical needs but overall wellness goals of each one of our Infotech family members.”

Infotech’s benefits package is just one of the many ways the company is accelerating a longstanding commitment to inclusion. Learn more at www.infotechinc.com/diversityandinclusion.

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About Infotech

Info Tech, Inc., DBA Infotech (Infotech) bridges innovation and integrity by developing cutting-edge digital solutions for the infrastructure construction industry and providing expert statistical and econometric consulting services across multiple industries. Infotech’s two core businesses, Infotech Systems and Infotech Consulting, use technology and data to bring transparency, integrity and efficiency to the people we serve. Informed by DOT relationships and decades of experience, Infotech Systems develops software solutions that bridge the gaps between owners, consultants, contractors, and other project stakeholders. Infotech is the developer of Appia®, Bid Express®, and Doc Express®, as well as the official contractor for AASHTOWare Project™. For more information on our SaaS offerings, visit infotechinc.com. For more information about our expert consulting services, visit infotechconsulting.com.

Media Contact

Lacey Jones
Director, Marketing & Communications
lacey.jones@infotechinc.com

Infotech Announces New Chief Financial Officer

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Infotech, a leader in infrastructure construction software solutions and expert statistical and econometric consulting services, announced today the appointment of Andrew Uelsmann as the company’s new Chief Financial Officer, effective immediately. Uelsmann was promoted to this role after a 12-year career with the company, now assuming the responsibility for Infotech’s financial strategy and operations and taking on a critical role on the senior leadership team.

Uelsmann has been instrumental in the company’s financial and business strategy throughout his career at Infotech. After starting as an intern in the company’s accounting department, he quickly demonstrated his ability to understand the business, market and customer base and then combine this knowledge with his financial expertise to support strategic execution.

“Andrew started as an intern for Infotech in 2008 and has now grown to be the leader who knows the financial landscape of both of our businesses more than any single person within our company,” Will McClave, President of Infotech Systems, said. “He has been the lead on many of Infotech’s recent strategic initiatives, including the building of our headquarters here in the Celebration Pointe development.”

Uelsmann will report to Infotech’s Vice President of Operations and Chief Legal Officer Amber McClave. “When it came time to choose a CFO, we knew there was no one inside or outside of the company who could compete with his ability to provide analyses that tells the story of where we are and where we are headed and utilize it to render strategic direction,” Amber McClave said.

In his role, Uelsmann will join the executive management team and be responsible for the financial strategy of Infotech’s two businesses: Infotech Systems and Infotech Consulting. Prior to Andrew’s appointment the responsibilities of the CFO were shared between the organizations Co-CEO’s, Dr. Tom Rothrock and Dr. Jim McClave, former Controller Chuck Engeman, and Uelsmann.

“We are proud to promote from within for this key role on our senior leadership team,” Jamie McClave Baldwin, President of Infotech Consulting, said. “Not only does Andrew understand our two businesses, but he understands our culture, and his analysis, expertise and guidance will help inform our strategy as we continue to grow at an unprecedented rate.”

Uelsmann earned his Bachelor of Arts in history and economics from Davidson College in Davidson, N.C., prior to earning his Master of Business Administration from the University of Florida with a focus on finance and competitive strategy.

Media Contact:
Lacey Jones
Director, Marketing & Communications
lacey.jones@infotechinc.com
352.381.4400