Get to know us! At Carousel, we’re more than 1,300 #CarouselCrew members strong, spanning 27 locations across the country. Each month, we’re excited to share a glimpse of our talented team members.

This week, meet Dallas-based Sue Gattis, Carousel’s help desk and service delivery manager for 12 years. Sue is the proud wife to Jo and together they share four wonderful boys, Chase and Evan Gattis and Drew and Brett Kendrick. Especially exciting given World Series fever, is that her stepson Evan is currently serving in his third year as a Houston Astro, and he is the backup catcher to Brian McCann and a designated hitter with Carlos Beltran.

Want to join an all-star team? Check out the Carousel careers page here.

In addition to our classic Q&A, Sue shares Evan’s story with us in this week’s special edition of #CarouselCrew:

“Evan started playing baseball at 5 years old and was on a travel team from 8 years old until he graduated from high school. He originally signed with Texas A&M to play baseball in college, but was scared to go off alone and ended up at a small college in Oklahoma called Seminole, where he played a year. After that experience, he told us he never wanted to talk about baseball again, and got odd jobs as an office cleaning person, worked for a machine shop, and ended up at a golf course, waiting tables and cleaning golf carts. When he was 21 years old, he set off to be a ski bum and moved around New Mexico and Colorado. On his way back to Dallas, he stopped off in Midland/Odessa, where my son Drew was pitching for the University of Texas at Permian Basin (UTPB), and asked if they needed a catcher. He was given a scholarship that same day.

Evan and Drew played together in 2010, for UTPB and advanced to the Conference Tournament where Evan was celebrated as player of the year. He was next drafted by the Atlanta Braves in the 23rd round and signed for $1,000. His first year in the minors he played for the Danville Braves, the Rome Braves in his second year, and the Mississippi Braves in his third year. He was asked to Spring Training in 2012 and 2013, and made the Atlanta Braves out of Spring Training in 2013. He played in Atlanta in 2013 and 2014, then was traded to the Houston Astros for the start of the 2015 season.

This is Evan’s third year as a Houston Astro, where he serves as the backup catcher to Brian McCann and a designated hitter with Carlos Beltran. In the regular season, he has hit 114 homeruns from 2013 to present. His first hit in Atlanta as an MLB player was a home run while his dad was being interviewed on-camera…priceless.

This year is particularly sweet for Evan and the Astros. In 2014, the Astros were featured in Sports Illustrated with a story that stated they would win the World Series in 2017, which was a joke to all baseball fans because they had one of the worst years ever.  They were in a rebuilding process and this year is the culmination of their dream.”

From all of us at Carousel, we wish Evan and the rest of the Astros much luck as they take on the LA Dodgers tonight in game one of the World Series!

Reach out to Carousel today to see how our talent, partner affiliations, and thousands of certifications can help you achieve your IT goals.

What do you consider the best technology?

I’m very excited about all the technology options that NWN Carousel provides to help clients achieve their business outcomes. We are first-in-class with any of our competitors and I’m proud to be part of this amazing team.

What is most exciting about being a #CarouselCrew member?  

In my role specifically, it’s especially rewarding to be a part of two amazing teams—the NOC and the Service Delivery Team.

What are your top 3 life highlights? 

1.  Marrying the love of my life.

2.  Raising four wonderful boys.

3.  Welcoming three awesome daughters-in-law to our family and one incredible grandson with a new grandbaby on the way in May 2018.

What are you currently reading? 

I just finished Bill O’Reilly/Martin Dugard: Killing Kennedy – The End of Camelot.

What is the best advice you’ve ever received? 

“Be Smart”. My dad used that phrase every time we left the house.

What is something you think everyone should do at least once in their lives and why?   

Spend a day at a homeless shelter. I will never complain about my life again.

Interested in contributing to the Carousel culture? Check out our careers page here.