Meet our CFO, Linda Clark!
Job Title: Chief Financial Officer
How long have you worked at American Medical ID? Since August 2008. Going on 9 years!
Where are you from? Houston, TX
What are your hobbies? hiking, biking
Do you have any children and/or pets? One daughter, 26, who has taught me more about the important things in life than she will ever know, she is a graduate student at Columbia University in NY City; seeking a Masters in Instructional Media and Technology
Pet – A wonderful, intelligent and affectionate dog, named Hope. She was an injured min-pen (two broken legs) abandoned on our sidewalk 14 years ago. We took her in and she has a been a delight ever since.
What cause you’re most passionate about? Preserving and understanding natural beauty and natural ecosystems
Favorite Holiday? Christmas, a holiday for me with a deeply religious meaning—it is a celebration of hope and a promise of new birth to a defeated world
Favorite Sports Team? Not really a team sports fan so will pass on this one
Fun Fact? To those who think it is “too late” — I began running and completed 4 marathons and over 10 half marathons – all after age 55. I was certainly at the “back of the pack” but I learned how supportive the running community is and that “it is never too late!” to try something new — even when it seems impossible.
What is your favorite American Medical ID product? Odyssey Elite Bracelet. I like the style and heft of this bracelet. It is feminine, but durable enough for everyday wear. The style compliments a casual or dressy look.
What is your favorite thing about working at American Medical ID? In a world full of materialism and commercialism, I consider myself very lucky to work for a company that provides a simple but profoundly important product at a modest price. And if I lose sight of that, all I have to do is talk to a few of our customers.
Who in the company would you like to exchange roles with? Wow a tough question as I find all roles with our company interesting. I love to work with my hands so could see me really enjoying working on the production line creating medical IDs alongside our dedicated and skilled technicians. But I also love hearing our customer service professionals helping our customers. I envy their role — talking directly with those who make what we do possible. I would love to be able to walk a customer through selecting the perfect medical ID for their taste and life style or to hear, first hand, feedback from a customer about their experience with American Medical ID because that is how we can get better at what we do.
What is your favorite American Medical ID Memory? I have many memories of working with my co-owners (American Medical ID is employee owned) meeting the day to day and on-going challenges of continuous improvement. I love “solving puzzles” and to me working with a caring, collaborative team to meet challenges is always fun.
But one of the most poignant memories I have was talking to one of our customers who had a service request. We readily addressed her request, but she shared with me that she bought the Sterling Silver Dog Tag for her husband of 35 years – they had been high school sweet hearts. She related that he is profoundly deaf and has cochlear implants which are magnetically attached, but cam be dislodged upon severe impact – for example a car crash. She feared in such an event, if he needed aid, EMS might not realize her husband’s unresponsiveness could be due to his hearing loss. Since he traveled for business this particularly troubled her. It brought tears to my eyes to hear how important this man was in her life and how our medical ID brought her peace of mind concerning his safety. There is nothing better than knowing what you do matters! I will always cherish her story.
If you could go anywhere in the world on vacation, where would you go? I love nature and the outdoors. My dream vacation would be to hike or bike in Alaska or another wilderness area observing and learning about the local ecosystems and the interplay of nature… the chance to see untouched landscapes and watch animals in their natural habitats would be amazing.
What’s the greatest bit of advice a parent or mentor has given you? Love is a verb not a feeling. Love is doing, it is helping others become the best they can be.
If you could have a dinner with someone who is alive or dead, who would it be and why? With a BA in biology and a love of books, writing and nature, I would choose to have dinner with Rachel Carson marine biologist and author of Silent Spring. A gifted writer and researcher, Carson has been credited with founding the environmental movement and educating the public on the delicate balances and beauty found in nature as well as alerting the public to the environmental threats to these complex and interdependent systems. She is noted for raising the alarm concerning the dangers of pesticides such as DDT and has been acclaimed by such environmental awareness notables as Al Gore and others.
She said “It is a wholesome and necessary thing for us to turn again to the earth and in the contemplation of her beauties to know the sense of wonder and humility.”
This is a sentiment I share deeply with Ms. Carson; dinner with her would be an honor and a great learning experience.
