Two former recruiters have been charged with engaging in unlawful sexual acts with future sailors, according to charge sheets released to Navy Times.

The Navy takes these issues very seriously and categorically does not condone the alleged behavior; that behavior simply has no place in our military or society, and it does not comport with our core values, Cmdr. Lara Bollinger, spokeswoman for Navy Recruiting Command, said.

Our recruiters are required to uphold the highest standards. Navy Recruiting Command takes any allegation of recruiter sexual misconduct seriously and ensures that each allegation is fully investigated. If an allegation is substantiated, Navy Recruiting Command takes all appropriate measures to hold the responsible sailor accountable.

Chief Gas Turbine Systems Mechanic Rondell L. Bethelmy, 40, is charged with two counts of failing to obey a lawful general order.

According to charge sheets, Bethelmy engaged in sexual activities with and sent sexually explicit photos to a recruit in Aurora, Colorado, in April 2017.

The victims name, a current sailor, is redacted on charge sheets obtained by Navy Times.

Bethelmy is currently assigned to the guided-missile destroyer Nitze, which is homeported at Naval Station Norfolk.

His special court martial trial is scheduled to begin there on Nov. 21.

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GSMC Bethelmy is a 19-year Navy veteran with an outstanding service record, said his civilian defense attorney, Brian Pristera, in a Tuesday email to Navy Times. "The Government and the Defense have found an agreeable disposition to resolve this case in a manner commensurate with the seriousness of the offenses.

According to a Navy biography, Bethelmy enlisted in September 2000 and was assigned to the Denver-based Navy Talent Acquisition Group-Rocky Mountain from September 2014 through January 2018.

Bethelmys trial comes amid the case of another sailor also accused of a similar crime.

Investigators suspect Interior Communications Electrician 1st Class Jammar Starks engaged in sex acts with a future sailor attached to Navy Recruiting District Dallas while in Tulsa, Oklahoma, in March 2015, according to charge sheets.

He also faces a charge that he violated a general order.

Bollinger confirmed that Starks and Bethelmy had served as recruiters at the time of the alleged incidents.

Cmdr. Jennifer Cragg, a spokeswoman for Naval Air Force Atlantic, said Starks case has been continued with no trial date currently scheduled.

Starks enlisted in February 2008 and was assigned to the Dallas recruiting district from May 2014 through May 2017, according to a Navy biography. He has been assigned to the Norfolk-based aircraft carrier Harry S. Truman since August 2017.

He didnt return messages from Navy Times.

Navy Times editors note: This story has been updated with a statement from attorney Brian Pristera. The headline also has been changed to better reflect the charges against both defendants.

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Navy chief, first class, accused of unlawful acts with recruits - NavyTimes.com

When you hear about the soprano Lise Davidsen, you might find yourself questioning the facts. Could someone who didnt even see an opera until she was in her 20s really be making her Metropolitan Opera debut at 32? Surely she hasnt been singing opera for only a decade?

But its true. Ms. Davidsen who stars in Tchaikovskys The Queen of Spades at the Met beginning Nov. 29 and will be a fixture there in the coming seasons is the rare newcomer to opera who has not only caught up to the field but dashed to its forefront, sweeping contests and gaining a reputation as the great Wagnerian promise of her generation.

Its a one-in-a-million voice, the conductor Antonio Pappano said in an interview. Esa-Pekka Salonen, who led the Philharmonia Orchestra on Ms. Davidsens recent debut album, is convinced that shes going to go very, very far. Peter Gelb, the Mets general manager, described her as being in a league of her own.

Such high praise is difficult for Ms. Davidsen to contemplate, since just 10 years ago, on a visit to New York, she posed for a photo outside the Met almost as a joke, thinking she would never perform there (and lacking the money for a ticket).

Of course I was hoping, she recalled in a recent interview at the opera house, but I never thought it would happen.

It happened, and The Queen of Spades is just the beginning. The Met acted quickly to cast her as Leonore in Fidelio, Chrysothemis in Elektra, Ariadne in Ariadne auf Naxos, Eva in Die Meistersinger von Nrnberg and the Marschallin in Der Rosenkavalier.

And thats in the next three seasons.

The Met wasnt anywhere near Ms. Davidsens radar as she grew up in small-town Norway, where the nearest major opera house was almost two hours away by train. The daughter of an electrician and a health care worker, she played handball and sang in community choirs and annual Christmas shows. Then, as a teenager, she began to take guitar lessons, with the distant dream of becoming a singer-songwriter.

She did follow her ambition to Bergen, where she studied voice at the Grieg Academy but not opera, which Ms. Davidsen said was so far away not because of the music, but because the whole idea of being onstage was too scary. She preferred to sing Bach and Handel. By the time she graduated, in 2010, and arrived at the Royal Opera Academy in Copenhagen for her masters degree, Ms. Davidsen had decided that she was a mezzo-soprano, and she would sing Baroque music.

Her teacher disagreed. She turned my life upside down, Ms. Davidsen said. At our first meeting, she said, No youre not a mezzo, youre a soprano, and you should be doing opera.

For a young singer, news like this can set off an identity crisis. As students, you are so unsure about everything, so what you can hold on to, you hold on to with everything you have, Ms. Davidsen said. My whole plan was sort of settled. So how was I just going to become a soprano, how was I going to learn a whole new repertoire?

But she convinced herself that being good was the only thing that mattered. And her education truly began: She saw her first opera, Strausss Der Rosenkavalier, and was overwhelmed by its beauty and intensity. She listened to recordings of the great sopranos, like Jessye Norman, Kirsten Flagstad and Birgit Nilsson. She experimented with singing Dich, teure Halle from Wagners Tannhuser, even though her voices lightness at the time was better suited to Mozart.

I have always felt like the one who doesnt know anything, the one who isnt good enough, she said. I was constantly afraid, and in a way that made me work so hard, that I could be where I am today.

Ms. Davidsen had originally wanted to become a singer-songwriter to describe and communicate her feelings. And now the stage, and opera, was where I could find that communication, she said. This feeling that it can go straight to your core there isnt really anything else that can do that. I realized that this is what I need to do.

Finished with school, several years into her life as an operatic soprano and with some professional work that showed signs of promise for a viable life as a singer, Ms. Davidsen began to enter competitions. And in 2015, with Dich, teure Halle as her showpiece, honors came in rapid succession, including the top prize at Operalia.

Attention came suddenly. Europes top opera houses all wanted to book her, journalists wanted to interview her, congratulations flooded in from friends and family. It was all good, Ms. Davidsen said, but too much of anything can be overwhelming.

After Operalia, she tried to take a break with her boyfriend in Paris. I couldnt go anywhere, she recalled. Whatever he proposed, I started crying. This still happens every now and then: Ms. Davidsen calls it hitting a little wall, which can be cured by a good cry, an hour at the gym, or watching Sex and the City for the 150th time so I can scroll Instagram.

With a penetrating voice and a height of over six feet, she commands a stage with ease. Mr. Pappano recalled a rehearsal in London for Wagners Ring: When she opened her mouth, we were all stunned. The voice has a light in it. Mr. Salonen has a similar story from inside the studio for her Decca album, which contains two selections from Tannhuser as well as Strauss selections, including his Four Last Songs.

When she sang the first phrase of the Tannhuser, he said, the orchestra kind of collectively dropped their jaws: Did that sound really come out of a person?

Opera is always difficult to capture in recording, and Ms. Davidsens album isnt the best introduction to her immense dynamic range. So the consistent quiet of Elisabeths prayer from Tannhuser, for example, comes off better than the peaks and valleys of Dich, teure Halle. What little criticism she received, though, was mostly reserved for her choice to program, somewhat precociously, the autumnal Four Last Songs.

It pisses me off a little bit that you have to be a certain age to feel certain feelings, Ms. Davidsen said. Teenagers have all those feelings, and more, in a day. If someone at the age of 80 says, I dont want to hear Lise do those songs because shes too young, well, fine: Then you can find another recording, because there are so many beautiful ones.

But I do believe that Im entitled to take on these feelings, to take on the difficulties in life, she continued. Thats our job in opera, and thats the same with the Four Last Songs. I really hope that if I keep on singing, I get to record them again in 15 or 20 years.

By then, if Ms. Davidsen continues at her current pace with no less determination than when she was in school, yet with the restraint not to take on new roles before shes ready she will have conquered large swaths of Wagner, a personal favorite. She has already sung minor parts in the Ring and the rarity Das Liebesverbot.

Elisabeth in Tannhuser has become one of her signatures; its how she made an awe-inspiring debut at the Bayreuth Festival in Germany this summer. She wowed even Katharina Wagner, the festivals artistic director and the composers great-granddaughter, who said in an email that Ms. Davidsen is ideal for Bayreuth.

She has a unique carrying voice, Ms. Wagner said. Even the quietest and finest piano of her voice can be heard in every corner of the auditorium, and every forte floods the audience. It is also obvious that even more important vocal parts than Elisabeth will come in future. (Indeed, Ms. Davidsen will be back next summer as Sieglinde in Die Walkre.)

During a rehearsal last week, Ms. Davidsen sang onstage at the Met for the first time, with an electricity that left many in the theater speechless. This is a major artistic event, Mr. Gelb said afterward. Its always awkward to raise peoples expectations, but in this case I dont have any qualms. Ultimately, shes going to be the next great Brnnhilde.

If Ms. Davidsen has the sound and presence of a diva in the making, she doesnt have any of the haughtiness thats thought to come with it. Mr. Pappano, who will reunite with her for Fidelio at the Royal Opera House in London next spring, described her as extremely observant and analytical in rehearsals; at the Met, she has been solemnly receptive to notes from the conductor, Vasily Petrenko, and friendly with fellow cast members. After a chorus singer complimented her, she held her hand to her chest and said, That made my day!

After all, Ms. Davidsen doesnt believe shes a Nilsson or a Flagstad just yet. Those singers are inspirational, and idols, she said. If I could ever achieve a percentage of what they have done, I would be happy. But I would not know until Ive been in the business a couple of years.

Ms. Davidsen was quick to clarify: She didnt mean literally two years; obviously, she said, it would take many more. But, given what shes accomplished in a single decade, a couple of years sounded entirely possible.

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A One-in-a-Million Voice Arrives at the Met Opera - The New York Times

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. --The Building Trades Employers Association (BTEA) recently released new statistics it says show union construction workers in New York City were five times less likely to suffer a fatal accident last year than their non-union counterparts. Although, not everyone agrees.

The BTEA report said that 85% of construction fatalities in 2018 occurred at the hands of non-union contractors, and that BTEA contractors received 33% fewer safety violations than others.

Brian Sampson, president of the Empire State chapter of Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC), said the study misuses the data. His association is a national construction organization devoted to merit contractors, encouraging open competition and a free-enterprise approach that awards contracts based solely on merit, regardless of labor affiliation.

While the statistics were released by BTEA, Lou Coletti, the organizations CEO, said the data was obtained through the independent Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). BTEA represents contractors in New York City who hire building trade union members.

They are trying to compare apples to oranges, and are not looking at the entire marketplace, Sampson said. "Our data really presents a very different picture.

He added his organization also recently analyzed OSHA data

But Coletti said: In a city like New York, a safe construction site is critical for workers and the public alike. And the statistics released today could not be clearer ... Safety and security are part of the culture of a union contractor, and the quality of the work is second to none.

Sampson countered that when looking at the data, ABCs NYC members -- which total 200 businesses employing about 50,000 workers -- are 400% safer than the rest of New York state.

We would like BTEA to compare itself to the entire construction marketplace, to what they classify as non-members, rather than just their members, Sampson said.

But BTEA stands by its analysis.

[This] shows that year in and year out, union construction firms are the safest in New York City. Thats because when you have a skilled and experienced union workforce, the quality of work is better and safety is not just prioritized - its part of the culture. These statistics make that clear, said Coletti.

UNION WORKERS WEIGH IN

Workers for other unions said they agree with the BTEA study.

The results of this study arent surprising at all, said Robert Holst, a journeyman electrician with IBEW Local 3.

While every construction job has inherent dangers, it is the training that union building trades members receive during their apprenticeship that makes the difference in regards to a safe job. Union employers are committed to this training and creating safe work spaces. The confidence in performing ones job comes from training. There is no substitute for a union apprenticeship program, added the West Brighton resident.

Said Mike Prohaska, business manager of Local 79, Construction and General Building Laborers: Our members health and welfare will always be our number one priority, so our training programs place great importance on worker safety and safe worksite practices. Our signatory contractors hire our members because they want the best of the best on their job, and to complete their job effectively and efficiently.

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Union vs. non-union workers: Which construction sites are safer? - SILive.com

Just 4 percent of people in their late 60s moved over the past year.

One result has been a geographic unevenness. Decades ago, less wealthy parts of the country tended to be the ones that attracted the most new residents, because lower rents and wages there drew in businesses, and people were more likely to move to where jobs were. But the economy is now less flexible, with prosperity clustered in larger cities and with businesses and people moving less.

It used to be that poorer places grew faster, but thats gone, said Jay Shambaugh, an economics professor at George Washington University. This is a really different economy than it used to be. Its one where places that struggle continue to struggle.

That is true for southern West Virginia, where the scourge of opioids is tearing through a second generation of families. Johnny Nick Hager, 25, who works as a cook and school bus driver in Mingo County, said he had thought about moving to Tennessee or New York like his friends and relatives who have fled the drugs and joblessness.

There are no jobs in Mingo County its move or bust, he said on Wednesday.

But for now, he is staying put, hoping to help make things better. He is running for county commission in 2020.

I want to try to make a difference in my area before I do leave, he said. If things dont change, we are all going to have to leave.

Changes in the economy have made moving less appealing for some. It used to be that all workers with college degrees or without could count on earning more in denser urban areas. Cities also offered lower-skilled workers better jobs in offices, in factories. An analysis by David Autor, an economist at M.I.T., found that the urban wage advantage is largely gone for less-educated workers. And the jobs that remain for them in cities are in personal services: food, cleaning, health, entertainment, recreation, transportation and repair.

People who are moving longer distances, between counties and between states, are disproportionately college educated, Mr. Frey said. When Tyler Wilson graduated from college last year, he moved back in with his parents in Leavittsburg, Ohio, near Youngstown.

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Frozen in Place: Americans Are Moving at the Lowest Rate on Record - The New York Times

Eileen Gutierrez is taking a big step from homelessness to a career in construction.

Eileen Gutierrez is taking a big step from homelessness to a career in construction. "It's life changing in all aspects," she said. KTVU's Rob Roth reports she is one of eight people who fell on hard times and is getting back up and has graduated from a construction leadership training program run by Oakland Salvation Army.

OAKLAND, Calif. - Eileen Gutierrez is taking a big step from homelessness to a career in construction.

"It's life changing in all aspects," she said.

Gutierrez is one of eight people who fell on hard times and is getting back up.

They all graduated Friday from the construction leadership training program run by the Oakland Salvation Army, free of charge to the students.

Gutierrez said she left a bad marriage last year and ended up living in homeless shelters with her children. Then she found construction training.

"As a mother of sixIcan show them it is possible to stand up for yourself and move on," she said.

"As a mother of sixIcan show them it is possible to stand up for yourself and move on," she said.

Students spend weeks learning framing, hammering, drilling and cutting.

"I like the electrician part. It is kind of hard, but Iam still going to work on it," she said.

The training is done by general contractors.

"They get the basics of carpentry and electrical. They get an electrical training card. And an OSHA N Card, which allows them to walk on just about any construction site and go to work," saidMark Talbot ofAssociated Builders and Contractors.

The students will be walking into a construction field sorely in need of workers. The Associated Builders and Contractors estimates the shortage is at half a million workers statewide.

That's good news for Santos Torres.

He told us he ran with the wrong crowd, served a year in jail for grand theft auto and now, like his fellow graduates, wants a fresh start.

"It's a new life. It really is. Got to put the old life to rest and move foreward," said Torres.

The students hope to be out on a construction site working within the next few weeks. Starting pay is $18-$25 an hour.

Continue reading here:
Mother of 6 goes from homelessness to career in construction - KTVU San Francisco

VAR would be welcome introduction to cash-flush soccer organisation

So the PSL has become a billion-rand industry for the first time since its formation in 1996.

Good news indeed, but I just hope this milestone translates into a much-improved product in terms of the footballwe watch. Making the ground-breaking revelation at the PSLs annual general meeting, chairman Irvin Khoza said the record revenue of the league for the 2018/19 financial year was R1.05-billion, to be precise.

It is an increase from the R938-million posted in the 2017/18 financial year and R884-million from three seasons ago. The increase has been attributed to the renewal of the broadcast contract with MultiChoice because the deal makes a high percentage of the PSLs income stream.

Khoza also revealed that besides the new financial benchmark making it possible for the PSL to increase the monthly grants for the 16 teams in the premier division and the 16 in the first division from next season, refereeing and VAR were on top of their list.

Im glad that Khoza touched on the contentious issue of refereeing standards and the introduction of video assistant referees but was quick to point out that it was not in the PSLs ambit but the league was prepared to engage Safa on both issues.

Both the PSL and Safa have yet to state whether the introduction of VAR is feasible and they can afford such technology.

Although the details of the increase in club grants for both leagues were not spelled out, the grant for Premier League clubs could increase from R1.5-million a month to well over R2-mllion from next season.

This deserves a round of applause.

This brings us to the issue of the quality of football we watch week in and week out. If it is raining money in the PSL, which I cannot doubt because Im not an accountant, why are we fed poor and amateurish football at every match?

No doubt the latest monetary figures ensure that the Premiership is the richest league on the continent. As the structure in charge of professional football in this country, they should ensure players receive decent salaries as an incentive to dish out quality football because money is no longer an issue.

As the PSL has made it a point that they are running a financially viable organisation, they should also ensure the product is professional. Its good to make money but how it is invested could be a different matter.

The quality of football on the pitches, where money is made in the form of gate takings by the clubs, leaves much to be desired.

Last week Mamelodi Sundowns coach Pitso Mosimane cried foul about the drainage system at Sugar Ray Xulu Stadium in Durban when they met Golden Arrows in torrential rain during a league match.

Put aside the assertion that Mosimane was being a crybaby because he lost. The Durban stadium is not the only football venue with a poor drainage system and all these stadiums have been used for as long as the PSL was formed 23 years ago. I know the old excuse is that clubs dont own stadiums, so they are not responsible for their upkeep.

Attendances have been dwindling at an alarming rate in the past years due to the low standard of soccer we are being fed, an exception, of course, being the Soweto derby.

Many have argued that the poor football we are witnessing is a huge factor affecting attendances. I agree. Many a South African football supporter would rather gloat about the calibre of football in the English Premier League rather than our own Premiership.

By Xolile Mtshazo

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PSL, invest in quality of game - Johannesburg Sunday World

New technology, renewed contracts and county facility updates were the main talking points for Lyon County Commissioners Thursday morning.

The commission approved licensing fees and implementation of Field Mobile, a mobile software program from Tyler Technologies for a total of $28,160 for the Lyon County Appraisers office. The new software will be fully integrated with the countys current Orion CAMA system and will allow appraisers to access, verify and edit property information on mobile devices within the field.

This essentially will eliminate the data entry process, as well as the possibility of data entry errors. Additionally, commissioners also approved the annual ESRI contract renewal in the amount of $8,200.

In other business, commissioners also approved a quote from Rodriguez Drywall and Painting for stucco repairs to the Lyon County Jail and Sheriffs Office. The Lyon County Commission will hold their regular action session next Wednesday at 8 am inside the Lyon County Courthouse.

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Lyon County Commissioners approve fees and installation of new appraisal technology - kvoe.com

Posted: Nov 18, 2019 / 04:30 PM MST / Updated: Nov 18, 2019 / 04:54 PM MST

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah (ABC4Utah) Zerorez is now offering carpet cleaning for $33 per room. Plus, if you donate food when Zerorez comes to clean, you get the fourth room free. If you deliver a bag of food to the Draper office you will receive a $50 certificate.

Not having your carpets vacuumed and cleaned professionally wears down its life faster. A common myth is that you should not be cleaning your carpets earlier in its life.

Pieces of carpet get worn down by dirt and debris from underneath. When walked upon with dirt and debris underneath, carpets rubs against the debris and get worn away.

Another myth is if you clean carpet more often it will get dirtier faster. That may be the case if you are cleaning with soaps and detergents which are hard to remove.

Unlike their competitors, Zerorez doesnt use soap to clean, but rather what they call Powered Water. The water is run through an electrolysis process, altering the molecule. It is slick to the touch and has all the cleaning properties of soap, but none of the side effects. This makes it easy to rinse out unlike soap and doesnt leave the sticky residue in carpet. Powered Water eliminates the need for soap and dries just like water. It leaves nothing behind.

Call (801) 288-9376 or visit ZerorezSaltLake.com or ZerorezDavisWeber.com to schedule a cleaning.

This article contains sponsored content.

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Clean your carpets, and donate to help the hungry - ABC 4

A Whiz autonomous floor-cleaning machine operates during a demonstration.

Photographer: Tomohiro Ohsumi/Bloomberg

Photographer: Tomohiro Ohsumi/Bloomberg

SoftBank Group Corp. has put billions of dollars into a laser-based technology that could allow cars to drive themselvesand help astronauts land on distant planets. It turns out that same technologymakes a pretty good vacuum cleaner.

Engineers at SoftBank Robotics have spent years applying lidar, which accurately maps distances in real-time, to carpet cleaning.The result is Whiz, a sort of ultra-high-end Roomba that SoftBank will start selling to companies in the U.S. on Tuesday for $499 a month.

Whiz.

Photographer: Tomohiro Ohsumi/Bloomberg

Given the high price, offices are the target market. The robot can run for three hours on a charge and clean as much as 15,000 square feet, according to the company.In the cleaning industry, theres been a lot of excitement about this, said Kass Dawson, head of business strategy at SoftBank Robotics America.

SoftBank is most commonly associated with its mobile network in Japan and the massive amounts of cash its investing in tech companies around the worldsometimes unwisely, as in the case of WeWork. But robotics has long been an interestof SoftBank founder Masayoshi Son. The Japanese conglomerate introduced a humanoid named Pepper five years ago that can be found at airports and stores attempting to answercustomers questions.Although Pepper can move on wheels, it typically stays in placeand lacks the sophistication of Whizs movement. When Pepper debuted, according to Dawson, people frequently asked if it could vacuum. It cant.

Controls on a Whiz.

Photographer: Tomohiro Ohsumi/Bloomberg

Another SoftBank robot called Nao is focused on education.The company wants to gradually refine its robotics chops as it works toward more complicated tasks, such as in logistics and warehousing.The eventual goal is to freeup human workers to focus on more complicated work, Dawson said. We need to do some researchand figure out which is the right repeatable task to be replaced, he said.

But its up to people to train their eventual robot replacement. Whiz needs to be taught the cleaning route before it can get started. After that, the vacuum can learn to account for changes in the layout, such as furniture moved into new positions. The project has benefitedfrom SoftBanks wide array of investments. Whizs operating system, BrainOS, is made by a company called Brain Corp., which is backed by SoftBanks Vision Fund.

Before it's here, it's on the Bloomberg Terminal.

Continue reading here:
SoftBank Is Selling a Roomba Competitor in the U.S. - Bloomberg

Every day, we read stories about how low unemployment and labor shortages are affecting virtually every industry.

In many ways, labor is a commodity, and like the availability of oil or crops, it impacts the cost and challenge of acquisition. An abundant labor pool generally means the economy is slow, unemployment is high, and people are just happy to have a job.

Today, however, the labor market is tight: The demand for workers is high and applicants are looking for jobs with the best fit. This environment challenges businesses to convince prospective employees that their job openings offer a fulfilling experience as well as opportunity for advancement. Job seekers want options that will lead them down a satisfying and thriving career path.

Organizations should offer stepping-stones that allow individuals to improve themselves and expand their careers. With this in mind, the IICRC offers education programs for every stage of your career. People entering the job market for the first time and entrepreneurs alike can useIICRC education to develop their careers, whether theyre beginning as an entry-level technician or supervisor, starting a new business as a certified firm owner who offers multiple services, or becoming an approved instructor whose passion for the industry can inspire a new generation.

TheICRC has impacted my entire career. I started looking for a career in my teens. My parents owned a building-services company, but I did not see this field as an appealing option. I eventually accepted a position at a small appliance sales and repair company. I worked there for four years until I injured my shoulder while taking a box off a refrigerator. Initially I was told recovery would take four to six weeks, but after surgery revealed more damage than expected, the doctor extended my recovery to more than four months. As most of us know, a small business cannot wait months for a team member to return to work, so I became unemployed. My bad shoulder and I started helping in the family business.

Although I still was not enthusiastic about working in building services, I was interested in carpet cleaning. I started a carpet cleaning division within the family company, and thanks to my fathers appreciation for continuing education, I attended an IICRC carpet cleaning certification course. The knowledge I gained from that course influenced every aspect of my career moving forward; it made me aware that all fields have a technical aspect. Almost overnight, I felt as though I was not a carpet cleaner but a technician. This new identity propelled me to build a business that competed on expertise rather than on price.

Over the years, I was able to explore many of the career paths available through IICRC education. The success of the carpet cleaning division inspired me to look into other facets of the industry. In fact, our family business also did upholstery cleaning, color repair, carpet repair and reinstallation, and large- and small-loss restoration. In time, I gained enough exposure to these fields to know that, though interesting, they were not for me.

About 25 years ago, I became an IICRC-certified senior carpet inspector. That certification made me a dramatically better carpet cleaner; it improved my ability to answer customer questions, to help my flooring retailers solve their problems, and to talk to customers and peers with the authority that comes with knowledge.

The problem-solving aspect of inspection attracted my attention, and this formed the pathway to my next career. I was young and eager to enter this side of the industry. Many professionals become inspectors later in their careers, exiting the labor-intensive side of the industry and increasing their income heading into retirement. I became proficient and experienced at a much younger age than my peers, which led to my committee involvement. I became vice president, and later president, of the National Institute of Certified Floorcoverings Inspectors (NICFI), anIICRC-approved instructor, Standards Consensus Body chair of an ANSI standard, and a director on theIICRC Board of Directors.

Image courtesy of IICRC

Mapping out a career path is all about finding what is right for you; where you start is not necessarily where you will remain. The IICRC hascareer platforms to satisfy technical, consumer-focused, and instructor-led interests where you can grow, learn, and earn.

The way an industry embraces technology has a great impact on its appeal. As Alicia Hill at fundera.com writes, The millennial generation is comprised of tech-savvy individuals who are looking for a flexible work environment where they can thrive and grow. They are seeking employers that are able to embrace technological trends.

Hill outlines that the one thing that really sets this generation (millennials) apart from others is how much they love technology. Theyre the first to try new apps, programs, and hardware. Older generations had to adapt to new technology, but millennials have grown up using smartphones, othermobile devices, and all the technology that comes with it. If you want to attract this talented generation, offer them opportunities to experience all that technology has to give.

While I dont fall into the millennial generation, I embrace technology. Older generations accept technology; younger generations expect it. From apps to online training, technology defines an industry and affects its image and attractiveness as a career option. This is one area that the IICRC is working diligently to address. In the meantime, businesses have the responsibility to adopt and implement technology in every aspect of a job.

Technology has also become a large part of my career path. As a business owner, I build my own websites, manage my social media, and create forms and documents for the industry. Most recently, I started theFloor U podcast podcast with my co-host, Sonny Callaham, and will soon be offering online training for certifications. Technology should impact every aspect of your job because, again, it is expectednot just accepted.

The IICRC offers a place to start and a place to evolve and grow personally and professionally. Not only does it encompass avariety of fields, but these fields are intertwined, giving you the ability to explore different options within each category and find what is right for you.

Through my career, I didnt just research building services, carpet cleaning, restoration, color repair, carpet repair, and inspections; I experienced each one of them and really understood what I enjoyed.

Ultimately, my goal is to demonstrate that having anIICRC education gives you options. Whether you are an employee or entrepreneur, beginning with an IICRC education can lead to many career pathsall you must do is discover which one is best for you.

The new year brings the chance to begin fresh and to realign. The IICRC offers educational opportunities for where you are now and where you desire to be in the future. Visitiicrc.org to get started.

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Planning Your Career in the Cleaning, Restoration, and Inspection industry - CMM