Meet the Team Dan A
Meet the people who make ECE thrive! Our Meet the Team series takes you behind the scenes to highlight the talent, passion, and personality driving our mission every day.
Meet Dan Agacki, Document Specialist Supervisor
Every team has its backbone, the people who keep everything running smoothly, often behind the scenes. At ECE, Dan Agacki is one of those people. As the Document Specialist Supervisor, Dan has been part of the team through the evolution of our document scanning process and plays a key role in keeping production on track. Outside of work, Dan’s quiet dedication, passion for music, and curiosity about the world make him a valued and engaging member of the ECE team.
Q & A Session.
Q: What's your background? What did you do before joining ECE?
Before joining ECE, I worked a temp office job and captioned phone calls for the hearing-impaired. All the while, I slowly made my way through college.
Q: What do you do at ECE? What excites you most about your position and/or your team?
I supervise the Document Specialist team. I started shortly before we started scanning documents, so I have been here through the entire evolution of the process. We're the first step of production, so there's pressure to stay on top of our work so we don’t bog down the entire process. I think it's a true test of loving what you do when you welcome the challenges.
Q: What do you like most about working at ECE?
There's a familial atmosphere at ECE. The majority of my team has been here for over 10 years, so even though we're all pretty quiet, there's a certain closeness.
Q: What are three words that describe ECE's culture?
Longevity, welcoming, thoughtful.
Q: What’s one of your favorite activities when you’re not working? Tell us something that others might find surprising.
I have always been into music. Listening, writing, recording, I love it all. Since my teens, I have spent a lot of my time singing in bands, which is probably surprising considering how quiet I can be at work.
Q: Where have you traveled inside or outside of the U.S.? Do you have a favorite country, city, or region that you like to visit?
My old band toured Japan, and it was indescribable. It’s an amazing country that everyone should visit. The people are so nice, and the countryside is beautiful.
Q: Are there any books or movies that you simply could not put down or kept thinking about long after you had read or watched them? Why?
Raymond Carver's short story collections. I love his talent for writing compact short stories that are fully approachable. They're not designed to go over your head or to require extensive thought for comprehension. At the same time, the human interactions in his stories give the reader plenty to contemplate.
Q: Do you have a favorite cuisine? If yes, a particular dish you love?
I'm a picky eater, so I like a little bit from a lot of different areas. One of my favorite dishes is Pad See Ew, a Thai noodle dish with wide rice noodles, broccoli, fried egg, sweet soy sauce, and a protein. I've always had it with tofu. Penny's on the north side of Chicago is the pinnacle of Pad See Ew.
Lightning Round!
Q. Vacation or staycation?
Vacation – There are so many places to visit. I can't ever get to all of the locales on my list.
Q. Night or morning?
Morning - I have a 4-year-old. She gets up early every day; thus I'm a morning person.
Q. Passenger or Driver?
Driver - I've always loved driving. I've driven cross-country numerous times.
Q: City or Country?
City - I grew up outside a small town. There's some nostalgia in venturing into nature, but I love the immediacy of the city.
Q: Camping or glamping?
Camping - Everything is cooked over a fire and there’s no electricity. It’s so inconvenient, but it forces you to slow down and fully engage with everything you're doing.
Q: Roommates or live alone?
Roommates - I have a wife and a child. If I was single, I would definitely live alone. I've had too many roommates for too many years.
Q: Attend a party or host a party?
Attend a party - I don't want a bunch of people in my house.
Q: Sweating or shivering?
Sweating - I have lived in Wisconsin my entire life, but I still despise Winter. I would rather be too hot. Hot Yoga? Bring it on!
Q: Hot or iced coffee?
Hot - So much of the iced coffee I've had over the years has been way too acidic. I love coffee, but even in the summer I tend to drink it hot.
Q: Fiction or nonfiction?
Nonfiction - Tough to answer. I love short fiction stories, but most of what I read is music-related nonfiction.
Our "Meet the Team" blog series has celebrated the incredible individuals who bring ECE to life, shining a spotlight on the talents and passions that shape our culture and drive our success. Thank you for following along and getting to know our team!