It’s Women’s History Month, and we are spotlighting Janette Martin, Solidarity Community Federal Credit Union’s Network Administrator and Information Security Officer (ISO). Janette has been with Solidarity Community Federal Credit Union since April 2011. She graduated from Western Governors University (WGU) two years ago with a Master’s in Cybersecurity and Information Assurance. She works with technology throughout Solidarity, including setting up Wi-Fi and working with servers, along with many other duties. Being a woman in a mostly male-dominated field, some thought she shouldn’t play with routers and switches, but here she is…doing an amazing job.
Janette moved from California to Indiana when she was 18.
Janette lives in Tipton (where she raised her two children, Carmen and Brandon, who have their own families now). For eleven years, she traveled to Indianapolis to work as a waitress, manager and waitress again at Bob Evans while working on her IT degrees. After earning three associate’s degrees in microcomputers, programming and networking, she worked for 11 years in the student loan industry, utilizing her IT experience before joining Solidarity’s team.
Janette also considers herself a crazy cat lady (five cats currently) and is an advocate for the rescue of animals. While Tipton doesn’t have a functioning shelter just yet, it does have a lot of people who care. Some volunteers foster animals in need in their homes, while others work on fundraising and other aspects to prepare the Humane Society Tipton County shelter to open.
For the last five or six years, the group has grown through social media, and Janette began attending fundraisers last year and, in November, asked what she could do to help. They had a list. She chose to be a grant writer even though she has no experience. She leaned on Grant Writing for Dummies and learned quickly that grant writing often involves politics. While this isn’t her favorite part, her love for animals drives her forward, and just like Bob Barker, she believes pets should be spayed or neutered.
The effort to raise enough money for the HSTC’s shelter is still strong. The drywall is up. The heating unit is next. Vendors and volunteers are working on finishing it up so we can open soon! (Click the buttons below for more information or to donate.)
Janette is a lover of rock concerts!
She loves most kinds of music but particularly loves Alter Bridge and Slash featuring Myles Kennedy and the Conspirators. (Ask her about her tattoos.) She travels worldwide to listen to their music, take pictures and enjoy what brings her happiness. (She says, “If you aren’t in the front row, you are in the back row.”) She’s been all over the US, UK, Europe, Brazil, and Africa to see her favorites.
She has made friends with other fans of the bands and not only goes to see the shows with that group but also to enjoy the sights, culture and history. She lives her life knowing she is blessed with her family, fellowship and fun and intends to keep doing just that.
If you stop by Solidarity Community Federal Credit Union, say hi to Janette. She is a great team member, and we are proud of everything she has accomplished and will accomplish in her career and life.
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