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A Day in the Life
Get to know your Odyssey colleagues from around the country!
Jackie VanderWoude (pronounced “Wood”)
Job Title:
Senior Configuration Manager
Work Location:
Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Dayton, OH
How Long Have You Been with Odyssey?
6 years, 4 months
What Team / Customer/Program(s) do you work for / on at Odyssey?
I support the Air Force Special Operation Forces/Personnel Recovery (SOF/PR) AC-130J Strike Systems Gunship Program
What do you do each day?
I perform Configuration Management / Data Management (CM/DM) and Deficiency Reporting (DR) duties to ensure modifications to the AC-130J Aircraft were done in a timely manner and under CM control. I am responsible for ensuring 90+ DRs are being worked by the appropriate Combat Acquisition Detachment (CAD) in a timely manner. Once a DR is created, it goes through Investigation in Work, Solution in Development, Test, and then Recommended for Closure status. I track the progress and status of each DR in a database as well as a spreadsheet. I also create monthly IPT slides to be present each DR to the entire program.
What do you enjoy most about working at Odyssey?
I like my team and feeling valued and supported by my peers. I like branching out and learning new things to enhance the program as well.
What is your current hometown?
Kettering, Ohio
Where did you grow up?
Chillicothe, Ohio and went to college at Wright State University in Dayton, Ohio, and was a scholarship athlete on the Women’s Swim Team.
Before working at Odyssey, what was the most unusual or interesting job you’ve ever had?
I was a corporate trainer for a local restaurant chain where I got to travel to new store openings and train the staff. I found it super rewarding and fun.
What three words would you use to describe yourself?
Busy, Fun, Mom
Do you have a favorite quote?
“I just like to smile, smiling’s my favorite.”
—Buddy the Elf
Tell us about your family, including pets:
Husband of 18 years, Mike, also works on the base in the Agile Combat Support division. Graduate from Michigan State University. He is a huge baseball fan, as our CEO, Tom Portlock found out when he sat with us at the holiday party 2023.
16-year-old son, Brody. He’s a junior in High School who loves baseball and is a 6’6″ left hander
15-year-old daughter, Mya. She is a freshman in High School, actively involved in the school volleyball and basketball teams, as well as a club volleyball team.
Two small dogs, Patches and Toby, both Shih-Tzu / Poodle mixes, adopted through a local pet rescue.
Do you have any nicknames?
Close friends call me Jack. My dad called me JR (Jackie Renee)
What do you like to do in your spare time?
Sit in the bleachers watching my kids’ games. I also spend a lot of my free time in an assisted living facility visiting my parents (now just my mom, as my dad passed 26 Dec 2023). I go every day after work.
Where would you like to go on a dream vacation?
Australia
Anything else you would like to share about yourself?
I love home improvement shows and implementing ideas into our own home. We bought a fixer upper in 2018 and have been renovating it for 5 years, making it our own.
Mike Magerman
Job Title:
Program Manager, Program Integration
Work Location:
Wakefield, Massachusetts
How Long Have You Been with Odyssey?
About 5 years. Started with Odyssey in 2016, was away from the company from 2018-2020, and returned in 2020 with an Army deployment 2022-2023.
What Team / Customer/Program(s) do you work for / on at Odyssey?
I work on the Program Integration team currently. Previously, with Odyssey, I was able to be a Business Manager and Program Manager on the C5ISR management team.
What do you do each day?
Support operations group and business operation execution and facilitate continuous process improvement across the staff. Efforts that I am currently involved in include:
Continuous Improvement Opportunity Team (made up of Program Integration and Quality): The team provides oversight and project management to corporate projects and process improvement.
Monthly Status Report Product Project: In coordination with developers in our Systems Solutions Group, we are building a product that will make producing MSRs more organized and seamless for our employees. Ultimately, giving our employees and leaders more time to support the customer. Currently, our Aviation and Medical Groups are testing the product across a few different contracts.
International Employee Management Project: Identifying a comprehensive approach to management of employees, requirements, and contracts located internationally.
Technical Center: Member of the Technical Center management team with a focus on program management, execution, and resource management.
SharePoint Site Owner Support: Standing up an oversight and support function for Odyssey’s use of SharePoint and M365 tools to support business objectives.
What do you enjoy most about working at Odyssey?
There is tremendous opportunity to work in different areas of the company and be a part of the organization’s success, whether that be customer-facing or internally-facing. It is a growing business that will require a continuous eye for improvement and folks looking to develop / broaden skill sets. This creates an exciting challenge on a day-to-day basis.
What is your current hometown?
Berwick, Maine
Where did you grow up?
Franklin, Massachusetts
Before working at Odyssey, what was the most unusual or interesting job you’ve ever had?
I worked at Five Guys throughout high school. Not sure how interesting that is, but I became quite a burger maker.
What three words would you use to describe yourself?
To the point
Do you have a favorite quote?
“The willingness to be a fool is the precursor to transformation”
—Jordan Peterson
Do you have any nicknames?
My friends call me Mags
What do you like to do in your spare time?
My fiancé Jenny and I enjoy traveling and visiting friends, exploring new areas and finding good places to eat. I’m on the hunt for the best Irish Pub in New England. I also like to run and stay active.
Where would you like to go on a dream vacation?
Safaris through Namibia and Botswana
Anything else you would like to share about yourself?
I’ve been an Army Reservist since 2014 and completed a deployment from Dec 2022-Sep 2023. I was an Engineer Officer originally and transitioned to Civil Affairs in 2019.
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