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Bob Hauge |
A Career that Rocks
Bob Hauge
September 2008
Bob Hauge's rock and roll heart is never very far from the surface. His McLean, Va., office is decorated with an acoustic guitar, a carry-all bag with the Allman Brothers Band logo that he got at a concert, and a poster of one of his guitar idols, Jimi Hendrix. Like Hendrix, Hauge plays left-handed, but he's too modest to take the comparison any further.
"There's quite a difference in capability," he says. "I'm not a well-accomplished guitarist."
That self-deprecating assessment is a matter of dispute among co-workers—more on that later—but Hauge has gotten plenty of practice since he and several MITRE co-workers formed an as-yet-unnamed rock band that has played at company functions and outside MITRE as well. He not only plays guitar, but has become "sort of a singer," though he jokes that his family "would cringe at that thought. It's an interesting evolution that's happening."
Fortunately, Hauge's job at MITRE has taught him a few things about handling evolutions.
From Switches to Networks
Through 22 years with MITRE, Hauge has seen computing evolve from "more of a toy than a tool" to a sophisticated and versatile technology that enables work to be done from all over the world. That capability is especially important at our Center for Enterprise Modernization (CEM), where much of the work is performed at the offices of MITRE's federal civilian agency customers. As CEM's IT services manager, Hauge has provided the center's employees with services that allow them, among other things, to share and edit project work and make decisions without having to be in the same room.
"As a service provider, that's the focus of what we do here—trying to be on the spot in providing premium services," Hauge says. "We have a very good IT organization at MITRE, but there is only so much that they can do. Our job is to complement MITRE's corporate IT by providing targeted, hands-on support, specifically around mobility."
During a stint in the U.S. Navy, Hauge became focused on audio-visual work. He was working for a company in New Jersey and started dabbling in local area network (LAN) construction at a time when LANs were just evolving, using broadband technology and distribution systems similar to cable TV. From New Jersey, Hauge moved to northern Virginia to work for another company that was getting into building LANs. That company won a subcontractor deal on the Air Logistics Command project (building communications networks at five major Air Force bases). MITRE was involved in the same project. Hauge frequently met people from MITRE, and his supervisor, Jim Respress, ended up joining the company.
"They had one of these networks built in MITRE's Virginia offices and needed some technical assistance," Hauge recalls. "Jim contacted me; I applied and got a job here."
"I've had such a variety of experiences—everything from replacing phone switches to building site networks," he says. "I've been part of a network revolution of sorts here at MITRE, which was quite interesting. We went through this whole broadband phase, then Ethernet. From there, the telecommunications systems grew exponentially from when we first started installing point-to-point lines and providing site support. It's been quite an experience to sort of grow up through all this."
Long Live Rock
Working at MITRE gave Hauge an unforeseen chance to develop another talent from his Navy days: music. During his stint in the U.S. Navy, he played to pass the time, but in later years, he often went for long periods without playing a note. That started to change when Hauge suggested starting a rock band with co-workers. Several co-workers took him up on it and began practicing, forming what would become the band's nucleus. Several co-workers came and went, but a core group of musicians stayed together, playing classic rock from bands like the Allman Brothers and Creedence Clearwater Revival. Their first public performance was during a CEM all-staff meeting in January. Since then, they've played outside of MITRE at a local open mic venue with MITRE co-workers in the audience.
"I've been here for 22 years, and over the past 10 years, the work-life balance has really been a key to MITRE. You're given the opportunity to decompress when you're in the workplace. It's been a really uplifting experience to be able to do this and to share it with co-workers."
So, with all that practice, can he play "Purple Haze" like Hendrix did? Asked recently how much the extra strumming has helped him, Hauge said that on a scale of one to 10, "I'm probably a three."
Overhearing him, Rebecca Bowen, deputy IT services manager for CEM (whose office is next door to Hauge's) says, "He's lying—he's at least a seven now."
But Hauge still isn't convinced.
"While I would love to think I can play the guitar well, it is a continually humbling experience," he says. "I am far from a seven on this context but keep trying to improve."
—by Russell Woolard
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