When Gabe Vera isn’t diving deep into technology as Haskell’s Manager of Application Development, you can find him spending time with his family or surfing at The Poles, Northeast Florida’s signature surfing spot.

Both are happy places for the native Puerto Rican and 13-year Haskell team member.

“I enjoy challenging myself as much as possible,” Vera said. “I really enjoy the water and the ocean. I just have to live where there’s an ocean. I couldn’t live far away in the mountains. I have to be close enough to be out into it.”

At work, Vera’s many contributions include promoting teamwork, continuous improvement, commitment to outstanding service, honesty and dependability inspired colleague Juan Rivera, a Senior Application Developer, to nominate him for Haskell’s Living the Values Award, given quarterly to team members who demonstrate displays Haskell’s core values of Team, Excellence, Service and Trust.

“Gabe’s unwavering commitment to finding the best solutions and delivering top-quality support for our internal applications sets him apart,” Rivera wrote. “His ability to ask insightful, targeted questions ensures that projects move forward with clarity and precision, fostering efficiency and effectiveness. Beyond his technical skills, Gabe excels at bringing team members together to achieve shared goals, creating a collaborative environment that drives success.”

Vera immigrated to the continental U.S. at age 22 to study at the University of South Florida in Tampa. Originally a biology major with plans to pursue medical technology, he changed course and took up information management systems.

He joined Haskell to support a vendor management system for prequalifying subcontractors. His role grew as technology exploded.

With his head in the world of cloud computing, he was surprised when he attended a staff gathering where he was recognized by his peers.

“I wasn’t expecting this award at all,” he said. “I’m so busy at work that I never think about awards and stuff like that. All awards are great, but I naturally try to do my best. I work in a very dynamic world. We spend a lot of time in meetings. And when there aren’t meetings, I focus on self-organizing and planning for the next steps.”

As much as he does for Haskell, his fellow team members and customers, Vera said the company returned in a host of ways. His balance between work, his family – wife, Jessica, son, Liam, and daughter Isabel – and, yes, surfing, make the growing company an ideal opportunity.

“Haskell, first off, allows me to have flexibility,” he said. “The company really cares about its employees with an emphasis on making them happy. That covers good benefits, fair and competitive wages and bosses who are transparent. It’s a great place to work.”

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