This month, we’re spotlighting Paul Welter, Senior Software Engineer. Read on to learn more about his part-time work as a firefighter, his open-source projects, and what his biggest motivator is.

Describe your experience before joining the Emergent Software team

I have over 20 years of experience building and architecting software in a wide range of industries. I started out in a small startup building a job posting website, followed by a number of years at Best Buy building a range of applications from internet websites to point of sale systems. I have worked at CodeSmith Tools to build template-based code generation tools, as an Enterprise Architect for Novus Media, for a startup creating a blockchain-based certificate for academic credentials, and C.H. Robinson as an internal consultant for their software delivery team.

I have a long history of building and contributing to open-source projects. Some highlights of my open source work are the MSBuild Community Tasks project and Entity Framework Core Generator library.

What drew you to join Emergent Software?

I enjoy working for a smaller company with the ability to have a large impact across many parts of a project. Working in consulting offers a large variety of projects.

How do you fill your time outside of work?

Outside of building software, I’m a part-time firefighter. Being an active member of the community is a big motivation for me.  Being a firefighter also allows me to be active, which is a good change from a career that requires sitting in front of a computer.

I also enjoy traveling with my wife and son. We’ve been to China, Costa Rica, South Korea, and many other places. I’ve enjoyed many cruises to the Caribbean and Alaska. 

Do you have any siblings?

I’m the youngest of five siblings. I enjoy a larger family as it has provided a lot of support over the years.

What does your ideal day off look like?

An adventure through the woods, mountain biking, spending time with my family, and relaxing at the end of the day with a good book.

What is your biggest motivator?

To make a difference in the world. 

 

Thanks for sharing your story with us and being a fantastic member of our team, Paul! We’re so glad to have you on board. Stay tuned for future spotlights of the great people who make up Emergent Software!