CofC Faces to Know: Carl Stadeker

Name: Carl Stadeker Jr.

Hometown: Chicago, Illinois

Education/Background: I graduated from Morgan Park Academy High School, formerly Morgan Park Military Academy. I graduated from Davenport University with a Bachelor of Business Administration in Executive Leadership, then from Regis University with an MBA in International Business.

Job title: Senior Business Analyst/Consultant, PMO Team, Information Technology

How long have you worked at the College? About 3 ½ years, including my contractual time. I started through TEKsystems in November 2022, then hired full time in June 2023.

What are your job responsibilities? I work closely with various divisions and offices across the campus to improve how things get done. Usually that is by facilitating enhancements and improvements for business processes. I also work with them to purchase and implement new software. Depending on the scope of the initiative, I manage projects myself, or partner with our project managers. These responsibilities usually require close collaboration with business units and, typically, some form of process documentation.

What do you like most about your job? Definitely the variety of work. My job includes collaborating with departmental personnel, the people on our team and the different departments. I also enjoy learning about how things work across the campus.  

What question do you get asked most in your job and what’s your typical answer? Actually, I am usually the one asking the questions so I can fully understand how things currently work before implementing the proposed change. However, I am often asked, “What do we need to do to implement this change?” I usually walk them through the steps, which can vary a lot depending on the project. For example, purchasing a new product as a solution may involve creating documents for vendors and a specific set of internal documentation requiring various approvals.  

What’s your favorite location on campus and why? I work remotely (in Colorado Springs), but I have been lucky enough to visit Charleston and the campus a few times. I really like the open space outside the greenhouse (Rivers Green) and the Cistern area. They are beautiful. I’m drawn to the place where students celebrate their milestones. It adds something special to the college experience to participate in a tradition and history that spans many years.

What are your hobbies? I enjoy playing tennis, hiking and jogging when I have the chance. There are so many beautiful outdoor spaces in Colorado. One of my favorite places is Garden of the Gods.

What personal and/or professional accomplishment are you most proud of? Personally, I am thankful for recently celebrating 40 years of marriage to my wonderful wife and raising our four children (and, so far, 5 grandchildren). I was blessed to find someone that I am happy to spend the rest of my life with. Professionally, I am thankful for earning my Certified Business Analyst Professional (CBAP) certification. I studied on and off for a year! It was comparable to an earlier milestone of passing the Six Sigma Black Belt exam.

Name a creative work (book, movie, performance, etc.) you enjoyed recently and why: My wife and I recently took a trip to New York and saw Coppélia, a Broadway ballet. It was our first time attending a ballet as adults (I saw The Nutcracker as a child). It was a great performance and increased my appreciation for the skill and discipline involved to do something so well.

What was your favorite TV show growing up? Star Trek. I still follow the series out of interest in the new storylines, nostalgia and enjoying the old and new characters.

What’s next on your bucket list? I would like to attend a tennis match at the U.S. Open.

What is something your campus colleagues would be surprised to know about you? I have hiked several mountains in Colorado, the highest of which is Pikes Peak at an elevation of 14,000 feet.

What was your first job? I worked in my family’s tree service business. My dad and uncle owned it. I got to the point of being able to climb trees with a chainsaw and work my way up and down to prepare it for cutting down. Definitely memorable work!

What’s your favorite Lowcountry restaurant? The Mill Street Tavern is one of my favorite places to visit when in Charleston. I went there for my first team lunch with the PMO office. It has great food and wonderful views.

Describe your perfect day: Starting the day with some reading and praying, getting in a little exercise, then spending 7.5 hours working productively for the College :), then … spending some quality time with my wife and family, maybe going for a jog, biking or playing some tennis. Finally winding down with some reading. Right now, I am reading through the Dune series.

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