Hi everyone! Let’s start the wonderful weekend with an edition of the Employee Spotlight Series. This week we are featuring Derek Myers! Derek is an Auditor and joined the SpendMend team about two years ago! When asked what three words he would describe SpendMend as, he said, “Resourceful, Driven, and Supportive.” It was great learning more about Derek, and learning about his hobbies and life outside of work! Derek is born and raised in Grand Rapids. He spent his first two years of college at GRCC and finished up school at GVSU. Up until his last semester, Derek wasn’t sure what he wanted to do. He states, “I was just taking accounting courses because I was good at them… Taking an audit course with Dr. Canon made me realize how much I wanted to be an auditor.” A fun fact about Derek is that his parents own a comic book store and he used to work there before joining the SpendMend team! The shop is called Comic Signal, and it’s located on the north side of Grand Rapids! The store has been open for almost seven years and Derek still stops by to help on the weekends when he is needed! His favorite part about working at the comic shop is meeting people who like similar things as himself! One of his favorite parts of working there is being able to teach people a variety of board games. If you’re interested in comics or learning more about them, check out Comic Signal! A hobby that Derek enjoys in his free time is reading. His favorite reading genres are fantasy and sci-fi! Of course, he has a few comic series he loves as well. He started reading for fun at a young age when his dad introduced him to the “Scooby-Doo” comics! His favorite book series is The Lord of the Rings books. For any fantasy or sci-fi book recommendations, be sure to ask Derek for his expertise!
Derek does an excellent job as an Auditor and he is valued greatly by his team. Patrick VanderBerg, Audit Manager, said “Derek’s aces! Diligent, knowledgeable, and helpful; he’s a fantastic member of Orange Pod. He’s been instrumental in the successes of the team, having trained multiple teammates and becoming an ongoing resource to assist those in need. It’s pleasure to work with him and I appreciate the value he continually brings to the pod and company.” Thank you for everything that you do for SpendMend, Derek. We appreciate it!
Interview with Derek:
What is your role at SpendMend?
Auditor
How long have you been with SpendMend?
Almost 2 Years
How did you first learn about SpendMend?
Through a job posting on Indeed
What 3 words would you use to describe SpendMend?
Resourceful, Driven, Supportive
Why do you look forward to coming to work?
I enjoy the constant puzzle of finding new issues and working through how to best solve them.
Where are you located/from?
I was born in Grand Rapids and have been in the area my whole life.
Where did you go for higher education?
I spent my first two years of college at GRCC and the last two at GVSU.
What did you study and why?
Up until my last semester of college, I really had no idea what I wanted to do, I was just taking accounting courses because I was good at them and thought a general business degree would keep me open to a wide variety of options. Taking an audit course with Dr. Canon made me realize how much I wanted to be an auditor.
Before working at SpendMend, what was the most unusual or interesting job you’ve ever had?
Working retail at a comic book store
How did you get your job at the comic bookstore?
The comic book store that I worked at is completely owned by my parents.
Why did you choose to work there?
I was mostly just working there to help out and didn’t really see it as real ‘work’.
How long did you work there?
It’s been open for almost seven years and I still show up there from time to time on weekends when I’m needed.
What was the best part about the job?
I think the best part of it is just getting to nerd out with people who like similar things, I enjoy getting to teach various board games to people when we have our game nights.
What is one fun fact about you?
I’ve donated my liver to my dad.
What type of music or podcasts do you listen to during the workday?
Orchestral, Classical, and Jazz
What piqued your interest to start listening to Orchestral, Classical, and Jazz, music?
I was big into band and jazz band in high school, which helped develop my taste for the music I still like to listen to today.
Have you seen any of your favorite music played live?
In jazz band, we were able to play a concert alongside John Faddis which was a great experience all around.
What is your favorite song/artist?
I’d say my favorite big band piece is Brooklyn by the Young Blood Brass Band.
Do you have any hobbies or participate in any activities outside of work?
Typical nerd activities. Board games, video games, and reading.
What is your favorite board game to play and why?
My favorite board game right now would be Red Dragon Inn. It’s great because you can play with any number of people and it isn’t that complicated to teach those who haven’t played before.
What is your go-to book genre?
My favorite reading genres would be fantasy or sci-fi, and I’ve always liked reading a few comic series on the side as well.
Favorite books?
I think that I’d have to put The Lord of the Rings as my favorite series even though it starts out very slow.
When did you start reading as a hobby?
My dad got me into reading as a hobby when I was very young with scooby-doo comics and I’ve stuck with it ever since.
Do you interact with
Suppliers
Can you describe an interaction when you helped a client or a supplier that stands out in your mind?
Receiving a large McKesson statement that they wanted help clearing up the account, and finding millions in recovery dollars as a result.
What was the best compliment you’ve ever been paid by a client or supplier?
Hearing directly from the clients that we are what helps keep their doors open.
What is the best part of serving the healthcare market?
Knowing that what you do ends up improving patient care.
If you work at the Grand Rapids headquarters, what is your favorite Recovery Room Activity?
I’ve stopped in the office a couple of times but never the recovery room.
What has been your experience with SpendMend community service events?
I regrettably haven’t been able to attend many, but I think it’s great that the company cares about the community and loves to support the events when they come up.
Do you want to shout out a co-worker who has helped or inspired you at SpendMend?
Patrick Vanderberg and my two supervisors Lisa Lohman and Josh Hernandez, they have all gone out of their way to really help me learn why our processes are the way that they are, rather than just teaching me how to do something.
What advice do you have for prospective candidates who want to join the SpendMend team?
Starting out can be hard due to how many things you can be expected to learn and handle at once. Always ask questions and rely on your peers.
What has been your proudest accomplishment at SpendMend?
My running streak of always being able to put up a claim for the day. Outside of sick or vacation days, I don’t think I’ve missed a day with a claim in over a year.
What is something you’re looking forward to for your future at SpendMend?
Continuing to learn and better develop my abilities to give even more back to the clients.