Welcome to the Employee Spotlight Series! This week, we interviewed Ross Hinman. Ross is a Software Developer and joined the SpendMend team just over a year ago. When asked what he believes is the best part of serving the healthcare market, he stated, “Being able to enable others to work better and more efficiently and to then be able to focus on helping the people who need it. I know my work has a positive impact on others.” Ross is from a town on the east side of Michigan called Clinton. He went to Michigan State University and studied Mechanical Engineering. He chose to study engineering because he enjoyed learning about math and science throughout high school, and he was interested in that field of work. A fun fact about Ross is that he grew up taking his llama to the county fair for 4-H! Ross grew up on a farm and enjoyed working with animals from a young age. He was around 10-12 years old when he got his llama. His favorite part about taking his llama to the fair was the showmanship class! The showmanship class highlighted a competition where you were judged on how well you worked with your animal. Ross and his sister loved participating and put in work all summer to practice and train their animals to listen to their instructions. Read the full interview to learn more about Ross’ experience with his llama and what 4-H means! Outside of work, Ross enjoys camping with his family. He started camping with his family when he was very young. He has now kept the tradition going with his wife, dog, and friends! His favorite spots to camp are in West Michigan, such as Petoskey and the Nordhouse Dunes. When asked about his favorite memories of camping, Ross states, “I think some of the best memories I have are just hanging out and talking with our friends, taking our dog swimming at the beach, and making meals over the campfire. It’s just nice to get away and not have the normal distractions of our normal day-to-day.” If you’re looking for your next camping adventure in Michigan, ask Ross for some recommendations!
Ross does a great job as a Software Developer. We asked Michael Kreiner, Senior Software Developer, about Ross, and he said, “Ross is a great team member and has been a vital part of developing and enhancing the SpendMend Client Portal. He was the main developer working on the front-end refresh we did this year, and he did a great job. It’s been a pleasure working with Ross over the past couple of years, seeing his growth and the positive impact he has had on our team and the projects he is a part of. Thank you for all your help, Ross!” We couldn’t have said it better ourselves! We are lucky to have people like Ross on our Team.
Interview with Ross:
What is your role at SpendMend?
Software Developer
How long have you been with SpendMend?
Just over a year.
How did you first learn about SpendMend?
I have a friend here who used to be a developer and told me about the company.
What three words would you use to describe SpendMend?
Helpful, Connected, and Motivating
Where are you located/from?
I currently live in Grandville, Michigan but I grew up on the east side of the state in a town called Clinton.
Where did you go for higher education? What did you study and why?
I went to school at Michigan State University and studied mechanical engineering. I enjoyed math and science a lot throughout high school, and the field seemed interesting to me at the time.
Why do you look forward to coming to work?
Challenging myself to grow and learn more and work with great people who are helpful and encouraging.
Before working at SpendMend, what was the most unusual or interesting job you’ve ever had?
A janitor at a powder supplement plant. Not fun, but interesting.
What is one fun fact about you?
I grew up taking my llama to the fair for 4-H.
What piqued your interest in bringing your llama to the fair?
I can’t really remember how we got started in taking llamas to the fair, but I enjoyed working with animals on the farm I grew up on, so we somehow landed on trying to work with llamas. I was probably around 10 or 12 years old when I got my first llama.
Can you explain what 4-H means?
4-H stands for Head, Heart, Hands, and Health. It’s a good way for kids to get involved in crafts, photography, art, and learning to raise and take care of animals. It taught me a lot about responsibility and hard work through the club I was involved with.
What was your favorite part about bringing your llama to the fair, and why?
I think my favorite part about taking them to the fair was the showmanship class. It was a class that people competed in to be judged on how well they could work with their animals. My sister and I usually did well in this, and it was rewarding to see how well we could do from all the work we put in over the summer practicing and working with our animals so they would listen to us.
What type of music or podcasts do you listen to during the workday?
Lo-fi hip-hop or covers. Or soundtracks from movies.
Favorite artist?
I would say a couple of my top artists are Joji, Post Malone, and Polyphia. I also like listening to instrumental versions of music, like movie soundtracks or video game music.
Have you seen any of your favorite artists in concert? If so, where?
I have seen Post Malone in concert last year in Detroit, but that is about it.
Do you have any hobbies or participate in any activities outside of work?
I enjoy board games, rollerblading, biking, and camping.
When did you start camping for fun?
I started camping when I was very young. Our family always went over the summer because my parents were both teachers, and we had lots of time off together.
Who do you like camping with?
Now, I enjoy camping with my wife and our dog. We like going to any spot on the western side of Michigan.
Where are your favorite spots to camp?
There are a lot of nice places in northern Michigan near Petoskey that we’ve enjoyed. We have gone with our friends a lot in the past few years up to Nordhouse Dunes.
Any fun memories you would like to share?
I think some of the best memories I have are just hanging out and talking with our friends, taking our dog swimming at the beach, and making meals over a camp fire. It’s just nice to get away and not have the distractions of our day-to-day routine.
Can you describe an interaction when you helped a client or a supplier that stands out in your mind?
Not necessarily a client, but an internal team by creating a feature in the portal for them that is helpful to their work. It’s rewarding to hear positive feedback, and it makes their work easier.
What was the best compliment you’ve ever been paid by a client or supplier?
One of the best compliments I’ve received is that one of the pages I created for the portal is one of the cleanest and best functionally.
What is the best part of serving the healthcare market?
Being able to enable others to work better and more efficiently and then be able to focus on helping the people who need it. I know my work has a positive impact on others.
Do you want to shout out a co-worker who has helped or inspired you at SpendMend?
Michael Kreiner has taken me under his wing to help me learn as a developer over the past year. He has been a great resource and is encouraging when I have questions or am stuck on a project.
What advice do you have for prospective candidates who want to join the SpendMend team?
Everyone I have met here is enjoyable to work with. Things are organized and productive, and you are encouraged to learn a lot.
What has been your proudest accomplishment at SpendMend?
Just growing as a developer and feeling more confident in the work and projects I finish.
What is something you’re looking forward to for your future at SpendMend?
Continuing to grow and take on more responsibility as I get more confident with our systems and troubleshooting. It’s nice to feel relied on and to be reliable with a solid knowledge