Patrick Shaw runs the city of Mexico, and he keeps the city running. Shaw serves as Mexico’s IT manager, a role he also plays on a contract basis for Audrain County. In his spare time he runs …
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Patrick Shaw runs the city of Mexico, and he keeps the city running. Shaw serves as Mexico’s IT manager, a role he also plays on a contract basis for Audrain County. In his spare time he runs on city streets. Shaw has kept computers functioning at City Hall for 10 years. Before that, he was a technology specialist with the University of Missouri Extension Service.
But Shaw says he stumbled into an IT job after earning a degree in Criminal Justice. He moved here 24 years ago from a South Carolina town “not much bigger than Mexico.”
1. Do people often stop you and ask for help with their computer?
Quite frequently. I can be in a restaurant or in a store and if they know what I do, someone will ask how to fix a problem.
2. Does that get old?
I don’t mind helping. That’s the nature of the job.
3. Why are there so many technical glitches?
That’s the million dollar question. Because technology changes so quickly, everything is not tested as thoroughly as it should be. They fix the issues with updates.
4. So we should hit ‘update.’
Yes, frequently.
5. What is the most typical problem you see?
There isn’t really a typical problem. A different day, a different issue. The most prevalent is people not being able to print. Usually it’s something minute that needs to be tweaked.
6. You also operate the equipment to stream council meetings. Did you think you’d be so important to the democratic process?
It’s a necessary process. The pandemic made us pivot and do things differently. It’s a different avenue to use to allow people to take part.
7. How hard is it to keep up with all the changes?
It can be cumbersome. You have to learn new processes, learn new software packages. But it’s a process I like.
8. But when you get home do you jump on the computer?
Generally not. I’m either reading or out at the Mexico Moose Lodge where I’m the administrator.
9. What does an administrator do?
I’m the person responsible for paying the bills – all the paperwork.
10. So from digital to paper details. How do you get away?
My downtime consists of running. You can find me running around town. And I’ve done three marathons and 10 to 15 half marathons.
