Our team at NC3 has some impressive employees in our ranks and this Staff Spotlight series aims to highlight the incredibly talented individuals who work with us. We’ll be featuring a new interview in our monthly newsletters, here on our website, and on our social media pages each month.

This month’s Staff Spotlight features long-time NC3 team member, Nick Gill. Nick is NC3’s Certification Instructor/Coordinator.

In his role at NC3, Nick supports our program managers and industry partners with the development and implementation of new curriculum. He also maintains and updates existing curriculum as well as administers, develops, and maintains NC3’s instructor portal: NC3certs.com.

Check out our Q&A session below to learn more about what first drew Nick to NC3, his personal experience transitioning an Automotive Tech program into the NC3 Network, how NC3 has changed since he first started working with our organization, and more!

What drew you to NC3 originally?

In 2013, I had just taken over teaching Automotive Tech for a secondary and post-secondary program. It was a chronically underfunded program with severe deficits in curriculum and equipment. Tennessee offered a Train-the-Trainer event, and I attended. At the time, I saw NC3 as an opportunity for a fresh perspective, partnerships, and equipment, which could help bring my program up to modern standards and benefit my students. It would be an understatement to say the NC3 partnership I gained that day more than exceeded my expectations!

Has NC3 changed since you first got here?

NC3 has changed dramatically over the years. In the beginning, NC3 was an experiment; a dream. We were a bunch of ambitious tryhards looking to challenge convention and bring our vision of what technical education could look like to anyone we could convince to hear us out. All of our events and decisions were imbued with a sense of naive bravery where we just “did” and figured it all out later. We’d rather “fail fast” than miss an opportunity.

Today, NC3 is a fully-realized vision. While we haven’t lost our drive to push the limits, we do so now with reasoned deliberation. We have matured from the disruptors to the standard bearers, and our events, operations, and goals have gone from an experiment to a polished product. We have an incredible team that brings diverse talent and perspective from outside of the technical classroom. I’m proud of how far we have come, and look forward to what’s to come.

How do you feel empowered to help shape or participate in NC3’s culture?

I became an NC3 Core Master Instructor in 2013 and started my current role in 2017. Although I wasn’t “in the room” from day 1, I’ve been here for a lot of NC3’s growth in the last 7 years. All this to say, I feel grateful as an employee to have had the chance to help shape NC3 culture to some extent. To that end, my attempt to help NC3 culture is to be a resource and sounding board to any of our new hires or partners. If you’ve ever wondered why we do certain things, or what the backstory is on something, chances are I was there for it and can tell you. Feel free to call!

What are 3 words to describe NC3? 

Mission-Driven, Cutting-Edge, Welcoming

If you could meet anyone in the world – dead or alive – who would it be, and why?

I would love to meet Teddy Roosevelt. Though not without his faults and shortcomings, I’ve been inspired by TR’s ethic of conservation and can-do-anything attitude. I try to remember his model of (1)  standing up against the hardships in my life and in others’ and (2) doing everything and more to leave the world a better place. I would love to go on a strenuous hike in the National Park System with him, and listen to him extol the virtues he tirelessly promoted in life.

What is your hidden talent? Or talents?

I love to cook. My house is filled with cookbooks, kitchen gadgets, and various food experiments. I love to challenge myself to make new things, try new cuisines, and iterate on classics. I’m the only cook in the house so my family is along for the ride. If it’s exotic, difficult or time-consuming to make, you can bet I will attempt it.

Fill-in-the-blank…. You’re happiest when _________________.

I am happiest when I’m teaching my daughter. Learning is one of my life’s most cherished privileges, and I find joy giving that experience to others. There’s no better feeling than seeing my daughter light up with wonder when learning something new.

Want to learn more about new and/or recently updated NC3 curriculum, or get your questions answered about NC3certs.com? Click here to contact Nick today.