Mason Merriam is the Director of Facilities and Operations here at Generator. He has been at Generator for a little over a year. Mason comes to us with experience as a freelance carpenter off-Broadway, Foreman in New York City, and more recently as a maintenance technician at the University of Vermont Medical Center. It has been so fun getting to know Mason this summer. He is a funny guy who is always willing to help. There is no one else I’d want to hang off the roof with!
We hope you enjoy reading a little more about how Mason got here, what he does, and what brings him joy in his own words.
Hometown/Birthplace?
Ription, VT
Current Home Location?
Vergennes, VT
What is your job title at Generator, and what do you do?
Director of Facilities and Operations. I am tasked with making sure the facility is kept running smoothly. This includes everything from writing policies, to fixing equipment & scheduling major repairs and upgrades, to running our Fabrication Services & Space Rental programs.
How did you first discover Generator, and how did you end up working here?
A good friend of mine has been a member here for many years and told me he thought that I would be a good fit at Generator.
When you’re at Generator, what brings you joy? Why?
I love getting to interact with the members and see all of the interesting, cool projects that they’re working on. It’s a really wonderful community.
What’s one rewarding/fulfilling aspect of working at Generator you either didn’t expect, or didn’t know would be part of your job?
It’s really wonderful to be part of a team that is fun, creative, emotionally intelligent, and excited to be part of such a cool place.
What’s one aspect of your job you wish you could do more of?
I would love to be able to do more physical repair work on the tools and equipment.
If you didn’t work at Generator, what would you be doing right now?
Probably still working at University of Vermont Medical Center.
If you had 2 weeks to do whatever you wanted to do, and all the money you needed to do it… What would IT be?
I would book a two week fishing trip to Sweden, Norway, and Finland.
Here at Generator our mission is to help people make stuff. What is it about making something that is so important, and why should other people care?
When you learn a new skill and use it to create something, or you learn to use complicated or dangerous tools safely and well, it builds confidence and allows you to bring that into other areas of your life. “If I can do X, why can’t I do Y?” Learning to make something exercises both physical and mental traits. You have to problem solve, you have to try out new methods, or ask a fellow member for help and in doing so you grow and become part of a community. It can bring a sense of pride and self reliance to a person.
How would other community members describe you?
Devastatingly Handsome™
Thank you so much for sharing Mason!