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Journeys. . .

Spotlight on Success – Rusty Lee
By Alexis Mason, DTM

What do you really know about Rusty Lee? Did you know that he
grew up in Commerce City, Colorado? Did you know he received a
full academic scholarship to Colorado State University? Did you know
he made it through one term before his life was forever changed?

Rusty went to college with the intention of pursuing a degree in
physics and/or engineering. It only took one quarter before he
suffered the dreaded “sophomore slump”. You probably know the one
. . .it’s the, “what’s-the-use-of-this-stuff slump.” During that fateful
term, Rusty was introduced to Fortran, an early computer
programming language that remains an active part of the engineering
and scientific software developmental world today. Rusty fell in love
with the technology and resolved to become a certified programmer.

In 1971, he attended one of the few trade schools that taught computer programming. With his
certificate in hand, he quickly discovered that jobs were not to be found. At that time, the United States
was suffering from a national unemployment rate of 5.9%, with most inner cities hovering around
9.0%. Coupled with a sluggish economy and political unrest, employers slowed or froze all hiring.

Fast forward to 1985. Rusty purchased his first computer for about $6,000 which was more than the price
of a new car. He worked for a company that installed monitoring equipment in trucking fleets. He was
their star sales representative, and was rewarded with a transfer to the northwest.

In 1995 Rusty learned that the corporate ladder he had climbed was leaning against the wrong wall, and
left the firm. Because of his ongoing interest in computer technology, he launched a computer support
and repair business. He had been doing this work for family and friends for some time. It was a good fit.
One of his clients was asked how he was able to get his computer fixed so well and so quickly. The client’s
response was, “I just call my pc doctor.” That’s how the business that we know as CallMyPcDr.com was
born. Rusty now is extremely busy, serving both corporate and private clients.

He also serves District 7 Toastmasters. A few years ago, Rusty was instrumental in setting up the District’s
PayPal account for conference registration. He served three times as area governor and twice as division
governor. He has also earned two Distinguished Toastmaster awards. He is a long time member of two
Vancouver, Washington clubs Evergreen Toastmasters and Leader’s Edge.

When time permits, he is a NASCAR fan and would love to find time to
go fishing. When asked about what’s next, he stated, “I’d like to get a
life, with time for home improvements and relaxation.”
We thank you for your exemplary service, Rusty.

Journeys is a monthly column focused on members and what they do
outside of Toastmasters.

Volume 2 Issue 2 - AUG 2015 11