Leadership takes on many forms in Chris Lazzaro’s life, from informal mentoring conversations with students at Drury or interns at Associated Electronic Cooperative, to taking walks with troubled employees to sharing ideas with other team members.
“I strive to demonstrate my values, ethics, and commitment by integrating them into my personal behavior as I serve as ambassador for others, helping them be successful in their endeavors,” says Lazzaro, development team leader at AECI. “I always remember that every significant, recognized and praiseworthy thing I’ve done is only possible because of a hundred preceding small actions on the path.”
At AECI, Lazzaro is responsible for the system used to buy and sell energy. His other duties have included creating a plan to modernize the company’s intranet, as well as coaching developers and developing and implementing a data warehouse to enhance the company’s reports and data analyses for strategic business decisions.
Lazzaro also is president of software development and consulting firm Tagallant LLC and an adjunct faculty member at Drury University.
His proudest professional achievement to date took place in 2008, when he was co-leader of a study abroad trip to Malaysia, Singapore and Vietnam for eight business and technology majors.
“The highlight of the month-long trip was our attendance as United States delegates to the 16th World Congress on Technology, hosted in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia,” he says, noting that the biennial, invitation-only event is considered the Olympics of information technology.
“We visited a number of important businesses, technology startups and venture capital firms in each country, (which) gave students an understanding of international business, and the important role of technology in developing nations,” Lazzaro says.
A highlight of the monthlong trip for the group was an invitation from the deputy prime minister of Malaysia to compare AECI and Malaysian energy policies.
Lazzaro also finds time to get involved in the community, supporting Springfield’s Pregnancy Care Center, the Springfield YoungLife Committee and participating in AECI’s community-oriented activities, including involvement with local high schools and United Way.[[In-content Ad]]
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