Employee Spotlight – Fred Landis
Our featured Sudenga staff member for the month of September is none other than Fred Landis – an IT & sales team member here at Sudenga!
A Brief Q&A with Fred Landis – An IT and Sales team member at Sudenga Industries.
Q. Fred, how long have you worked for Sudenga Industries?
A. I have worked at Sudenga for over 6 years.
Q. Where did you attend school?
A. I graduated from Northwestern College in Orange City with a degree in Sociology & and a minor in Criminal Justice. I also graduated from Southeast Technical Institute with a degree in Computer Programing.
Q. Where did you grow up? Where do you live now?
A. I grew up in Le Mars, Iowa and now live in George, IA.
Q. Are there any community events you are involved in?
A. Absolutely, one event I am involved in is George’s annual “Fun Run”.
Q. What is a “Fun Run”?
A. A group of volunteers developed, fundraised, and constructed a 3.7 paved trail around the town of George. As a fundraising event, my wife and I (neither having ever run a 5K nor enjoy running) decided hosting a 5k on the trail would be a great way to showcase not only the trail, but the amenities George has to offer. This event is held in conjunction with the George Freedom Days Celebration over the 4th of July, and in 2022 we celebrated our 15th year of hosting the 5K event.
Q. It sounds like you’re very involved in your community. What other ways have you served the area?
A. I am a volunteer for the George EMS team, and have been for 21 years.
Q. What inspires you to help your community in this way?
A. George is a small town, and it relies on a dependable team of EMS volunteers to provide immediate medical attention to the patient prior to advanced care. I believe everybody has strengths that can be advantageous to their community, and this is one skill set that I possess. There is a sense of pride and accomplishment in helping people in their time of need knowing that you will get nothing back in return, but your actions make a difference to the patient and their family.
Q. What are some of your favorite things to do when you aren’t working or volunteering?
A. I enjoy spending time with my family and watching my kids participate in numerous school activities. I also enjoy rollerblading, weightlifting, and playing chess. I have also participated in a few community dinner theater productions, something I enjoyed very much.
Q. Can you tell us more about what productions you’ve been in? Do you have any favorite parts/characters that you’ve played?
A. The Otter Valley Dinner Theater is a fundraiser held every year at the George/Boyden golf course. While the actors/actresses are local, their talent is far from being amateur. Some of the actors/actresses have been doing this for decades, while others like myself have only performed in a few plays, but the comradery amongst the crew is phenomenal. As for my favorite role, who wouldn’t enjoy portraying Mr. Sandy Links, the murderous miniature golf course owner.
Q. You also mentioned rollerblading as one of your favorite hobbies? How did you get into rollerblading? Is that something you compete in, or is it just for fun?
A. I started rollerblading back in college and found it way more enjoyable than running. A few years later my wife informed me that numerous cities host inline marathons. I have raced in the Chicago Inline Marathon and this year will be my 16th year of participating in the Northshore Inline Marathon in Duluth. My future goal is to participate in the world’s largest inline marathon, which is the BMW Berlin-Marathon over in Berlin, Germany.
Q. Sounds like you have a lot of interest in athletics. Do you have any favorite sports teams?
A. I am an Iowa State fan, as well as a Green Bay Packers fan, and follow the Kansas City Chiefs as well. Football aside, I am a fan of a Swiss female pro beach volleyball duo made up of Joana Heidrich and Anouk Vergé-Dépré.
Q. What are your favorite work memories from your time here at Sudenga?
A. The group I meet with for lunch seems to have conversations which are always extremely unpredictable, and by the end of the conversation we are more-often-than-not questioning somebody’s sanity. Not only are the conversations enjoyable, but so are the ongoing trivia competitions, card games, and the intense games of Mancala make for an entertaining midday break.