John Wamback, Director of Creative Services/Operations, is this month’s Human of Workhuman. He is in the process of building out a project management team to support marketing and other areas of the organization. He chats with Mike Wood about his penchant for Christmas lights, and how he is being a spark at the office.

Come to the Island

John has been inviting Mike to his ‘island’ in Worcester since he joined the company three months ago. He explains that the ‘island’ is really 80 acres of property that includes a pond and an island. Local residents pooled together to buy the property to prevent Norin Company from purchasing it and turning it into a corporate retreat. It’s run like any association, John says. You pay your dues and you have access to all the facilities, including the island. It’s a family club, but the men have a regular monthly get-together. Mike comments that these get-togethers are important. 

Obsession with Christmas Lights

Mike talks about the Be The Spark campaign in their office. It is about how they can spark joy in their colleagues’ lives. He has heard that John is into Christmas lights. He asks him about it. John relates how he and his father started stringing white Christmas lights around the bushes in their yard. Every year they added more and more lights, and today he strings about 2800 lights. He does this on the Friday after Thanksgiving, and it’s become bigger than Thanksgiving now. Friends come over and they have a big party. His father passed away two years ago, but he continues the tradition because it keeps him connected to his Dad. It means a lot to his mother that he carries on the tradition.