“So…I have two birthdays,” states Donna Burritt, smiling to herself.
Donna (second from the right) smiling with the team that rescued her life.
“In September 2004, while leaving work for lunch, I collapsed over the steering wheel of my car [in the SEAKR parking lot] due to Sudden Cardiac Death. Thankfully, I was found very quickly and given CPR, which saved my life. I ended up in a coma for five days. I came out of it and started the journey of healing. I couldn’t wait to get back to work and see my friends. I returned to SEAKR in early December of that year. The day I came back, I visited Eric, Scott and Ray Anderson – the owners. They were so happy to see me. They gave me hugs and when I walked out of their offices I noticed a line of people waiting to hug me, to make sure I was ok. The feeling was truly overwhelming, one of the most incredible moments of my life. I never want to work anywhere else….these are my peeps, my family,” explained Donna.
Donna Burritt has been with SEAKR for over 20 years, starting in the accounting department before moving to configuration management and then finally finding her niche in the quality department. Prior to finding SEAKR, Donna was working at a stock brokerage, doing nails on the side.
“Susan Webb came to me – she was a client of mine – and she said SEAKR had a job opening in accounting. Newly married and looking for a ‘real’ job, I took it. I started in accounting and was there for ten years. Accounting was good but I wanted to feel more passion for my work. When a position opened in configuration management, I took it. From there, I don’t even know how, but there was a hole that needed to be filled and I started working in the quality department. I managed to find a job that fit me perfectly here at SEAKR.”
Dressed up for Christmas, Donna is SEAKR’s resident tour guide and a breath of fresh air.
As a Quality Systems Lead, Donna has several responsibilities. From conducting audits to handling corrective action, Donna describes her job as “never the same day twice.”
“I conduct internal and external customer audits. I make sure people are following our rules and requirements. I work on corrective action. I make sure everything is the way it’s supposed to be. Honestly, it’s all over the board! I like what I do, and I also have the flexibility to try other things, to push a little bit and expand in my role. I perform new hire tours, which is not part of quality, but I’m good at it and SEAKR lets me do it.”
More than just a job, Donna considers SEAKR her home and the Andersons more than just her employers.
“When I walked in to SEAKR on my first day, there were 73 employees in one building. Now we are 460 spread over 5 buildings. It’s amazing to watch and see things grow. I consider the Andersons part of my family. I want to do right by them. I want to do my job well. I get up every day and enjoy coming to work. I do it for me but I also do it because of the loyalty I have for them and they have to me. It takes every single one of us to make SEAKR successful.”
