The Greater Concord Chamber of Commerce’s Concord Young Professionals Network introduces you to our “Young Professional of the Month,” Michelle Simmons. Each month the CYPN Steering Committee recommends a young professional in the community it thinks readers would enjoy getting to know better.
Where do you live? A hobbit-hole in Concord. All I’m missing is the round door.
Where do you currently work? Daystar, a managed-services IT provider based out of Newington.
What’s your favorite part of your work day? Daystar is such a cool place to work, so this is a difficult question to answer. Do I pick Donut Friday? Memes? General Camaraderie? We all work super hard to deliver a top-notch service to our clients, but we definitely have fun while doing so.
Where did you go to school? I got my undergrad from University of Tulsa and my grad degree from University of Oklahoma. BOOOMER SOOOOONER!!!
What do you like to do for fun? I’m somewhat mechanically inclined, so I like to take things apart and put them back together after figuring out what makes them work. As a kid, I’d have pieces of my music boxes strung around my room while trying to see if I could put the gears from the various ones together to make something completely different. Now I scratch that itch by putting together IKEA furniture. We all know if you open more than one box of furniture at a time, that’s doing essentially the same thing, right?
Favorite places to be? Like the show Frasier, my life revolves around a hideous armchair – though thankfully a slightly more appealing color.
Last book you’ve read? I’m in the middle of The Prodigal Spy by Joseph Kanon. In my next life, I’m coming back as a spy.
Favorite movie of all time?Ferris Bueller’s Day Off. It’s got everything good in life – fast cars, baseball and a giant helping of existential angst. We all wish we could pull off the perfect “stick it to the man,” but in reality, we’re probably Cameron wailing with Seurat in the pristine art museum. Interesting note: As I’ve gotten older, I’ve gained a bit of appreciation for Cameron’s father’s care of the Ferrari. If the man has to have a sympathetic side, it’s that he dusted the car with a diaper. Life goals: have a 1961 Ferrari 250 GT California and Pampers® it.
How did you find out about CYPN and how has it benefited your business or you personally? Since moving here, I knew I wanted to be invested and connected to my community. CYPN has definitely helped make Concord and New Hampshire feel much more like a permanent home, and I’m very thankful for that.
Where is the best place you’ve visited? Din Tai Fung in Seattle. If heaven is unlimited dumplings, then Din Tai Fung is the express train to paradise.
Tell us a few interesting facts about yourself! My Instagram has been completely taken over by my stuffed animal Snufflebear. He is a very inquisitive and silly bear who likes to get his picture taken around town.
I think albatrosses are the coolest birds.
I prefer spaces I’m spending time in to be the perfect amount of slightly messy. Too clean, and I don’t want to mess it up. Too untidy, and I can’t concentrate.
I’ve lived at 12 different apartments/houses and have had at least 14 or 15 different mailing addresses since I moved away from home when I was 19 years old.
(About CYPN: Concord Young Professionals Network is a professional and personal development initiative of the Greater Concord Chamber of Commerce that promotes the growth of Capital Region professionals in their 20s, 30s and 40s. CYPN will host a free networking event in downtown Concord on Wednesday, Jan. 16 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at Red River Theatres. More information and registration is available at ConcordNHChamber.com/CYPN. Email events@concordnhchamber.com to sign up for future event updates.)
