Working 'For the Kids'

"It was an opportunity I couldn't pass up. It gave me the chance to work for the kids," says Hale. And a commute on the opposite side of the highway from rush-hour traffic didn't hurt either.

In her new position, Hale was at the helm of a three-employee shop with more than its fair share of work. Running 45,000 to 52,000 impressions a day on the facility's suite of equipment (which includes two Xerox DocuTechs, a Xerox DocuColor 12, an A.B.Dick 2850 for carbonless work, plus a GBC comb binder, among other gear), Hale says her biggest challenge as a manager is keeping the workflow smooth. This is no easy task for a school district shop. For instance, work piles up fast at the beginning and end of the school year, but thins out at points while classes are in session.