Obsidian Spotlight: Ed Watson

Ed is an ex-longhaul truck driver that got married, had his first child, and realized he wanted to be with his family, and trucking wasn’t going to accommodate what he wanted. So he went back to school, working full-time during the day and full-time school at night for a few years, and gaining a degree in IT. His employer at the time wanted to close their Mt View, CA office and offered to relocate him and his family to San Diego, CA, in 2002.

He has been passionate about gardening his entire life. It’s his therapy. He plans to retire at his house in the Philippines on his ¼ acre lot in Tagum City, PI and spend his retirement years gardening till his hearts content.

1. What is your role at Obsidian? How long have you been here?

I am the Sr Systems Engineer and Task Lead for our FAPNet Sustainment contract. I arrived with the new contract award having been the Engineer and Technical Lead of the former contract awardee for the last 5 yrs.

2. What has been one of your proudest moments while working with Obsidian?

Although I’m the new kid on the block, I’ve been very impressed with the support and cooperation needed to ensure many more years of continued success we’ll have going forward.

3. How do you define success?

For me, success is defined as the continued improvement of the product. It’s a trickledown; if the product wins, the customer wins. If the customer wins, Obsidian wins. If Obsidian wins, my development team wins, and that’s success.

4. If you could have any superpower what would it be?

The ability to change the hearts and minds of people. Greed is a disease and I’d like to see it no more.

5. If you could meet anyone in the world, dead or alive, who would it be and why?

George Washington Carver. What he accomplished in the era he did is nothing short of miraculous. As a colored man in that era of being told you can’t do something, he found a way. I’d like to learn how he thought that got him through those times and what guided his path.