‘I’m a good learner through poor situations’
From the Navy to the police force to IT, Merek Weisensee reflects on a career built on resourcefulness
When you think of creative careers, you might not immediately call to mind any of the jobs on Merek Weisensee’s resume, which includes stints in the Navy, the police force, and the world of information technology. But spend any time with Merek, and you’ll observe a palpable crackle of creativity. Quick with a joke and a colorful metaphor, Merek also loves coming up with innovative solutions to technology problems in his role as assistant vice president of technical solutions and support at Granite Edvance.
Even if it hasn’t always been a part of his daily job duties, that creative streak has played an important role on a career journey that, like many people’s, has been marked with twists, turns, and a few potholes.
Moving to NH as a kid, Merek first entertained ambitions of being a chef, then decided to enlist in the Navy as an operations specialist. Working six hours on, six hours off, around the clock in a ship’s Combat Information Center, he felt less than satisfied but was able to pick up numerous skills that would prove useful.
The job, which included posts in the Mediterranean Sea near adversarial territory, also tested Merek’s mettle in stressful situations and taught him about human behavior. “I certainly learned how different people are going to work and perform differently in every situation,” he said.
Leaving the Navy after four years, Merek returned to NH and got a job providing technical field service to businesses around the state. Next, he pivoted to law enforcement in Tilton, first part-time, then full-time. Over the next 10 years, he worked in a variety of roles on the police force, including school resource officer, crisis negotiator, motorcycle patrol officer and supervisor. Meanwhile, he kept up his technology skills with a side hustle running his own security and surveillance company.
Police work wasn’t easy, but Merek made the most of that, too. “I learned how and why people behave and respond in conflict and adverse situations … and how to handle stressful and emergent situations and make sound decisions based on the greater good,” he said.
Eventually, Merek returned to the technology field by landing a job at a law enforcement technology company, and moved on to serve as vice president of technology support at Bank of New Hampshire. He came to work for Granite Edvance two years ago.
What Merek’s long and winding career pathway doesn’t include is a college degree. Serving in the military is a great way to earn an affordable degree, especially with all the options available today, he said. It just didn’t work for him because he started a family early.
Instead, Merek found creative ways to advance his career: networking, trying new things, taking advantage of opportunities large and small.
“I’m a good learner through poor situations,” said Merek, who lives in Northfield with his wife, Jen, and son, Trennen, in a home they built last year on family land, and loves camping and kayaking. “You have to try to better yourself in the ways that you’re marketable. If you know you have a skill, get certified to do that better than anybody else. Build your own education.”
This blog is part a series highlighting Granite Edvance team members’ college-and-career journeys. By sharing our own stories, we hope to help inform students about their options. Read more:
Sharing Our Pathways: Matt Wallace
Sharing Our Pathways: Jenn Schaffner
Sharing Our Pathways: Chris Nadeau