Tyler Getty, Information Technology & HVACR

Growing up on a dairy farm in Kingsbury where he helped his father maintain the equipment, Tyler Getty was ahead of the strong work ethic curve as well as ahead of his peers in having experience in fixing things.

 

“It was awesome,” enthused Tyler. “I loved growing up on the family farm. My father encouraged me to find work that I enjoy doing.”

 

The Hudson Falls High School Class of 2009 alumnus wasn’t enjoying schoolwork until he enrolled in the Information Technology (IT) program at the F. Donald Myers Education Center. Then, he discovered he enjoyed the challenge. He interned at his high school IT Department and then worked for them as a paid intern for the summer assisting with the installation of SMARTBoards and doing other basic computer maintenance. He earned the entry level A+ certificate for that program.

 

While he enjoyed the IT program, Tyler wanted a more hands-on program and found the perfect match for him in his senior year with the Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning (HVAC) & Refrigeration program at the Myers Center. His life came full circle when he landed an internship at Premier Dairy Service in Argyle (now Delaval) where he was right at home on a farm fixing things. That’s when his curiosity for electricity began to grow. “I enjoyed installing and working with the controls of the HVAC equipment, so I enrolled in the Electrical Construction & Maintenance program at the Alfred State College of Applied Technology.”

 

Right after graduating in 2011 with a two-year Associate of Occupational Studies degree, Tyler landed a job as an Electrical and Instrumentation Operations Support Technician (also known as an Industrial Electrician) at Irving Tissue in Fort Edward.

 

His strong work ethic and on the job training earned him more responsibilities and proficiency in his trade. As a result, he was selected as the Converting Electrical & Instrumentation Maintenance Planner two years later. In 2014, he moved to the paper mill as the Paper Mill Electrical and Instrumentation Maintenance Planner.

 

Grateful to all those people who helped shape his path, Tyler said, “I don’t think I’d do it any differently.

 

“My career has continued to grow and mature as I learn a different area of our facility. It’s very rewarding keeping the machines running and producing something that’s going to be used right at home.”

 

A proponent of the Career and Technical Education program, Tyler said, “I think it’s important for students today to understand career choices. If you’re planning on working in this area instead of moving to a big city, you need to understand that the market is not there for every individual that comes out of college with a liberal arts degree. You need some sort of skill. I think the traditional path of liberal arts is on its way out the door while technology keeps moving along. Who is going to design, build and help maintain these systems?”

 

A resident of Kingsbury, Tyler married Hillary Shippee in July 2015.