Wayne Hassinger, FTA Program Manager Passion Statement

Photography, coaching, writing, golfing, big game hunting and woodworking are all passions that consume a great deal of my time when I'm not at work. As I reflect on what I'm passionate about, it occurs to me that they all encompass competition, creativity, strategy and patience.

I am extremely passionate about wildlife, scenic and sports photography as it allows me to express my creativity through a medium that allows me to share it with friends, family and as it turns out, customers. Photography is so much more than just point and click. Wildlife and sports photography require a great deal of strategy, anticipation and patience, and scenic photography requires a good eye for the unique, a sense of composition and the patience to wait for the right lighting. I also prefer to frame and mat my own photography. These additional steps feed my desire to be more creative with the photographs I take. And I do all of this as a completely colorblind photographer.

I am also passionate about coaching baseball, and I get the most enjoyment from coaching my son's youth baseball teams. I spent eight years coaching 16-18 year olds after my playing days were over, and although it was much more competitive, I find that I can have a much bigger impact on younger kids. I love to share my passion for baseball with kids that want to learn the fundamentals and strategy of the game, and anytime you can positively impact a child it is very rewarding. More often than not, the impact one can have while coaching youth is much more about life than it is the sport they are participating in.

All of the above relates to how I approach my career. I am a driven leader of people, so my focus tends to be on the people working the process rather than on the process itself. I am a strategic and innovative guy that looks for ways to catch and be competitive while having fun at work. However, I'm not terribly patient at work, and the perfection I apply to my numerous passions get applied to the work I do for WYDOT.