Profile: Anne Coogan-Gehr

What brought you to Gladstone?

An unintended consequence of marriage. I was living in Washington with my wife when she took a job in the Bay Area, and I followed. One of my former coworkers at Eastern found a posting for my current job at Gladstone and recommended that I apply for it. It was a great fit for my experience, and I walked into the position 95 percent prepared.

What do you like about Gladstone?

Incredibly smart people work at Gladstone, and I appreciate walking into that energy zone every day.

Our IT department was rebooted in the last year, and we’ve established a solid collaboration and momentum within the team. Technology is part of almost everything we do with our lives. Ideally, those of us in the profession deliver services to our consumers and customers in an innovative, reliable, and relevant way—mostly behind the scenes so that you can do your work efficiently and seamlessly. I’m pleased to be part of the IT team at Gladstone.

Can you describe one of the people who influenced your career?

A few generations back, I had a supervisor named Rick. He was rock-solid professionally and 100 percent invested in meaningful, productive work. He set an influential example for how to work hard and do a good job with a high level of integrity and class—and never at anyone’s expense. He would often remind me that we serve as part of a larger story, and that how we contribute to that story matters. Even today, when I face particular challenges at work, I find myself wondering how Rick might handle the challenge, and that settles me into a more constructive place. “WWRD?”

What do you do when you are not working?

When I can catch a break, I really enjoy riding a sweet road bike. It was a luxury purchase after knee surgery so that I could keep active. I also like to take long exploratory hikes with my wife where we pretend to be Lewis and Clark as we randomly change directions to explore new areas. I’m usually Lewis, and she’s usually Clark.

Right now, I am also trying to eat clean, but I cheat...a lot. The amazing amount of food that seems to magically materialize at Gladstone often gets me off the rails.

If you could to do anything, what would it be?

I’d love to sleep later and only read books that I was really interested in (rather than those books I think I should read). I’d also travel more, particularly to Montana. It’s a special place for me. I lived there as a young adult, and I came into my own there. My son currently lives there, so I like to visit a couple times a year. And it’s so beautiful, remote, and quiet that I can slow down the speed of life.

What is one of your favorite childhood memories?

I have fond memories of learning to use chopsticks as a kid. My dad was an engineer, and he liked to have “engineering drills” with my brother, sister, and me at dinner. As young children, he would have us practice using chopsticks on various items, such as dry grains of rice, coins, beans, and jello. We’d learn about friction and stickiness and hydrogen bonds. I am now a master of using chopsticks, but most of the other lessons were lost on me.

Name one thing that not many people know about you.

I was on the front wave as women’s rugby was emerging in the United States. I played on the inaugural team at Western Washington University—tight head prop—and then in several East Coast leagues.

If you could meet any scientist from any point in time, who would it be and why?

Jane Goodall would have amazing stories. She knows her chimps, more than anyone else on Earth, and has had ridiculous experiences. She couldn’t afford college after high school, but she was later accepted into the University of Cambridge PhD program—without a degree. Who does that? Beyond her science, Goodall is an activist for environmental and wildlife conservation. She was also a good sport when lampooned in a Gary Larson Far Side cartoon. That’s pretty cool, too.