Like many of her past jobs, Anna Funk’s position as a service coordinator for Bucher Technologies in Valparaiso came to be completely by chance.
“It seems like every job I’ve had has happened by chance. I don’t think I’ve ever gotten a job through an official interview. I definitely feel that God has a plan, and if I just relax, things will happen as they’re supposed to,” Funk said.
Funk took a big jump before winding up at Bucher Technologies. Before her neighbor, Isabelle Smaroff, had passed along her resume to Ben and Tim Bucher, she worked as a teacher for about 20 years.
“I was ready for something different. Teaching had changed a bit, and I felt like I wanted to venture out,” she said.
Some of Funk’s daily duties in the office include coordinating customers’ needs with the respective technician at Bucher. She also prioritizes issues, schedules them, and communicates that with the appropriate parties involved.
Though the new position at Bucher found her, Funk found herself very comfortable in her new atmosphere.
“This company is very accommodating and respectful. The bar of expectations is set high for us to do the best work that we can do, and yet we still are able to take a moment, make some jokes, and have a laugh together. My co-workers and I instantly got along so well, and it’s such a comfortable and great atmosphere to work in,” Funk said.
Funk added that she and her co-workers feel appreciated every day when coming into work.
“It never fades. Sometimes, when you work at a place for a long period of time, these simple words of affirmation become scarce. Here that is not the case. It truly makes me want to come into work every day,” she said.
When Funk isn’t working, she spends her time fulfilling one of her passions - singing. She is very involved at her church, St. Paul Catholic, as a cantor, choir singer, and substitute piano player. Funk even gets booked to sing at weddings and memorial masses from time to time.
“My activities at the church create a good balance in my life, and it also doesn’t feel like work. I have a strong aptitude for music and I love that I get to fulfill my passion,” Funk said.
Funk also enjoys biking, kayaking, traveling with her husband David, and visiting their two daughters in Chicago and Indianapolis.
Looking forward, Funk is determined to continue growing in her position as a service coordinator at Bucher Technologies.
“This has been a really good fit for me, and my goal is to continue to learn and get better and better at my job here at Bucher,” she said.
Funk would like to thank her husband for supporting her as she took her big leap from being a teacher to joining the Bucher family, her neighbor Isabelle Smaroff, and Tim and Ben Bucher for taking a chance and providing her with this opportunity.
