Local business leaders talk about working from home

~In the time of COVID-19, those fortunate enough to still be working are facing changes in the workplace, and for many, that means their homes have become their offices. Here, six Southeast Missourians share their thoughts on the experience.

Dan Woods

"It almost sounds like I'm at the studio," says Dan Woods, general manager of KRCU Public Radio. Woods has hung blankets from the walls of his home office, deadening sound and allowing him to record station breaks and announcements for broadcast. "It's been pretty eye-opening. It's amazing what we can get done at home. It brings up a lot of questions. What kind of efficiencies could be created? I think a lot of businesses are going to look different after all of this."

Dan Woods

Crystal Shepard

"I love it. It's a little challenging with a 7-year-old, but for the most part, it's very convenient," says Crystal Shepard, a registered nurse who recently began a new position with a law firm. "Everything I need is on that computer. If you have questions, it's nice to have somebody in the actual office that you can just bounce ideas off of, but I can do that here via phone or email."

Crystal Shepard

Trish Erzfeld

"It's not a huge disruption, but you always leave something at the office, and you have to figure out how to get it," says Trish Erzfeld, director of Perry County Heritage Tourism. A large part of Erzfeld's day-to-day work involves maintaining the organization's web presence and social media accounts. She notes that the pandemic has been disruptive for tourism in the area. "So many tourism-related events are social events. Natural beauty and surroundings that people can visit in smaller groups is what I've been promoting."

Trish Erzfeld

Tyler Cuba

"You take more breaks than you normally would. A 10-minute break here and there to go blow bubbles or chase [the kids] down the hallway or play monster. It's been enjoyable. It's probably something that, when this is all behind us, I'm going to miss a little bit," says Tyler Cuba, CEO and senior advisor at Cuba Financial Group. Cuba shares his workspace with his three-year-old son Harrison (pictured), as well as one-year-old Campbell and his wife Sarah, with whom he is expecting another child in June. "It certainly has put things in perspective."

Tyler Cuba

Elizabeth Shelton

"We had our first Zoom meeting, which went pretty well. We all got a kick out of that. We all just needed to see each other, I think. We're a very close, tightly-knit office," says Elizabeth Shelton, executive director of United Way of Southeast Missouri. Shelton points to her outdoor workstation on the patio of her Cape Girardeau home as a bright spot in her isolation, but notes social distancing has not been entirely sunny. "What we do depends on relationships, so we've had to continue to nurture those a little differently, you know, with more phone calls. ... We have to be more creative in our fundraising. We hope people will see that that need is there and still contribute and want to help."

Elizabeth Shelton

Kris Parker

"It's a little bit of a wrench thrown in just having the kids at home and keeping everybody in a routine, but it's nothing like what I hear from my other friends," says Kris Parker, a business change manager for Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield who has worked from home for the past 11 years. Parker says the teachers have been instrumental in helping her three children, ages 10, 14, and 18, maintain their routine. "It's been very hands-on outreach from the teachers. They are staying available. ... I get in there and I do what I can to help, but the teachers have just been phenomenal throughout this whole process."

Kris Parker