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Synergis helps a former New Orleans Police Officer find work in Atlanta

Last year Hurricane Katrina caused hundreds of thousands of people to evacuate the city. Synergis employee Justin Baptiste and his family are one of the many that chose not to return to New Orleans.

Alpharetta, Ga. September 12, 2006 – In late August of 2005, Hurricane Katrina ripped through the Gulf Coast. The hurricane, which at one time registered a Category 5 on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale, caused approximately $81 billion in damages and took the lives of at least 1,836 people. We have just passed the one year anniversary of this disaster; and to date, parts of the city of New Orleans, Louisiana have still not fully recovered from the damages caused by the storm.

When Katrina hit in August 2005, no one was prepared for the devastation and chaos that would ensue. According to Synergis employee and former New Orleans Police Officer, Justin Baptiste, no one was ready for the impact of a hurricane this strong. Not the police, not the city, not the government. Because of this, the situation was extremely dangerous for both the citizens of New Orleans, and the officers stationed there. "There were times that we were not sure if we would make it out," said Justin, who was stationed at a flooded hospital in the city. Although he said working as an officer in New Orleans was never an easy job, this was worse than anything they had ever encountered before. He also said that the scariest part of the storm wasn't the rain, it was the intense wind. He recalled how the wind actually burned exposed skin, and how it was so powerful that it bent cement polls easily until they snapped in half.

Not only did the storm destroy homes and property, it destroyed lives. Those who are still tied, whether financially or otherwise, to the city have had to return to what is left of their lives there. For many others able to leave, relocation has been their preference. As an officer, Justin was required to stay in the city throughout the storm. However, the rest of his family was able to evacuate the city. Because of the amazing number of evacuees from the storm, they had to drive nearly 28 hours to San Antonio, Texas to the closest hotel with a vacancy. Justin said that having to be separated from his family was the most difficult part of the ordeal for him. Hurricane Katrina was not the first time the Baptistes have had to evacuate their home, and they knew that it would not be the last time either if they stayed in New Orleans. They came to the conclusion that living in New Orleans was not worth the time, money and separation they had to deal with every hurricane season.

In September of last year, not even a month after Katrina, the Baptiste family moved to Atlanta. Hurricane Katrina had destroyed the Baptistes' home. Justin said that they could either stay and rebuild their home and wait around for another hurricane or move somewhere where they would be safe from hurricanes. Justin said that although Georgia may have tornadoes and severe thunderstorms, they are sporadic and are never guaranteed to hit. Hurricanes can and do hit the coast several times a year. It is a guarantee that those living on the Gulf will have another hurricane. Justin said it will happen again, but that their family is done evacuating. Justin decided to end a term of approximately four years as a New Orleans Police Officer to pursue work in Atlanta. He said, "the choice to move to Atlanta was easy for me to make. My wife chose Atlanta and either I came with my family or I didn't!"

The Baptistes' decision to move worked out great for the family. Justin's wife was a special education teacher in New Orleans before the hurricane. Because of the destruction the hurricane had on the education system in New Orleans, she needed to find work elsewhere. When they relocated to Atlanta, she was able to obtain another teaching position with a program that the Baptistes feel is much better than the previous one in New Orleans. Over all, Justin said that their decision to come to Atlanta was "the best decision ever." Although it was difficult for them to leave the city that they had both grown up in, they were not going to go through that devastation again.

Overall, Justin has been very happy living in Atlanta. The Baptistes chose to move to Atlanta for the potential to find employment here. With the help of Account Executive Stephen Stringer, Justin was able to find employment within a week of answering a job posting on computerjobs.com. "It was so fast," said Justin, "I posted my resume on computerjobs.com and a few hours later, Stephen called. From there it only took a week and a half to complete the hiring process."

When Stephen saw Justin's resume, he immediately took an interest with him. His background was impressive and he felt that Justin would be an excellent candidate for the Operations Assistant position open with AirDefense. AirDefense is an Alpharetta based company that provides security protection for wireless networks. "Justin was a great fit for AirDefense," said Stephen. "After speaking with him over the phone, I knew that he would fit right in with the laid-back, fast-paced culture of the company." He continued to say, "Justin had the willingness and eagerness to get into the position and do whatever it required." After his initial conversation with Justin, Stephen contacted the hiring manager at AirDefense and told them what a great match Justin would be to the company.

"Stephen was great!" said Justin. "My experience with Synergis has been excellent." He continued to say that Stephen stayed in almost constant contact with him throughout the hiring process. He stayed on top of the hiring managers and made sure that everything went according to plan.

Although Hurricane Katrina changed the Baptistes' lives, they have been able to get a fresh new start here in Atlanta. With great jobs, a daughter and another child on the way, they are doing great here in the city. To keep with Synergis' commitment to helping members of the Atlanta community, the company is very happy to help those who have been through such a difficult event. Synergis representatives said they are pleased to have Justin working as their employee. Especially since this position will give him so much more experience that is so important for advancing his technical career. "We strive to capture consultants that embody characteristics similar to those of Justin Baptiste," said Stephen. "Our placement of such excellent people is what has made Synergis such a terrific company."

Additional Information
For more information about Synergis, please e-mail press@SynergisHR.com.

For more information about AirDefense, please visit their website at www.airdefense.net.

For more information about the city of New Orleans and the recovery efforts taking place, please visit the city's website at www.neworleansonline.com.