December, 2022
The December Lone Star SuperStar is Julie Fischer, Technology Consultant in the Houston Office.
Julie is beginning her fifteenth year in Sales for Lone Star Communications, and she has been a dedicated and unstoppable force in the Sales Department since she got here.
Soon after coming to work for Halco, Julie sold the first Responder 5 System for a Houston Methodist Hospital site (Texas Medical Center, Main Campus).
Not long after that sale, she sold our first HCA site for Responder 5 System at HCA Clear Lake. As a result, we (LSCI) now have Responder 5 in almost all of the Houston Methodist Hospital IDN sites, and HCA Gulf Coast Sites.
Julie has also been successful with the Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center, Matagorda Regional Medical Center, Houston Physician’s Hospital and about a dozen stand-alone Emergency and Urgent Care Sites.
She’s looking forward to the next big project of Houston Methodist Centennial Tower at TMC that has already broken ground!
Julie shared this background information with us:
I began my career with Halco Life Safety Systems, (now Lone Star Communications) in November 2008. Prior to joining the Lone Star Team, I was a Director of Health Information Management at Angleton Danbury Medical Center, and a customer of Halco’s (Lee Selman & Marquis Woodard were the Sales Team that convinced us to buy RIV). Since that installation back in the 1980’s, Cliff Switzer has replaced that System with Responder 5 due to the end of life of RIV and the takeover of the Hospital by UTMB. I also worked for Angleton Danbury Medical Center for Two-and-a-Half years while in High School, College, and a short time after graduation. My early career moved me to equipment sales in Oil and Gas. My biggest success during my Oil & Gas career, was solely obtaining a single initial contract of $71 million dollars for equipment to be used in the South Texas Nuclear Plant in Bay City. I am still very proud of that accomplishment to this day, and that sale is still making money for my previous employer! I later returned to work for Angleton Danbury Medical Center and spent 15 years there, before coming to LSCH.
Julie has this to say about her many Customers: “One of the most important things in my life, now that my family is grown, is taking care of my customers, as proficiently and quickly as possible. It is very important to me that they consider me to be at their “Beck and Call”. Meaning I’m available to help 24/7/365 if they need me. I take pride in the fact that my customers trust me and want to talk to me first when they’re in trouble.”
Some additional things to know about Julie:
She was born in the Dow Chemical Hospital in Freeport, TX, and raised in Brazoria County and still lives there.
Julie attended Angleton ISD School District; K-12 grade.
Always the hard worker, Julie held a part-time job, working five to six hours-a-day in her Junior and Senior years in High School, and took Courses for College Credits. By the time she graduated from High School, she had completed 8 classes.
She spent one whole summer touring England, Scotland and Wales between her Sophomore and Junior years in High School. Still a favorite memory of hers.
You’d never know it, but she’s got a pair of beautiful Harley Davidson Touring Motorcycles, a 2019 CVO Street Glide and a 2022 CVO Tri Glide, which she loves to ride on weekends. Sometimes she rides to her farm in East Texas that has been in her family for over 200 years.
Another surprise: She got her Single Engine Pilot’s License in 1979 and went out and bought a 1978 Cessna 152 two-seater Airplane. She made many Fly-Ins and put many hours on that plane before selling it in 1983. She’s still in touch with the owner, who lives in Europe and is still flying her Cessna.
For 37 years she travelled all over the southern USA watching and listening to her Husband & Soulmate play Bluegrass Music professionally…. Plus, she’s been to all the continental US States except 4 States (Montana, Iowa, Nebraska and Kansas). The miles she’s traveled!
She enjoys teaching and helping others through Grief Share Classes for those who have lost loved ones.
Last, but not least, Family is always at the forefront for Julie. Her daughters and their husbands, Brandi & Mike Zapalac and Brittani & Robert Erb, plus her Granddaughters, Maddison (7) and Bailee (5) who now live in Casper, WY., are considered her greatest accomplishments.
A few questions and answers to round out the interview:
Q: What is something most people don’t know about you?
I got my right big toe smashed off when I was 4 years old, we went straight to the only doctor in town …where he practically did everything, he sewed my toe back on and salvaged it, old school medicine was great!
Q: What is the most unusual job you’ve ever had?
I assisted in Autopsies with Dr. Sayeed at Angleton Danbury Regional. I learned so much during that time. Very interesting and I loved getting to the root cause of a decedent’s demise.
Q: Do you have any pets?
Only (1) Olivia Grace, she’s a black and tan Yorkie.
Q: Do you have time for any other hobbies?
I love to quilt.
Q: What is your favorite Houston sports team?
Go Astros!
Q: What is your favorite restaurant in Houston, and why would you recommend it to people?
This is a hard one, I have so many…food is my favorite subject. Hmmm, I love Taste of Texas on the Katy Freeway. The restaurant is beautiful, the food is fantastic and the salad bar leaves nothing unturned. The steaks are absolutely delicious.
Q: What is something you’ve always wanted to do, but haven’t done
yet?
I would love to fly to the moon. I saw Apollo 11 blast off from Cape Canaveral in Florida on July 16, 1969, with Commander Neil Armstrong piloting the lunar module to the surface of the moon…yes, they landed on the moon…first humans to step onto the Moon’s surface and perform a 6 hour and 39-minute walk. The most beautiful sight was to see Mr. Armstrong stake a United States of America Flag on the surface of the Moon. Old Glory, has flown in so many places but the surface of the Moon was breathtaking.
Julie’s parting thoughts she would like all of Lone Star to know:
I love my customers and working for Lone Star Communications. We’ve come a long way since 2008!
- Gregory Propps, Technology Consultant, Houston Office