David Norton:  

es) Dept handling safety and worker's compensation. Being the only guy in a 7-person department, I soon felt uncomfortable with "token male status" and went to TA Instrument Cases. I learned a lot there from my boss, who was really more of a life mentor (thanks, Art. R.I.P.) TA was bought by Zero Enclosures in May 1988, and I worked for Zero in Burbank for 3 years. They relocated their operations to Salt Lake City UT, and I was one of the transferees. Zero realized after about a year that they didn't need nearly as many people as they'd brought up, so one fine July morning I and about 70 others were laid off. And I'd just bought a house a few weeks previously! For 7 months I struggled to keep the family going, working restaurants and office temping. In February 1993 I joined my current employer as an HR Administrator, and have steadily gained responsibility, respect, and wages over the past 12 years.