Account Manager at Sodexo Clinical Technology Management
Air Force vet keeps Mississippi hospital up and running for Sodexo, a leading North American food and facilities management services company.
by Warren Duffie

Bill Bender’s job is deadly serious. Overseeing the maintenance and repair of more than 1,800 pieces of medical equipment for the Gulf Coast Medical Center in Biloxi, Miss., he responds to a variety of problems. A broken pump, a blown fuse, or a short circuit – it’s all in a day’s work for this former Air Force staff sergeant.

But despite the life-and-death nature of his job, Bender is a laid-back, friendly guy with an easy laugh. Sometimes, his work can be humorous, and he vividly recalls one incident when he was asked to fix a radiology machine.

“The doctors couldn’t figure out why it wouldn’t work, so they called me,” Bender says. “I did my usual check up and saw that the machine was plugged into a power strip – but the power strip was plugged into itself instead of the wall. It was funny, but thankfully, that doesn’t happen too often.”

On the Job
Bender, 31, is a technician/account manager with Sodexo Clinical Technology Management – a division of Sodexo Inc. (www.sodexhousa.com/careers.asp) – which is contracted by the Gulf Coast Medical Center to handle its medical equipment. Sodexo Inc. is the leading provider of integrated food, equipment, and facilities management in the U.S., Canada and Mexico – with $6.7 billion in annual revenue and more than 125,000 employees. The company’s divisions serve a host of industries from prisons to colleges and universities to hospitals and medical centers.

Dealing with everything from heart pumps and radiology technology to defibrillators, Bender normally begins his day at 8 a.m. After checking with each hospital department to see if any equipment needs work, he pores over repair orders and requests. Afterward, Bender responds to repair calls or conducts preventive maintenance before leaving at 5 p.m.

“The skills I learned in the military help a great deal today,” Bender says. “I was trained as a biomedical equipment technician, so that directly crosses over to my current profession. However, patience, discipline, and attention to detail are also important elements – after all, I’m working on life-saving technology. I have the military to thank for all of my success.”

Military Experience
Growing up, Bender wanted nothing to do with the military. The Madison, Wis., native had a brother who was a Marine, and regaled him with “horror stories” about boot camp. Bender decided the uniform wasn’t for him.

Then during his senior year of high school, Bender’s best friend died of a heart condition. Distraught, Bender left his hometown after graduation and headed out to California to “find himself.”

Within a year, he made his way to Destin, Fla., to live with family there. Bender spent the next two years working at Wal-Mart and delivering pizzas.

“I had hit a dead end in my life,” he says. “One day, I went to a construction site to look for work and started conversing with another guy there. He mentioned how he was thinking about joining the military. After hearing all about the benefits, I figured it might not be so bad.”

So Bender enlisted in the Air Force in 1998. After basic training at Lackland Air Force Base and biomedical equipment school at Sheppard Air Force Base, he was assigned to Keesler Medical Center in Biloxi. He spent the next five years there and, during that time, met his wife.

The Transition
Although Bender enjoyed the Air Force, by 2003 he was looking toward the future. He and his wife – also in the Air Force – had a 3-year-old son, and the constant traveling and temporary duty assignments were beginning to get tiresome.

After much discussion with his wife, Bender decided to leave the military while she stayed in (she was discharged in May 2006). He took TAP classes and began networking with colleagues throughout the Gulf Cost to find a job in or around Mississippi. As the biomedical community on the Gulf Coast is a small one, word of Bender’s retirement spread quickly. Within a few months he was hired by the Gulf Coast Medical Center as a technician. When the center gave its maintenance contract to Sodexo in 2004, Bender was part of the package, and he was promoted to the account manager’s role.

“I was lucky that my transition was so smooth,” he says. “Sodexo pays really well, the benefits are great [medical, dental, 401(k), life insurance, etc.], and the company really takes care of its people. Although Sodexo is growing, its culture is like that of a small company – focused on good customer service and a healthy work environment.”

Bender’s Advice
Attend TAP classes. There’s a lot of great information available. You definitely don’t want to make the transition by yourself. The military offers a lot of resources. Take advantage of them.”

Be prepared. “Know what you want to do as a civilian. Research the job market, pay, and benefits. Don’t go in blind.”

Plan early. “You normally get 30 to 60 days of terminal leave before separating. Use it to network or search for jobs. Treat each day of your job search and transition like a day at the office. You have to be serious about it.”