Meet the Pro Staff: Joe Blanks
Meet Joe Blanks.
Name: Joe Blanks
Undergraduate Degree: B.S. in Management Information Systems and Business Analytics, Specialization: Accounting
Hometown: Fresno, CA
Job: Business Manager, Campus Recreation
Working at FSU since: March ’19
What was your first job?
I took care of my disabled mother during high school. My first job in college, besides playing football, was real estate loan and enterprise software lead generation which is a fancier way of saying telemarketing. Valuable experience because what I learned about people and business during that time still ripples through my professional experiences ’til this day.
How did you get your start in Campus Recreation?
When I lived in New York, I worked for NYC Social and Zogs Sports as a referee for kickball, soccer and flag football. I also played in flag football and dodge ball. This is my first job working in a collegiate campus recreation setting.
What do you do for fun?
I love music. I’m a DJ and beat-maker. During my 10 years in New York, my favorite past-time was to go see live music from all walks of life. I loved it all whether it was the symphony in Manhattan, jazz in Harlem, Salsa and Bachata in the Heights or the up and coming DJ’s in Brooklyn spinning house.
Who do you admire and why?
There are so many…I’m going to say Maya Angelou, James Arthur Baldwin and Sean Carter (Jay-Z). Dynamic activists, artists and so much more. Maya reminded me so much of my mother.
What’s your favorite place to grab a meal in Tallahassee?
I’m new so I’ve only been to a few places. Bella Bella is solid and I really like the beignets at Harry’s.
What do you do?
Business Manager. Basically the money man. I am responsible for overseeing processes and procedures within the department as well as managing the budgets and accounting.
What does an average day look like?
I like to wake up early to meditate and pray. I get into the Leach Center and take care of emails. Next I work on my to-do list for the day along with important tasks that land on my desk. Meetings and phone calls are usually par for the course. After work I’m either doing school work, being active, working on music or doing as little as possible.
What’s your favorite part of your job?
The people I work with; hands down. There’s a really good group of people here at Campus Rec. Having the ability to be more involved through other avenues on campus is also very exciting.
What advice would you give yourself in college?
Well, since I’m still in college I say that time management and taking care of one’s self physically and mentally sets a great foundation.
