updated 30 January 2021
So much has changed since I last had my website working, but here is my “about me” from that time updated.
How I came to be
Jason Wayne Isamu Clock was born to Marianne and Garry Clock on May 15, 1978 at 4:03 PM EST. My mother calls me each year at the exact minute of my birth, well I just found out this Thanksgiving that I was born a minute earlier (she gave me my hospital wristband). Thankfully I was not born at 4:03 AM!
The early years
For the first 22 years of my life I lived in Phelps, a little village between Rochester and Syracuse in Upstate NY. I have a younger brother Jared who also has two 5 letter middle names. 🙂 We have my fathers’ middle name and a Japanese name picked by my mother which in my case means “healer.” My mothers’ mother is Japanese and met my grandfather in Hawaii during WWII. (PS: All 4 of our names have 5 letters.)
Leaving the nest
Rochester, NY
From 2001 – 2006 I lived in Rochester, NY. I owned a house, one of my goals in life, in the town of West Irondequoit in northern Rochester from July 2003 – December 2007 (Thanks Bush for the bad housing market.)
Washington, DC
September 12, 2006 I moved down to Washington, D.C. and started working at Georgetown University the following day. I presently own a 1 bedroom cooperative in Columbia Heights. Housing prices are a little higher here. Who am I kidding, they are totally outrageous.
Education
1996
Graduated from Midlakes High School in upstate NY.
2000
May 14, 2000 I graduated from Allegheny College in Meadville, PA with a BS in Computer Science.
2010
December 2010 I became LCI 3014 with the League of American Bicyclists. As a League Cycling Instructor, I have been fortunate to help the local bike advocacy group WABA, promote safe cycling in the greater DC Metro area.
2016
I graduated with a Masters in Technology Management from Georgetown University.
2017
I became a Project Management Professional with PMI.
Career
Since September 13, 2006 I have been working at Georgetown University. Presently I am Sr. Project Manager and Technical Lead within University Information Services. I manage the team of full time staff and student employees that operate the walkup IT service desks on the main campus. GO HOYAS!
In 2010 I became a League of American Bicyclists Lead Cycling Instructor (LCI 2014). As a contractor with the Washington Area Bicyclists Association, teach adults to ride, and help riders be more confident.
In November 2007 I picked up a part time job in order to assist with the cost of living in the Nation’s Capital. I was a supervisor at Cost Plus World Market close to Chevy Chase, MD until March 2011 after discovering it was not worth working 2 jobs based on tax brackets. Instead of putting my W2s in at the same time I saw how much the part time job was “costing” me.
From July 2000 – September 2006 I worked for Hillside Family of Agencies, a not for profit children’s service agency, as a Computer Support Specialist. I was promoted with management responsibilities in 2004.
Business Ventures
From December 2004 – January 2007 I co-owned “Patrik’s Culinary Kreations,” an eclectic neighborhood bakeshop and eatery in Rochesters’ South Wedge. During those 2 years we were reviewed by the “City” newspaper and the “Democrat and Chronicle.”
February 2008 marked the soft launch of “Simply Sweet Kreations to provide baked goods to the DC metro area, and bake for fun on the side. While the website never took off, I baked quite a bit for fun and shared my baking talents with work and volunteer activities. I make a mean vegan chocolate chip cookie! I have been playing with almond flour and sugar substitutes to be hip with the Keto movement, or in my case, diabetic.
Volunteering
Since March 2007, I have been volunteering at both the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum and the Smithsonian’s Zoological Park.
At the Air and Space Museum I assist visitors at the Welcome Center and also work with the education division to educate visitors on Living and Working in Space. In Fall 2011 I added a weekly interactive presentation to my NASM volunteering. This is 23 minute presentation on the International Space Station in the “How Things Fly” gallery.
I currently volunteer at the Zoo as a tour guide. Additionally I am a special events volunteer which affords me a walkie talkie. Totally kidding. I feel very fortunate to be asked to serve in a leadership role to oversee special events and the volunteers in my area.
I have been working on a long term goal of mine….to talk to 1,000,000 people while volunteering. As of January 2012, I am at 224934! My progress will be posted in my blog. At my current rate, I expect to reach my goal by 2030. Well…that was before the coronavirus pandemic hit. Stay tuned.
Since March 2008 I have been an active member and volunteer with the Washington Area Bicyclists Association. This was also the time when I stopped taking the bus and metro and use a bicycle for all my commuting and transportation needs. This was driven by a shuttle bus route change to avoid historic neighborhoods in Georgetown which resulted in a longer ride. Being that I try to be efficient, I purchased a bike the very next day!
I volunteer during lunch breaks at Georgetown University teaching classes on bike commuting safety for students, faculty, and staff in conjunction with Faculty and Staff Benefits.
Politics
It all started when I went to early voting in November 2018…there was a blank on the ballot for ANC Commissioner. I wrote my name in because I didn’t like it being blank (this was the first time it was blank since I have been voting in DC) and I wasn’t clever enough to write in something or someone else. The days after since I live across from the polling location, I talked with a volunteer staffing a council member candidates section of sidewalk and asked about ANC Commissioner and he told me that there was still time to run as a write-in-candidate. So I did my research that night and decided to file and now I am on my second 2 year term.
Being an Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner is very rewarding in that you get to work with your closest 2000 neighbors (redistricting happens each census) to make the community a better place. My commission is made up of 12 Single Member Districts to represent around 24,000 owners, renters, businesses, not for profits, etc.
Visit ANC1A.org for more information.