Comcast’s Brent Rickert explains his passion for community service, saying:
“I can’t live here and not be involved in making New Mexico a better place.”
As a new year of volunteerism and service begins, Comcast spoke with Brent, our Indirect Sales Manager for New Mexico and Arizona and a board member of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central New Mexico.
Brent, who is originally from Omaha, Neb., joined Comcast in 2017 and Big Brothers Big Sisters in 2018. His Comcast team brings in customers through third-party channels, such as retail outlets and special events, who might not traditionally access Comcast services.
Comcast: What do you like best about your job?
Brent: I enjoy that every day is different, and I like the spontaneity and flexibility that comes with that. I find it inspiring that I have the autonomy to make day-to-day decisions and do the right thing for the customer.
Comcast: Who within the Comcast family do you admire and why?
Brent: There are lot of great people doing great work. Chris Dunkeson, our Area Vice President for New Mexico and Arizona, is always 100 percent calm, cool, and collected. No matter the situation, you never see him get even a little wound up. As I’m moving up in my career, I know that’s something I want to show my team. I want to illustrate as Chris does that no matter the issue or level of chaos, I’m ready to take on the challenge.
Comcast: Tell me about your involvement with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central New Mexico.
Brent: I am particularly enthusiastic about the Mentor2.0 program. Most people might not be as familiar with this program for high school students. The program gives them an opportunity to see the steps to get into college, to become a professional and to see what that career looks like. The Mentor2.0 program is part of Big Brothers Big Sisters series of programs created to help kids develop the skills for each stage of life, which they may not have if they haven’t had a peer or family member to model that behavior.
The Mentor2.0 is designed for the hyper-professional who may not be able to give the time needed to mentor a younger child, and it is currently only available in Albuquerque. Communication by mentors with kids is primarily done via email, and the kids get to see a professional role model in their lives.
Comcast: What made you want to get involved with Big Brothers Big Sisters?
Brent: My dad was very involved in Boy Scouts when I was growing up and he still is. My grandfather was an Eagle Scout, my dad is an Eagle Scout and I am an Eagle Scout. That family tradition of giving back to the community, along with how highly Comcast values community service, makes me want to act to make New Mexico a better place.
Comcast: What are other programs in which Comcast partners with Big Brothers Big Sisters?
Brent: Comcast also supports the traditional mentoring programs in Gallup, Los Alamos, Santa Fe, Silver City and Taos. Comcast participated in the Big Brothers Big Sisters Discovery Festival in November. Discovery Festival is an interactive Science, Technology, Engineering, the Arts and Math (STEAM) event in which fifth- and sixth-graders can learn about careers in technology. For Comcast, it was also an opportunity to demonstrate to kids how our equipment works. Kids often don’t get exposed to that kind of technology. Next year, Comcast would like to play an even bigger role in the Festival.
Comcast technician, Axel Hernandez, showing students his technology during the Discovery Festival.
Axel and fellow technician, Diana Olivias, were all smiles during the Discovery Festival back in November.
Comcast also supported Big Brothers Big Sisters Bowl for Kids’ Sake fundraisers in the spring. This fun event helps offset some program costs so the organization can serve more kids in the community.
Comcast team during the Bowl for Kids’ Sake event (left to right) Raul Molina, Nathan Berg, Seth Slezia, Julianne Phares and Brent Rickert.
Comcast: What do the Comcast values mean to you?
Brent: Do what’s right. To me, that means not only in our customer interactions but in how committed we are to community programs such as Internet Essentials, which helps equip kids with the resources to be successful in the digital economy.
Comcast: When you were a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up?
Brent: A police officer/secret service agent.
Thanks Brent for helping to make New Mexico even better!
