Meet Michon Blake, Cornerstone Automation’s Office Administrator. With more than 30 years of operations experience, she helps keep the day-to-day details of the business organized and on track.
Keeping Things Running Behind the Scenes at Cornerstone
There is a lot that goes into keeping a small business running smoothly, and much of that work happens behind the scenes. Since joining Cornerstone Automation in June, Michon has taken on that responsibility as Office Administrator.
Her day-to-day work includes processing payroll, invoicing customers, monitoring communications from customers and vendors, and handling the administrative tasks that keep the office organized. She also helps with special requests as they come up, making sure important details are handled accurately and on time.
While the Office Administrator title is new for Michon, managing people, processes, and day-to-day operations certainly is not.
Bringing Decades of Operations Experience to a New Role
Before joining Cornerstone, Michon spent more than 30 years working in facilities management across the healthcare and pharmaceutical industries. Her career included positions with Aramark, Lansdale Hospital, JLL, and CBRE. While working with JLL and later CBRE, she supported several Merck facilities in the area.
After years of managing people and operations in fast-paced environments, Michon reached a point where she was ready for something different.
“I had been contemplating a change and investigating new opportunities for about a year,” she says. “I was looking to use my organizational and operations background in a less demanding job setting.”
When the position at Cornerstone became available, she saw an opportunity to put those skills to work in a different way. Making that career change has been both one of the biggest challenges and accomplishments of her first few months at Cornerstone.
Learning the Small Business Side of Operations
Coming from larger corporate environments, one of the biggest adjustments for Michon has been seeing firsthand how much goes into operating a small business.
“After working in Corporate America for most of my career, the level of detail and work needed to operate a small business is rather significant,” she says. “I’ve quickly learned and observed what goes into operating a successful small business.”
She has also been learning new systems along the way. QuickBooks Desktop, in particular, has been a new experience. While Michon has worked with many different technologies throughout her career, working directly within a bookkeeping system has added another skill to her background.
Valerie Ferrin has played an important role in helping her make that transition.
“Valerie has done a great job training me,” Michon says. “She is very organized and has developed great systems and processes for keeping the business running efficiently behind the scenes.”
“Michon has been a great addition to Cornerstone,” says Valerie Ferrin, Operations Manager. “She brings a lot of experience and organization to the role, and she picked up our processes very quickly. It’s been great having someone I can rely on to keep the day-to-day office responsibilities moving and make sure things are taken care of behind the scenes.”
Finding a Different Pace at Cornerstone
For Michon, one of the most rewarding parts of the new role has been having a clearly defined set of responsibilities and the ability to focus on completing them each day and week.
She appreciates the structure of the role and the opportunity to concentrate on the work in front of her with fewer interruptions than she experienced in previous positions.
“Being a small business allows each person to focus on their assigned job duties and tasks, which creates a more meaningful work experience,” she says.
Michon also sees Cornerstone’s size as an advantage for employees joining the company. Engineers have opportunities to work independently while supporting recognizable manufacturers across a variety of industries and projects.
From Upstate New York to Southeastern Pennsylvania
Michon grew up near Jamestown in Upstate New York and now lives in southeastern Pennsylvania, north of Philadelphia. She graduated from Westminster College in New Wilmington, Pennsylvania, with a bachelor’s degree and has earned several professional certifications throughout her career.
Outside of work, Michon stays busy with a wide range of interests and volunteer activities. For the past nine years, she has served as a representative on Towamencin Township’s Open Space and Parks Committee. She is also in the process of becoming a member of the Daughters of the American Revolution.
Each year, Michon volunteers for a week with Joni and Friends Family Retreat, supporting families affected by disabilities. In her free time, she enjoys vegetable and flower gardening, hiking, biking, reading, and traveling.
She also has a new challenge in mind for the coming year: hiking Mount Washington in New Hampshire.
A New Chapter
After more than three decades in facilities management, joining Cornerstone has given Michon the opportunity to apply years of organizational and operational experience in a new setting.
It is a different role and a different pace, but one that still relies on many of the skills she developed throughout her career. From payroll and invoicing to keeping everyday office responsibilities on track, Michon is helping support the work that happens throughout Cornerstone.
The Cornerstone Automation team is glad to have her on board, and look forward to seeing her continue to settle into her new role.