Meet the Atla Staff’s New Coworkers! Pet Edition

We here at Atla have decided that one of our favorite parts of working from home is our new coworkers. True, they aren’t very productive. They tend to be frustratingly needy or deliberately standoffish. They walk through our Zoom calls at inopportune moments. But despite all that, we are grateful to have them with us right now. So I thought it would be nice to take a moment and introduce you to Atla’s newest employees.

(You know I’m talking about our pets, right? Okay, good, we’re on the same page.)

Gillian’s Coworker: Jake

Gillian Harrison Cain, Director of Member Programs, says, “This is Jake. Jake is super patient. Jake lets his small human put t-shirts on him. Jake is tired. Jake doesn’t get to nap as much since all the humans are home all the time and not just the human who sits at her computer all day. Jake doesn’t want this to end since he now gets many more walks.”

We feel you, Jake. Thanks for being an excellent part unicorn.

Tawny’s Coworker: Cheesy

Tawny Burgess, Marketing and Communications Manager, tells us, “Cheesy is a curious opportunist pup who waits for me to drop or leave anything I may be eating or drinking – especially coffee. He is a social creature who assumes that when I am on a call I must be talking to him and he loves sharing his opinions (too bad I don’t speak dog). He enjoys warming my feet while I type and reminds me that if I take regular breaks to pet him I can solve almost any problem.”

Cheesy, eating your coworker’s food is always a bad look. But your blue kerchief is so stylish that we’ll forgive you.

Christine’s Coworkers: Pepper and Lola

Christine Fruin, Scholarly Communication and Digital Projects Manager, says, “Let me introduce you to my two executive assistants – Pepper the twelve-year-old cat and Lola the seven-year-old dog. Both are rescues (breeds unknown) from very young ages (Pepper rescued at six weeks and Lola at five months). They each have their own “desk space” in my office, flanking either side of my chair (Pepper in her perch, and Lola in her bed on the floor). They frequently arrive at “work” before I do – it is not unusual for me to find them already in here when I come in to start the day (but they never come into my office on the weekends – it’s like they know…). They stay beside me for the entirety of the work day and usually do not bother me at all (although a UPS delivery often rouses Lola to loud barking and drives her out to the front door). They are pretty quiet throughout the day although there have been times when both are snoring.”

Pepper and Lola know that napping is very serious business. Keep up the good work, you two!

Megan’s Coworker: Connie

Megan McCarthy, Digital Content Production Manager, says, “This is Connie, who we adopted last year! She is really enjoying everyone working from home, because it means she gets to go on more walks!”

We love going on walks too, Connie! Thanks for helping us get some fresh air and exercise!

Jamie’s Coworkers: Tiki and Tessa

Our newest Atla staff member, Jamie Lin, Education and Professional Development Manager, says, “Tiki is a photogenic and surprisingly social crested gecko. He would love to spend his days hanging out on my shoulder, but since he is so delicate, I worry about losing him or accidentally hurting him, so he only comes out of his terrarium for short periods of time.”

“Tessa is a toothless, affectionate, and anxious cat. She can say ‘Hello’ and practices saying it every evening around 10 p.m., but only when I’m not trying to capture it on video.”

What friendly coworkers! Thanks for your great conversational skills, Tiki and Tessa!

Jim’s Coworker: Chase

Jim Butler, Director of Information Systems, has a very well-spoken coworker! He says, “Hi, my name is Chase.  I am a twelve-year-old Maltese that is full of energy; well, maybe not as much as before, but I try.  I love to eat, sleep, and park myself right on top of any lap that will have me.  Recently, with my dad home more I’m looking to help out, so I’ve been brushing up on my coding skills. But those darn chew toys always seem to distract me.  Paw patrol is coming on soon, so I have to run!”

Thanks for working on your professional development, Chase. There’s always room for improvement (except when it comes to being cute, because you’re already a pro at that).

Charlotte’s Coworkers: BB-8, Dot, Evelyn, and Pepper

Charlotte Nahon, Member Programs Coordinator, wins the prize for the most new coworkers! We’ll walk you through them one by one. First, we have BB-8! Charlotte says, “Named for the similarly orange, white, and round droid in The Force Awakens, BB is a senior cat who enjoys belly rubs and sleeping as much as possible. Dislikes: small portions of diet cat food.”

Next, we have Dot! Charlotte says, “She’s anxious, but very sweet once you get to know her. She lives exclusively in my home office because she doesn’t get along with the other cats. She likes to sit on the back of my chair and read over my shoulder while I work. Dislikes: almost everything.”

Next up: Evelyn! Charlotte says, “Her fluffy fur makes her look majestic, but don’t let her fool you; she’s a complete goofball. Her favorite pastime is sitting at the window and meowing at all the birds and dogs outside. Dislikes: being brushed.”

And finally, we’ve got Pepper! Charlotte says, “She’s only a year old and very playful. She has an ongoing crusade against the red dot from the laser pointer. Dislikes: cuddling for more than two minutes.”

Whew! Props to Charlotte for networking with so many new coworkers! I’ve met Dot over Zoom, and she meowed very politely over Charlotte’s shoulder. Thanks for helping keep Atla running, BB-8, Dot, Evelyn, and Pepper!

Craig’s Coworker: Teddy

Craig Kennerson, Systems Administrator, says, “Teddy’s pretty quiet and very protective of family and friends. He likes other dogs as well; I had an American Eskimo who unfortunately passed, but he loved him like an older brother. I think he’s loving the quarantine. Since we are home more often, he has more energy than usual.”

We’re so glad you get to spend some extra time with the people you love, Teddy. Thanks for being such a quiet colleague!

Ana’s Coworker: Morgana

And last, but certainly not least to me, we have my cat! I’m Ana Cackley, Communications Assistant, and lover of all animal photos. I adopted Morgana over a year ago, and ever since, she’s been my tiny soot sprite. She likes holding hands (paws?), climbing to the top of the tallest bookcase, and napping on fluffy comforters. She’s not overjoyed that there are humans in her space all the time now, but she will accept head rubs in recompense.

We hope you enjoyed this edition of the Atla Staff’s New Coworkers! Stay tuned for an edition about our plant friends soon to follow.

Do you have an adorable picture of your new coworker(s)? We would love to see them! (No, really, we would LOVE it.) Tag us on Facebook or Twitter and share your pet photos with us!