Synergent’s mission is to ‘help credit unions succeed and improve the financial lives of their members.’ In our monthly Employee Spotlight series, we feature one of our dedicated staff members to help you get to know the people who are working as an extension of your credit union team.
Terry Parrett
Terry Parrett has been a dedicated part of Synergent’s CIS team for five years. As a Desktop Support Technician, he plays a key role in ensuring staff have the tools, technology, and support they need to do their best work every single day. Whether assisting a colleague with a frozen desktop or testing new tools to streamline operations, Parrett brings curiosity, commitment, and a clear sense of purpose to everything he does.
“The most exciting aspect of my job is that there really isn’t a typical day,” Parrett explained. “Mondays are usually the busiest for Desktop Support. Typically, we resolve accounts that are locked, frozen desktops, or missing shortcuts and applications from an end user’s desktop. We help with onboarding new hires, resetting and unlocking passwords, shipping equipment to our end users, and a host of other essential tasks. Desktop Support is also involved with researching new and innovative technologies, and we support the Senior Desktop Support Technician with some back-end functions.”
Parrett’s role has steadily evolved since joining Synergent, and he’s embraced opportunities to grow his expertise across the broader CIS team. His willingness to jump into new challenges has led him to collaborate across functions, including working closely with systems administrators to shadowing infrastructure specialists.
“My role has grown into becoming more involved with the other aspects of CIS, and interacting more with the entire team,” Parrett noted. “I assist system administrators with equipment authentication tied to Microsoft 365 applications. I work with the patch manager to ensure agents are on each device going into the field and help with reporting for equipment logged in ServiceDesk, our inventory tracking system. Lately, I’ve been shadowing the infrastructure team on switch replacements. The one thing you can count on in IT is change.”
Parrett’s path into IT wasn’t exactly traditional, but he takes immense pride in how far it has brought him. What began as a reluctant interview turned into a defining moment that launched a rewarding career. His natural problem-solving instincts and willingness to say “yes” to something new paved the way for a journey that would take him through multiple specialties within IT.
“This is a fun story,” Parrett recalled with a laugh. “I’m a very linear person and found my way to the accounting field after college. However, it was, let’s say, a little less than exciting to me. My father, who had been in the information technology field for more than 40 years, asked me to consider interviewing at the company he was working for at the time. Reluctantly, I agreed. The interview was not your typical interview. I was seated in front of a computer that would not power on. The manager said, ‘All I need you to do is get the computer to power up.’ I was thinking to myself, ‘You have got to be kidding me.’ I was not a computer technician, and my experience with computers was limited to the earliest form of Lotus Notes and accounting programs. Oh, did I mention that the computer was open? No pressure. However, being a very A–Z type of person, I found the issue within about 20 seconds. I noticed that the power cable was not connected to the motherboard. (What’s a motherboard?) Having said that, I plugged the power into the motherboard, pressed the power button, and voila! The PC powered on. The manager was so impressed, I was hired on the spot.”
That hands-on, figure-it-out spirit has carried Parrett through years of roles across desktop support, networking, systems administration, and more. Today, it fuels his passion for delivering outstanding service to every colleague he supports.
Parrett appreciates how dynamic and challenging the field of IT is, which keeps him engaged and always learning. For someone who didn’t initially expect to thrive in a constantly evolving industry, he now finds energy and motivation in its pace.
“With information technology, everything is always changing. I did not initially believe I would like that aspect of it. But working with so many different pieces of hardware, software, operating systems, and networks always challenged me. I love being challenged. Fun fact, I’m super competitive. But in a good way,” Parrett said with a chuckle, blending his lighthearted honesty with the professional pride he brings to every challenge.
His impact at Synergent reaches farther than he initially expected. At first, Parrett assumed his work would stay behind the scenes. But as he quickly realized, solid tech support fuels every function, particularly when it comes to helping credit unions serve their members.
“Working in CIS as a Desktop Support Technician, I initially did not believe my role would impact our credit unions at all,” Parrett acknowledged. “How very wrong I was. By providing the best service possible to our end users, our staff is supplied with stable technologies needed to best interact with and support our credit unions. Always being cognizant of my end users’ needs, expectations, and sometimes frustrations ensures I always strive to do my best for them.”
His commitment to supporting end users is what keeps him motivated. Parrett’s approach is personal, intentional, and often delivered with a dose of humor.
“My favorite aspect of my job has always been supporting my end users,” Parrett emphasized with a smile. “They are the reason that I have the opportunity to work at such an amazing organization. They are also the reason I work so hard to provide them with the best service possible. While I do enjoy the technology very much, I have to say it’s always a pleasure to resolve issues for our end users.”
Through his time at Synergent, Parrett has gained a deeper understanding of how all the pieces fit together. Each project and interaction reveal a little more of the big picture, which inspires him to keep growing.
“Since joining Synergent, I have learned how incredibly dynamic this organization is. There are a lot of pieces to this puzzle that create the entire picture. Each day, by working with and supporting the different departments, that picture becomes clearer,” Parrett reflected, recognizing how each connection and challenge has deepened his understanding of the company.
Among his accomplishments, one project stands out. When the Learning and Development team needed support, Parrett and his team rose to the occasion, making sure their tools were in top shape and their challenges quickly resolved.
“I was involved with upgrading the training laptops for the Learning and Development team,” Parrett recalled. “I also helped support some of the challenges they initially experienced. Each member of our Desktop Support team really came through for them, and we were all very proud.”
When asked about the highlight of his career so far, Parrett found it difficult to choose just one. His answer was a blend of humor, gratitude, and unmistakable appreciation for the people he works with.
“That’s a tough question,” Parrett admitted as he thought through a stack of memorable moments. “I remember receiving my first High Five Award. I said to myself, ‘Yeah, I think I’ll stay for a while.’ There was the company event which involved axe throwing. Who doesn’t love hurling a large sharp object through the air, and with no training? There was also the bowling event, which proves what I knew all along: I should immediately return any bowling shoes I’m ever offered. But it was extremely fun. I even introduced Tim Brooks (Vice President of Corporate Marketing) on a podcast once. I almost couldn’t top that.”
Parrett paused, then continued with a more reflective tone.
“But the one thing that stands out to me above each of those fun moments was an interaction with Tim Gilman (Vice President of Information Systems),” Parrett recalled with sincerity. “One day, Tim said to me, ‘Terry, I really appreciate your customer service. I’ve heard from a number of our users how happy they are with the service you provide. Thank you.’ That was amazing to me.”
Outside of work, Parrett has a passion for staying active and embracing the things that bring him joy. From exploring new places to unwinding over a good game of pool, his off-hours are as lively and engaging as his workdays.
“I enjoy doing a host of things outside of work. I am an avid pool player, I love to travel, and most recently visited my favorite destination: Jamaica. I love dancing, and spending time with my family,” Parrett shared with characteristic warmth and enthusiasm.
As his time at Synergent continues, Parrett remains focused on personal and professional growth. He approaches each day with humility and a sincere commitment to giving his best not only to the work, but to the people around him.
“I have been given a tremendous opportunity to work here at Synergent,” declared Parrett. “I have had some challenging days, but the majority of them were great. As I learn and grow with the company, as well as each one of you, please be patient with me at times, feel free to reach out with any questions or concerns, and know that I will try to give you my very best each and every day.”