Meet Joseph Perez, a star of ClearTech: The Next Generation November 2024

One of ClearTech’s youngest employees, 23-year-old Lead Technician Joseph Perez is also one of our most experienced, having just celebrated his fifth anniversary at ClearTech.

“We hired Joseph in 2020 as an apprentice technician,” says ClearTech Director of Technical Services, Adam Mejia. “He was just 18 at the time, but he quickly proved himself to be proficient and reliable in everything he did. Part of that had to do with the quality of mentoring he received from other members of our technical team, but Joseph walked in the door possessing well-rounded knowledge, experience and sense of responsibility.”

You might say that for Joseph, technical acumen and a service ethic run in the blood. After all, he’s the son of Joe Perez, ClearTech’s Chief Technology Officer. 

“Occasionally I’d bring Joseph along on jobs,” says Joe, “and it turns out that he did more than observe what we do – he absorbed it. I can remember one instance when we were working on a large project for Pepperdine University. Joseph was maybe 16 years old and he was directing us on how to outfit racks for the rooms.”

When Joe turned 18 and announced to his parents that he’d like to continue his education in an on-the-job capacity for ClearTech, the news came as a surprise to no one. Explains Joe: “Even though it was never my intention to have my son carry on in my footsteps, early exposure to our work just clicked with Joseph.”

In his capacity as Lead Technician – a position to which he was promoted in 2024 – Joseph serves as a linchpin on projects that require technical knowledge, managerial skills, superior communication and attention to detail. We spoke with him about his work and the trajectory of his career at ClearTech.

First, tell us about your new role as Lead Technician and what that involves. 

Joseph: It was a big jump to move into this position for two main reasons – you have a much wider range of responsibilities, and you exercise quite a bit of independence on how you meet them. 

Over the course of a day, there’s a lot of diversity in what I do. I find myself pulling cable and working with our engineers on the systems we’re installing while also maintaining overall communications with the team and our customers. I assist in system commissioning, too, and I also have a key role in training end users on their new systems. And at the same time, we have two new guys whom I’m managing and training. And I also manage a range of subcontractors. 

It used to be that essentially all my work involved hands-on labor, but now at least 30% of my time gets divided between project management, commissioning and direct client work. The people part of the job has been really interesting because of the big-picture knowledge that’s needed to excel at it. You have to have an accurate picture of the entire job – but more than that, I need to have a grasp of our larger capabilities and how we can apply them to meet the clients’ needs going forward. It’s especially valuable with system commissioning, where I’m making sure that each component is working together and the integration is scalable for what might come next.

What are the qualities necessary to excel in your position?

It’s a combination of hands-on technical skills and social, managerial and organizational skills. A lot of it boils down to problem-solving ability. I’ve found that it’s important to have confidence in your own abilities, especially when it comes to managing other people. If we’re working on a big project, I can’t be there 24/7, so I have to rely on others to provide the same level of quality and attention that I’d provide. That involves being clear about the issues you’re dealing with and how to manage them. Before moving into this position, I didn’t realize just how reliant I’d be on communication skills.

How did you know that this field – and this company – were right for you?

Well, I was exposed to ClearTech from an early age, and I always felt comfortable here. But an important event in moving me in this direction was COVID. I was a junior technician, and there was a time when I was practically the only one in the company who didn’t have COVID. Suddenly my responsibilities amped up and it was a sink-or-swim situation. Being able to get through that time showed me I can do this.

Was it much of an adjustment for you to fit into the ClearTech culture? 

No. The way we operate is very much like a close-knit family, and that’s an extension of the relationships I already had – not just with my dad, but I also have relatives who work here. We’re always available to one another, and our client relationships fit right in. Especially with long-time clients, I’ve gotten to know them and had the opportunity to connect on a deeper level. Also, I think clients really appreciate having a personal connection. That’s a key part of our culture.

For example, there are occasions when I’ll conclude a project and everything is installed and functioning, but the relationship will continue. Maybe they’ll have a question, issue or a desire to upgrade the installation in some way. I want them to feel free to call or text me. If I’m able to resolve an issue, great. At the very least I can connect them to someone who can. One of the things about ClearTech is that we all have a shared sense of responsibility. 

Would you say that’s a defining quality of your team?

Yeah, and there’s something else, too. I think among all the techs, there’s a shared pride in the work we do. We want to do our best. And we want to keep improving. Whenever I come to the end of a project, I always ask myself, “What can I do to make the next one even better?”