Nick Hammond works as the Receiving and Operations Manager here at Paddington Station and is our next featured employee for Meet Us Monday!
- Where did you grow up?
I was born here in the Rogue Valley and pretty much stayed in Ashland until I turned 18. I then went to OSU on a rowing scholarship briefly before returning to major in History at SOU. - What is something about you that would surprise people?
I have a repeat knee injury from tap dancing. A couple years ago I was in a production of Mary Poppins down at Camelot Theatre in Talent. I can’t remember the name of the particular move I was doing (because I was never really good at tap dancing) but one of the ligaments tore out while I was on stage and put me on a couch for three months! - What is the best meal you ever had?
I will never stop eating breakfast burritos and have strong thoughts about the places and people in town that make them best. The answer, I’ve found, is always me. The real secret is you’ve got to mix up the filler- scrambled egg, bell peppers, and extra crispy hash browns. This ensures proper ingredient distribution, which is the most important part of any burrito. - What is your favorite time of year?
Fall for sure. It is cold but not uncomfortably cold, and there are few restraints of what I can actually wear. I can’t wear suspenders and ties when it’s 112 degrees in the summer! I also really like the quieter vibes outside without any of the horrifying ice, snow, and wind that comes with Winter. - Where is your favorite spot in Ashland?
There’s a hidden picnic bench out by Emigrant Lake that is a good reading spot. I think it might be on someone’s private property but they have not caught me yet! - What are some of your hobbies?
I love board games! The bigger and more convoluted, the better. You’ve got your Twilight Imperium, War of the Ring, Twilight Struggle… any kind of large-scale political simulator game that takes more than four hours, I’m there for it. I do a decent amount of weight lifting and play video games too. - Tell me about your favorite pet you’ve ever had.
That is going to have to be my recently deceased cat, Manhole. He was a huge rescue ragdoll that I got a few years before the pandemic. He was all hair and affection, no brains. - Who has been the most influential person in your life?
There are many people that could fall into that category including both of my parents and Stef as well. If I’m being asked to choose just one though, I would probably say my dad. I inherited his job here and really enjoy all that it entails. We have very similar thought processes and it’s easy for us to learn from each other because of this. - What is a mantra you like to live by?
“If you do things right, people won’t be sure you’ve done anything at all.” That’s from “God” in an episode of Futurama. It very much encompasses how I try to live my life and how I approach challenges. Keep it simple, do what you need to do. - What is your favorite thing about working at Paddington Station?
I love doing lighting installs and pretty much any kind of handy thing where I have to diagnose and solve a problem. I really enjoy using my physical understanding of machines to make them work.
