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Meet Dan Wagner: Manager of the SOLIDWORKS User Group Network Part 1

Proud Members of the  SOLIDWORKS Community

At DriveWorks, we are committed to supporting SOLIDWORKS technology as well as the SOLIDWORKS Community.

We have been an active sponsor of the SOLIDWORKS User Group Network for quite some time.

At SOLIDWORKS World 2015, we launched the DriveWorks SWUGN Sponsorship Program as a way to connect users, support education and share knowledge.

We love being a part of the SOLIDWORKS Community! 

With the support of our resellers, customers and partners, we have attended SWUG meetings, sponsored meetings and helped group leaders to find presenters with interesting presentations since 2015.

We were proudly awarded the 2018 SOLIDWORKS User Group Network Partnerof the Year Award at SOLIDWORKS World 2019.

Earlier this year at 3DEXPERIENCE World 2020 in Nashville, Heather Hasz was awarded the SWUGN Community Champion Award – an extremely proud moment for Heather and all of us at DriveWorks!

Heather Hasz, Community and Brand Ambassador, joined the DriveWorks Team in March 2016.

Heather’s role is to support the SOLIDWORKS Community and SOLIDWORKS User Group leaders to help make their meetings successful.

Introducing Dan Wagner

Over the years we have worked with different members of the SWUGN leadership team such as Richard Doyle and Rachel York.

While Richard and Rachel have both moved on, we are thrilled to welcome the new Manager of the SOLIDWORKS User Group Network, Dan Wagner.

Earlier this week, Heather caught up with Dan to get to know him a bit better and learn about his journey to becoming Manager of the SOLIDWORKS User Group Network.

Dan, can you give us just a little background on where you are from and your education?

“Thanks Heather! Sure, I am born and raised in the Philadelphia area (Delaware County).

In 2008, I graduated from Temple University (College of Engineering) with a B.S. in Engineering Technology with a focus on manufacturing.

As part of their program, Temple hosted an in-house machine shop that helped students learn CNC Machining as well as how to run a Mill and Lathe.

Early on in my life, I had an interest in cars which probably lead to my natural progression into engineering – specifically mechanical engineering.”

How did you enter the SOLIDWORKS Community?

“While attending Temple University, I had the opportunity to hear Lynn Ewell (co-founder of Prism Engineering) speak during an engineering class.

Lynn, an Electrical Engineer, spoke about career development and gave insight into the types of careers that are available in engineering.

This is where I first learned about the SOLIDWORKS reseller channel.

Shortly after graduating from Temple University in 2008, I interviewed for a position with Prism Engineering – a SOLIDWORKS reseller in the Philadelphia area.

Over my 12 years with Prism, I worked as Support Engineer Manager. Over my time there, Prism was acquired by Fisher Unitech and subsequently Computer Aided Technologies, Inc. in 2019.

My role in support allowed me to help customers learn products and answer their questions.

One of the things that I always appreciated about my role in support was that there was always a challenge and things were always changing with new functionality and releases. There was always something new to learn and that doesn’t get old.”

 How many SOLIDWORKS Works Worlds have you attended? 

“After giving this a bit of thought, I believe I have attended SOLIDWORKS World 10 times!”

Knowing I must ask this…which SOLIDWORKS World has been your favourite so far?

“My favourite SWW was definitely Orlando, Florida in 2013 at the Swan and Dolphin. That was the year that the Special Event was at Universal Studios. So much fun!

Come to think of it – I also loved SWW when it was in San Diego and the Gas Lamp District. Oh – you can’t beat Nashville in 2020 – it’s hard to choose a favourite when they have all been great in their own way.”

Everyone has a most memorable keynote speaker from SOLIDWORKS World, who is yours?

“At SOLIDWORKS World 2012 in San Diego, California – Mike Rowe. It was so much fun to see him on stage and listen to him talk about Dirty Jobs as well as the Mike Rowe WORKS Foundation.”

Dan – you have been part of the SOLIDWORKS community for quite some time. Please tell us what attracted you to take on the role of Manager of the SOLIDWORKS User Group Network?

“As you know, I was in a technical support role at the reseller. This is a very service-based position and I really enjoyed helping customers sort through problems and learn new things. After considering my own career path, I knew that if I were to make a change, I wouldn’t want to go from a technical support role to another similar role.

When I saw the position open for Manager of the SOLIDWORKS User Group Network, I was really interested as I knew the former managers in this position and what they brought to the table.

Considering my own strong technical background as well as my personal skill set, I thought that this is something that could really help me expand my involvement in the community.

It was exciting to think about taking my existing skills and experiences and using them to grow and expand the SOLIDWORKS User Group Network.”

Part 2

It was a pleasure speaking to Dan, learning more about his background and what attracted him to the role.

Learn more about Dan and his future plans for the SOLIDWORKS User Group Network in Part 2!

Supporting SOLIDWORKS User Groups

Want to find out more about how DriveWorks can support your SOLIDWORKS User Group?

 Get in touch with us to find out more!