Drake People

Eddie Ensley, Federal Programmer

“I get the Federal Calculation programming problems no one else can figure out,” says Eddie Ensley.  “Like how depreciation works in our program, or how a specific calculation is made.  With our cloud-based products, it’s up to me to make sure that those calculations are right, and that the forms print properly.”

Eddie was hired by Phil Drake as a programmer in 1991, even though programming was more of a hobby for him than his career focus.

“I earned a degree in business administration and Accounting from Southwestern Community College, and maintain credentials as an Enrolled Agent before the IRS,” he says.  “But programming had always been a hobby.  I started programming on the Radio Shack TRS-80 computer, loading programs from punch cards, cassette tapes and finally the massive 8” floppy disk drives.  In fact, my first computer at Drake had a green screen.”

“We’ve come a long way since then.”

Ensley married his wife Kimberly right out of high school in 1985, and they live together with son Chris just outside of Franklin, NC.  The mountain country lifestyle gives him the ability to balance his work and his life.

“I average about 45 hours a week on the job, and 60 hours or more a week during tax season.  I can’t really count the hours – I just stay until the job is done.  And the job is a little different every year, which keeps it interesting.  But things slows down in the summertime, giving me time to fish and do some woodworking.”

He is currently remodeling around the house, having spent much of the summer adding a bathroom for son Chris.  Kimberly is busy creating new projects for him, and supporting their son as a soccer mom.

“One of the great things about working for Drake is that our slow season is in the summer.  I’m not much for hunting, and have shot competitively, but my real passion is fishing,” he says.  “I will fish for anything that will bite.  Last week, it was blues.  We keep enough for our dinner, and release the rest.”

“There is nothing,” he adds, “like fresh fish for dinner.”

Eddie Ensley, Lead Federal Programmer