A Day in the Life of Jason Baldwin, Manager of Technical Services, Research and Development

The work we do at OTL is truly extraordinary. Our team views the opportunity to design, build and maintain magnificent and awe-inspiring water features, artificial rockwork, and themed environments that attract tenants, guests and visitors as a gift. These projects not only make a measurable difference for our clients, but also allow us to utilize and develop our talents, skills and expertise in a tremendously rewarding way. 

In this series, “A Day in the Life,” we interview one of our incredible team members. Our goal is to share with you their amazing contributions and to reveal what it’s really like to work at OTL. 

This month, we share A Day in the Life of OTL’s Manager of Technical Services, Research and Development, Jason Baldwin. Jason joined OTL in May 2013 and is responsible for the company’s R&D programs, technical oversight of our maintenance operations, tech integration into our projects, and audio system design. 

What was one of your funniest moments working at OTL? 

In our former office in Newport Beach, my co-worker Matt left a bunch of candy hearts with “love” sayings all over Tom Real’s office. Tom is still finding these candy hearts, even in the new building! 

What was it like meeting OTL’s CEO Wick Zimmerman for the first time? How has he fostered a positive work environment for you? 

The first time I met Wick was at my job interview. He had reached out to me on LinkedIn and said he was looking for a guy like me. That meeting with Wick and Hugh Hughes, the two co-founders and literal heads of the company, was intimidating and a little humbling, but Wick said he had read my resumé and “you know your stuff.”  

Hugh and Wick – you could always talk to them. Wick is never high and mighty; he’s just Wick, and his open-door policy is real. He says, “If you need to say something, say it and we’ll figure it out.” It may be small-company culture, but being able to walk into his office and say, “Hey, Wick, we need to do this, this and this” and have him really listen and do what he can to make it happen has always been a breath of fresh air for me. 

What’s an example of how you have grown at OTL? 

I’ve learned so much, but I’m one of those people who wants to learn something new every day, and OTL definitely fosters that. There’s always some new project or something I don’t know, and I hope to spread that knowledge to my co-workers. I want to instill as much information in them as possible. I feel as though if one of us is learning, everybody is learning, and we’re all getting better as a company. 

What happens if you make a mistake at the company? 

One of the biggest mistakes I made was with the Trinity Mills project – I messed up on the engineering. But we came back, reset, asked, “How do we fix this?” and then fixed it, and now it works perfectly. When I make a mistake, I say, “Whoops, I messed up, let’s make this right.” 

Please share a story about a recent interaction with a co-worker that made you smile. 

There are too many interactions like this to single one out. We have a fairly lighthearted work environment. We do serious work, but we’re not beating our heads against the wall – we know how to lighten up, too. 

What was your favorite project to work on at OTL and why? 

I’d have to say EpicCentral is my favorite project because it made us push our own boundaries. The project involved building a show fountain in an existing lake and doing things we’d never done before, like projection and then adding Aquarius Interactive AI technology. This project pushed the envelope, and that’s what I love to do. 

Anything else you’d like to add? 

The type of work we do makes every project seem natural and synergistic with its environment. Our rockwork offers Geo-Believability®, and our technology works its magic invisibly. We’re making it happen without people knowing how, which fills these projects with awe and wonder.