Aaron Rupp Employee Spotlight

Tell us about yourself

I was raised in Utah. My Father was a Farmer and a refinery man and my Mother an Educator. I am the youngest of nine children who are all the greatest siblings you could ask for. 

I have an amazing family. I am constantly asked what my wife saw in me… It’s still a mystery. We have been married for 24 years and we have two fantastic teenagers (is that a thing?) No they really are the best! We have a 16 year old boy who just survived a Traumatic Brain Injury from a skateboarding accident, and a 14 year old girl who is an amazing dancer and a critical peacemaker. We were able to adopt both of our kids at birth and we couldn’t be more grateful for our family.   

What is your role at Liberty Mountain?

IT Director

How long have you been working at Liberty Mountain?

Just under 5 years

What is a typical day in the life like for you at Liberty Mountain?

I started to go into detail here and now I feel like this should stay pretty general. With that said, we make sure everything is functioning and that we are available to anyone or any process that is having an issue. It is critical that everyone at Liberty is able to do their jobs and we make sure they have the tools, access, information, and ability to do those jobs. We then will work on servers and network infrastructure after everyone has left for the evening and sometimes throughout the night. We also make ourselves available for anything that might happen throughout the night as well.  

What are some of your outdoor activities?

I like riding dirt bikes, wakeboarding, hiking, etc. but my favorite outdoor activity is snowboarding!

I also love a good Halloween, ie. Flamethrowers and Burning Man vehicles. 

What is your favorite outdoor area?

The most beautiful places I feel I have been is the High Uinta’s, Florence, Italy and Interlaken, Switzerland.

What is your dream vacation spot?

I would love to go to Lofoten Norway. It is a cold vacation so I don’t think my family shares this dream, but there is something about that place that has been calling me. 

Do you have an inspirational hero?

This is going to sound cheesy, but everyone who just keeps going. Life is rough and I fully admire everyone for their ability to simply take the next step. We are surrounded by people who don’t stop and each of them are heroic to me. I feel that my wife and kids have been a huge example of this to me! 

What is your favorite food to chow-down after a long day of adventuring?

Do you know that Golden Island Korean Jerky from Costco? Whew, that is a good treat after, or even during, a long adventure. 

What is a crazy travel story you have?

Well, let’s talk about the Hotel Lawrence in Dallas Texas. I can’t really tell it like a story because it would take pages, so here are some bullets. 

• I went to do a video shoot in Dallas Texas. When I booked the flight, I got a deal on sweet looking hotel that had amazing reviews and beautiful pictures. So I booked it!
• When I arrived, there was nowhere to park the car, so while I was illegally parked and getting bags out, a homeless man asked for money. When I told him I didn’t have cash, he said, “That’s ok, there is an ATM around the corner.” and started physically pushing me in that direction. NOPE! 
• A member of the hotel staff came out and distracted the man while I took bags into the hotel. 
• I approached the front desk and the gentleman on the other side of the counter did not have many of his teeth left making it hard to say “Mister”. He was a kind man and gave me a key to my room. 
• When I went to the elevator, there were two sets of buttons. One was the original, installed with precision, but did not work. The second set was above the other, crooked and loose, but they at least called the elevator. It eventually came, and when I stepped into the elevator and pressed the button, it literally took over five minutes for it to reach the 3rd floor. 
• The hall was dimly lit and looked a bit like a creepy blendr creation. It had not been cleaned or maintained in a very long time. “At least the rooms are sweet” I reminded myself as I recalled the pictures online. 
• When I opened the door to my room, there was already a woman in the my bed. NOPE!
• I went back down to the lobby (using the stairs). He was apologetic and said he would put me in a suite. “Yes!” I thought, “now I will get that remodeled room where the pictures came from. Top floor baby!” 
• He gave me a key for another room on the 3rd floor. Already deflated, I grabbed the key and went. I opened the door to the most disturbing room I have ever witnessed and it had the most potent vomit smell I have ever experienced, even with my own vomit. I am certain that someone just threw up all over that room and they simply made the bed and cycled it to me.  
• I asked for a refund and made my way to the Holiday Inn Express by the Airport. Ahh! Peace at last!

What are your favorite music genres/artists?

My favorite band is Gaslight Anthem.

What are other hobbies you have?

Welding, shooting/editing video, and photography

Are there any activities that you would like to try someday?

I would love to be on set for a movie production or even a commercial.

What gear from Liberty Mountain are you loving?

I love Zippo Lighters, Zippo Hand Warmers, Nite-Ize magnetic keychains, and my favorite knife is the Gerber Jukebox! 

Aaron is critical for making all our systems work here at Liberty Mountain. 
Whenever a problem arises, you can depend on Aaron giving 110%, making sure it’s resolved, and Liberty Mountain can function. 
Liberty Mountain is lucky to have Aaron as the IT manager in both a personal and professional capacity. He is always an amazing person to go to with ideas, issues, or to just have a casual conversation with.

If there is anything you can count on with Aaron, it’s him having a Diet Coke in hand and ready to help whoever needs it.