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grandkids, ranging from ages two to 20, living in Colorado, Texas,
Italy, and occasionally Australia,” he says. “We have a wonderful
time keeping up with them. We’ve become pretty plugged into
mobile tech to stay in touch.”
When he’s not working, he and his wife try to spend as much
time as possible out on the Gulf. “When we’re not on the water,
Colleen and I are tinkering with boats of any kind,” he remarks.
Ehrlichman says he truly enjoys living and working here in Manatee
County. “I love the people of Manatee and their willingness to
work together,” he says. “Vibrant projects such as the Riverwalk,
the arts community, and local businesses and entrepreneurs are
what make this area fun. My office is near downtown Bradenton,
so I am able to spend some time enjoying the town.”
While it’s a great area, he believes Manatee and Sarasota
Counties have room to grow in some areas. “Like any community,
we have significant issues larger than any one organization can
tackle,” he points out. “The only solution is to come together
to face the tough issues of prosperity for everyone, affordable
housing and superior education—and by the way, all of these
have ‘workforce’ components.”
www.careersourcesuncoast.com to learn more about
CareerSource Suncoast.
However, his dad went back to school and retrained in
“instrumentation” via the equivalent of today’s local workforce
system. This made a huge impression on Ehrlichman, who went
on to attend college at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh
after high school.
“I was very fortunate to attend CMU and learned to love the
blending of arts and technology,” he says. “However, after four
years in the business and engineering side of things, I needed
people and teams!”
That’s what led him to Chicago, where he attended Northwestern
University, Evanston. “I loved living in Chicago if only for a year,”
he remarks. “Their approach to business is entrepreneurial
and collaborative.”
After his time at Northwestern, a job opportunity took Ehrlichman
west to his “adopted hometown” of Colorado Springs. “That’s
where I spent most of my working, adult life, and where Colleen and
I raised our family before relocating to southwest Florida in 2009.”
While he may be considered a “career man,” Ehrlichman says
he always puts his family first. He and his wife Colleen have four
grown kids, each with their own families now. “We have four
/www.careersourcesuncoast.com