$ systemctl status --all john.slice

I'm John Adams, born December 12, 1969, raised in the St. Louis area, and these days living in Champaign, Illinois. I keep buildings running for the Urbana Park District, I listen to way too much classic rock, and I think most problems can be solved with a good crew and a better joke.

This site is my little corner of the internet. The name is a Linux joke — systemd is the thing that boots up a computer and keeps all its services running. Seemed about right for a guy who keeps the lights on for a living.

High school was a good time. I built a strong circle of friends there, and a lot of them are still my friends today, more than thirty-five years later.

Math and I did not get along in the classroom. Then somebody invented spreadsheets and calculators and the whole problem went away. I consider that a win.

My love for classic and heavy rock came straight from my mom and her brothers. Between them and the heavy rotation on KSHE 95, I never stood a chance — and I'm glad.

I still listen to the greats regularly: Van Halen, Styx, Ratt, Mötley Crüe, Billy Joel, Rush. If it came out between about 1975 and 1992, there's a good chance I know every word.

My friends and I were always cracking jokes and giving each other a hard time — the good-natured kind. We grew up on George Carlin, Richard Pryor, Rodney Dangerfield, and Sam Kinison, which explains a lot.

That hasn't changed much. Exhibit A: right before Christmas 2025, the crew wrapped the boss's truck, bumper to bumper, in holiday wrapping paper. All in good fun.

My working life started in construction alongside my Uncle Rick in St. Louis. We spent years installing siding on new homes and apartments. I truly enjoyed the work, and I enjoyed working with Rick even more.

I kept making the trip to see him and his family in Missouri for as long as I could. Some of the best lessons I ever got about showing up and doing the job right came from him.

I joined the Urbana Park District in 2019 as a part-time construction worker and moved into full-time building maintenance not long after. HVAC, plumbing, electrical, carpentry, concrete, whatever the day brings — if it's broken in a park building, it's probably on my list.

Every place I've ever worked, I've been lucky enough to work with a great group of people. This one is no exception.

Boots on the ground, head in the cloud. I used generative AI (Google Gemini) to audit and standardize the district's chemical Safety Data Sheets — turning piles of legacy paperwork into clean, searchable digital records.

I earned my Google AI Essentials and Google AI Professional certificates in 2026, and I lead chemical safety meetings and Toolbox Talks for the crew.