For over thirteen years, TimelyText has worked with some of North Carolina’s most talented writers and editors. The diverse skillsets and expertise of these men and women have earned this company the reputation it has today, and we at TimelyText continue striving to help every employee find their ideal working situation.
In honor of their hard work and years of dedication, we at Timely are profiling several of our longtime candidates on our blog. We want to share their lives and success stories as a way for people to learn a little more about them, and to see how TimelyText has helped them in their careers.
For this entry, we spoke with technical writer Chuck Arnold to discuss his life, career, retirement, and passion for knowledge.
Chuck and Ronnie show off Chuck’s ’22 years of experience’ jersey at Timely’s 2014 summer luncheon!
For Chuck Arnold, technical writing was more than a job – It was an opportunity to learn.
Having worked in the field for decades, including a lengthy tenure in the United States Air Force, Chuck structured his career around learning all he can about everything he can.
“I’ve certainly been ambitious,” he said. “I have a real passion for learning, and I think that’s a common trait among strong technical writers. You have to get interested in what you’re working on.”
Chuck discovered much of his love for learning while training with the Air Force, spending over 13 years studying electronics and 12 more as a technical writer and researcher. After retiring from the Armed Services in October of 1990, he took on an eclectic mix of jobs and contracts to increase his knowledge base.
“It was a very exciting time,” he said. “I’ve always had a habit of working a little more than the average person, so I was fairly successful in the Air Force and as an independent technical writer.”
One of Chuck’s talents was being able to turn things around quickly and efficiently, netting him a reputation as one of the best in the business.
Working with NC State, The National Fisheries Institute, numerous biotech companies, and even for former NC Governor Jim Hunt, Chuck made sure he was never short of something new to tackle.
“I’ve done a little bit of everything,” he said. “And let me say, that’s maybe the greatest thing about having spent my career with TimelyText. The variety of clients and projects I was able to work with.”
Chuck first became acquainted with TimelyText’s CEO and vice president, Ronnie Duncan and Adrian West, about one year after leaving the Air Force. When TimelyText was officially founded in 2003 (after operating under a different corporate name for nearly a decade), Chuck worked as one of the company’s most prolific contractors until his retirement in 2012.
“I’ve become so close with Ronnie and Adrian,” he said. “They’ve always made sure my interests were met, my time and effort were compensated – that’s where (TimelyText) makes sure the client is taken care of.”
Often working through nights, weekends, and even vacations, Chuck said he got to a point where despite his eagerness to continue learning, he needed to take a step back.
“Deciding it was (time to retire) was difficult for me, but it was Adrian more than anyone who knew I needed to pull back and helped me,” Chuck said. “(TimelyText) knows everyone they work with that way. Even after I stopped working regularly, they’d still offer me first dibs if I ever wanted something.”
Chuck said he remains active and engaged in his retirement, exploring various new fields of study in his free time.
“I find myself busier than ever,” he said. “I’ve learned a whole lot about gardening, and I’ve been working on a book about the Arnold family line.”
Chuck’s recent genealogical study led him to organize a family reunion last August, gathering different families and generations together to speak to one another.
“Watching the younger generation share this love of knowledge and meeting one another is wonderful,” he said. “That’s what it’s all about: meeting people and learning things.”
Ronnie, Chuck, and Adrian
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I’m a storyteller!
Exactly how I’ve told stories has changed through the years, going from writing college basketball analysis in the pages of a newspaper to now, telling the stories of the people of TimelyText. Nowadays, that means helping a talented technical writer land a new gig by laying out their skills, or even a quick blog post about a neat project one of our instructional designers is finishing in pharma.
Ronnie Duncan
Posted at 14:09h, 01 JulyChuck first worked for us in the previous iteration of TimelyText, under a different corporate name. He is truly part of the family. In the early days of TimelyText, my kids would joke about \”Chuck Arnold calling\” followed by giggles. Chuck saw my children grow up. What a blessing to work with such an honorable man and great technical writer.
Chuck, we love you!