My Story

From a young age, whenever I set my mind to a specific goal, I was sure to see it through to the finish as promised.  

I have a fond appreciation for cinema that leads back to my days of working for Marcus Cinemas where I worked my way up from an usher, to a cashier, and into a managerial position as a Theatre Projectionist. That is when I first had to develop a set of quality standards when starting, stopping, and splicing film (this was before digital film projectors) and make sure the movies would run uninterrupted. Some may remember the days when film would break or burn in the middle of the movie.

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After graduation from HS I went to work as an Iron Construction Worker while I was in school for Fire Fighting. I worked simultaneously as a Volunteer Fire Fighter and Iron Worker. After sustaining an injury, I changed gears to continue on with my commitment and passion for saving lives and helping people.

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I became a father when I was 22 and had to consider the future and how to provide for my son when most of my peers were out partying and having fun. With a new focus, I began my college career at UW Waukesha and transferred to UW Milwaukee where I would later graduate with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Clinical Laboratory Science. I continued my studies in the arena of public health microbiology and was Certified in Molecular Diagnostics at UWM the following year.  

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During job interviews, I tell this joke...

I grew up in a lab. Some say I am a fungi! It's corny, but silly and the truth. I began working in healthcare in August of 2001.

While in school for my undergrad I worked as a phlebotomist where my experiences with patients were where I learned to hone my technical and people skills. I quickly developed a fine tuned sense of empathy and understanding of the patients I would collect blood from. I focused on being as skilled as possible thinking of patients as friends, family, and loved ones. 

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After a few years of working as a Medical Laboratory Scientist, I went on to attend and graduate from Cardinal Stritch University with a Masters Degree in Business Administration. I was focused on improving the efficiency and quality of laboratory services which led me to obtaining state licensure in the state of California which has the strictest lab standards and requirements through the California Department of Public Health.

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I worked as a consultant traveling to work in different labs to understand how the standards and state licensure differed from other labs I had previously worked in. I used what I learned from those opportunities to continue working across the nation but this time, sharing what I had learned as a way to improve the quality of laboratory processes and services.

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I see many parallels that can be drawn between a healthcare system(s) and a local city government where patients are analogous to the citizens. Like the hospital staff swear a Hippocratic oath, council members swear a similar oath to the citizens. 

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I have sworn myself to the Hippocratic oath for more than half of my life, and have held the public interests and safety very close to my heart. Please explore the rest of my website to find out more about me and my vision for the future of Franklin.

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Thank you!

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Marcelino Rivera III