It’s Our People Who Make Us: Gregory Linkous

When Gregory Linkous joined Avolve as a systems engineer nearly two decades ago, he couldn't have anticipated the journey ahead. As one of the original ten team members of Avolve when it broke off from its founding firm, it’s not an exaggeration to say Gregory has been instrumental in supporting the growth and success from day one. 

“It was kind of fly by the seat of your pants,” Gregory shared, reflecting on Avolve's early days. “We had ten people starting the company and doing everything, every role that you can imagine. We all wore many hats.” These exciting founding days were filled with extensive travel and dynamic responsibilities, setting the tone for what would become a remarkable 18-year journey.  

Today, as Director of Support and Installations teams, Gregory plays a crucial role in ensuring customer success. His team handles everything from initial software installations and upgrades to ongoing support, making them the lifeline of customer relationships. “We build relationships with customers and are the ones directly working with them whenever they're having issues,” Gregory explained. “This problem solving enables us to build partnerships with them.” 

It’s exactly the ability to work so closely with customers and build lasting connections that Gregory finds most rewarding in his role. “I love that we get to build a partnership with our customers. They can lean on us whenever they need us, and we know we can always reach out to them for valuable feedback or insights,” he said.  

For Gregory, one of the most fulfilling aspects of working at Avolve is knowing the widespread impact of the company’s software. “What I like best about our software is knowing that it touches so many people,” he shared. “We play a big role in building different communities.” The reach is impressive —  Avolve supports almost two-thirds of the 10 largest cities in the U.S. today.  

Throughout his tenure, Gregory has appreciated Avolve's commitment to employee growth and development. “I think that just by Avolve believing in me, I was able to assume roles that challenged me and gave me opportunities to solve problems and take on responsibilities I wouldn’t have had before,” he said. “That has been the best part — Avolve’s leadership team believing that I could do something and pushing me in those roles where I would either sink or swim. So far, I've swam,” he shared. 

Gregory has also found fulfillment in mentoring others and helping them grow within the company. With a few hires and mentees in particular, he reflected back saying “Seeing them grow so much within the company, that’s been extremely gratifying.”  

When asked what keeps him excited about coming to work each morning, Gregory didn’t hesitate. “Every day is different. Every day is a different challenge, different things that you're dealing with," he explained, emphasizing the dynamic nature of his role. “It's gratifying seeing certain issues get resolved and then moving on to the next ones.” 

Gregory said he also appreciates Avolve's commitment to staying ahead of technological curves. “We've been remarkably adaptive,” he noted. “We try to stay ahead of the curve by bringing on new technologies.” 

After nearly two decades with the company, Gregory said that it’s his colleagues more than any one factor that keep him at Avolve. “The family that we’ve built, the culture that we’ve built here internally — had I not been working with so many great people, I don't think it would have been so easy for me to stay,” he said. “We all have a lot of pride in what we've built, and that just makes it easy to want to continue on this journey” he added. 

Natasha Geldard serves as Chief Marketing Officer at Avolve. She has extensive experience in the electronic plan review industry and is passionate about collaborating with business and government organizations to advance technology solutions that drive meaningful change. For Natasha, the greatest reward in ePlan review is seeing its positive impact on local communities.