If you’ve had the pleasure of meeting our Operations Manager even one time, you’re sure to remember him. Because Evan Malkin is one of the most beloved people at TLA—and we think that’s saying a lot!
We hope you’ll join us in a resounding CONGRATS to Evan for reaching his 15-year Milestone. And, while you’re here, take a few moments to get to know the man, the myth, the legend for yourself below!
Can you tell us a little about yourself?
I was born and raised in Colorado and spent my formative years at CU Boulder. I completed my MBA at CU Denver in 2014 before settling down to start a family. I met my beautiful wife in 2010 and we got married in Evergreen in 2015.
After a few years of travel and living the “dink” life, we welcomed two amazing girls that we are raising here in Denver.
What was your path to TLA?
After graduating in 2008, the job market was scarce at best. TLA Founder Art Fisher gave me the opportunity to work at TLA while I was considering law school.
“The work was organizing accounting files in a very old storage space with no AC all summer. That should have scared me off, but I was sucked in by the lighting business and specifically the TLA familial culture… and here we are 15 years later.”
I can’t imagine my career as an attorney or really anything else, I was very lucky to find a lifelong career at such a young age.
What do you like to do when you’re not working?
My favorite things to do outside of work are enjoy new restaurants, travel abroad, spend weekends skiing with my family, and of course, rooting on the NBA Champion Denver Nuggets!
What experience stands out from your time at TLA?
The time we spent during the building renovations at HQ was one of my favorite times here.
It’s strange to say because people were displaced throughout the office, working on top of each other, sharing 2 bathrooms, and dealing with construction havoc all day.
It certainly wasn’t fun, but everyone just made the best of it. There were minimal complaints, and we all bonded over the shared misery.
What do you love most about your role at TLA?
“I love the freedom I’ve been given to expand my role and craft a position that fits my skillset best.”
Often people are square pegs in a round hole, but the ownership team here has always been supportive of me and has allowed me to grow with the company.
What is it about TLA that makes people want to stick around?
TLA has never lost that family-owned, small company vibe, even though we’ve grown substantially in my 15 years here.
Often that growth can come at the expense of the company’s core values or culture, but if anything, those have improved as we have grown.
My advice to people looking for a place to build a career is this: Make sure there is a path not only for vertical growth within a company but also for lateral movements across the company as well.
We’ve had employees work and grow across several departments, and I think it’s a unique feature of a company where you can spend an entire career.
“I’d like to thank everyone who has been a part of my 15 years here at TLA. Whether we still are peers, or they have moved on to another opportunity, everyone has helped me in some way achieve the career I always wanted. So, thank you, and here is to the next 15!”