Cathleen Allison/Nevada Appeal
Chris Utley doesn't mind if you call him a geek. In fact, he invites it.
"Actually, it's a term of endearment to me," said Utley, who owns and operates Geeks of Nevada in Carson City, which specializes in certified computer repair, PC-based system maintenance, server network architecture and network security. "It's an indiction that I'm succeeding at what I've set out to do."
Since 2003, Utley and his team of "geeks" have been helping clients in the Carson City, Minden, Gardnerville, Dayton and Washoe Valley areas with even the most distressing computer malfunctions.
There was the University of Nevada, Reno, student who saved her graduate thesis on a floppy disc. The disc was corrupted, but Utley was able to save everything but the last few pages. Another college student lost all of his video projects and final papers during a hard-drive crash. Geeks of Nevada was able to recover 80 percent of the work he needed for graduation.
"If I could say one thing to everybody, I'd say make sure you're backing up (your files)," Utley said. "It's not a matter of 'if' there's a failure, it's a matter of when.
"It just breaks my heart to see people lose stuff," he added. "Just be prepared for a disaster."
There isn't any shame in not knowing how a program works, Utley said, or why it didn't work.
"Some people are embarrassed a little bit," he said. "Some people say, 'I'm really not computer literate.' But they are just not educated. Generally, what we do is try to educate our customers. They're not stupid. Everybody has a learning curve."
In fact, educating customers is his favorite part of the job.
"The biggest joy I get out of my job is seeing the light come on for somebody," Utley said. "There's 70- and 80-year-old people who are working on their family tree and the program doesn't work and they're devastated.
"I've had customers stand up and give me hugs for fixing their stuff for them," he added.
In January, Utley plans to launch a series of computer classes at Geeks of Nevada that will cover everything from understanding Microsoft Office and presentation software, to Internet safety and avoiding computer viruses.
"There are little facets where someone just needs an hour or two to help them get over the hump," he said. "Once you get going, it's really easy to learn."
Utley said he learned about computers by tinkering with them for the past 20 years and working in various positions that required computer skills.
In 1998, he applied for a state job as a networking technician. Utley was told he was overqualified for the position, but didn't have a degree. So he went to Western Nevada College and graduated magna cum laude with an associate degree in information technology.
By graduation, Utley said he was making so much money on his own that he never reapplied for that job. He eventually began to teach at WNC and in the prison system.
He founded Geeks of Nevada in 2003, starting out in an office in north Carson, then moving to the current downtown location four years later.
The office is behind the Ormsby House, a helpful landmark for giving directions to clients. The two-story building also is ideal; Utley's wife, Julieann, operates her insurance business upstairs.
"We both work 14-hour days, so we get to see each other," Utley said, adding that his wife is nicknamed "Queen Geek."
Business continues to grow, and Utley is searching for a new computer technician to add to his team, which includes Scott Blair, in-shop technician ("Wannabe Geek," since he started out as an intern), and Linda Robinson, administrative assistant ("Mama Geek").
"We need to hire the right people," Utley said. "Carson City is a very small town and reputation is important. You only have one chance to make a first impression. If you're not sending the right people out to meet your customers, you've blown your opportunity to make that first impression."