Director of Technology has advanced degree in religious education

UPDATE: This is the first in an occasional series on the real heroes on the high school campus. The second in the series, Michelle Logan: Voice behind the intercom, was published April 3, 2018. 

Director of Technology Robert Hyatt assists the school by keeping network infrastructure up to date, managing school devices, guiding teachers through technical problems and maintaining various school websites. Hyatt also assists The Feather in maintaining its website.

Hyatt has worked at FC since September 2014 when he found out the position was available. He discusses how he was led to work at Fresno Christian and The Feather.

“I heard that my predecessor got a really great opportunity to go work somewhere else,” Hyatt said. “I had heard about it, so I investigated it and I thought it would be a really great opportunity to work with technology and build websites.”

Hyatt previously worked at California State University, Fresno, and reveals his past work experience, including Wayfinders, and how they led him to his job at FC.

“My previous job was at Fresno State,” Hyatt said. “I worked as the residential living coordinator for a program there, called Wayfinders. It was a program that was designed to help individuals with intellectual disabilities get a college experience. It was my job to teach them how to do laundry, wash dishes, cook and clean and we used technology to teach them how to make shopping lists, and they all had iPads or iPhones. We taught them how to do online banking then I ended up working with the team that developed the website there for Fresno State.”

Over the years, Hyatt has gone to school to receive several different degrees. After attending Fresno Pacific University, Hyatt planned to work in biblical education and served as a youth pastor but later decided to pursue his passion for technology.

“I did my undergrad at a little school in a town called California Christian College, where I got my degree,” Hyatt said. “I also went to FPU for a year and then I got my masters degree at Liberty University. I have a bachelor’s degree in theology; plus, I have a bachelor’s degree in biblical studies. Finally, I also have a masters degree in religious education.”

Hyatt has been in biblical ministry for 21 years. He began as a youth pastor and later became a Pastor of Discipleship at Millbrook Presbyterian Church.

“Before working at Fresno State, I was a full-time Pastor of Discipleship,” Hyatt said, “which was a teaching pastor position at Millbrook Presbyterian Church. And before that, I was a youth pastor, so I have a lot of experience teaching scriptures both as a youth pastor and as an assistant pastor.

“I have a younger brother,” Hyatt continued. “He is five and a half years younger than me and is also in technology. He works for the Department of Defense. My parents were college professors; my mom has passed away but my dad lives up north in a town called Waterford. I grew up here in Fresno and lived here from my birth until 1986, until we moved to Madera. I lived in Madera until my early 20s then I moved back to Fresno.”

Hyatt’s wife, Melissa Hyatt, is the campus HR director and they have two kids, Jacob, ‘21, and Mary, ‘18. Jacob explains his feelings about his father being on campus with him.

“It’s kind of weird having him work at the same school I go to,” Jacob said. “I guess it has its disadvantages and advantages but it’s all right. Something unique about him is that he can remember lyrics to all different types of songs. I spend time with my dad by playing video games with him. Also going to soccer games is something that we bond over.”

Aside from work, Robert Hyatt values spending time with his family and practicing his hobbies. He enjoys photography, exercise, taking day trips to the coast and watching football and hockey.

Campus math teacher, Angie Counts, appreciates the work Hyatt does on campus for the teachers.

“I occasionally have issues with my Apple technology,” Counts said. “Mr. Hyatt is really good at coming in and fixing all the problems my computer and projector. Whenever I need some help Mr. Hyatt can always figure out what’s wrong and get it fixed.”

For more profiles, read Ben Certain: Man behind the music. For more articles, check out Behind the Bow: Journalists join cheer practice, share experience and Net neutrality threatens free internet. For more articles in the FC Real Heroes series, read Michelle Logan: Voice behind the intercom.

This author can be reached via Twitter @OwenMonke and via email.