He's athenahealth's resident jazz musician, a Dunkin Donuts regular, and Director of Marketing. Meet Rob Halpern, this month's featured athenista.

athenaPulse: What do you do in a typical day at work?
Rob Halpern: I'm one of several folks responsible for lead acquisition -- so in a typical day, I manage rafts of initiatives that introduce people to athena, get them to understand how significantly different we are, and pique their interest enough for them to engage. There is a colossal amount to do, and it is truly a team effort.

aP: What are your pet peeves in the office?
RH: I'm probably going to get in trouble for saying this, but I really hate our coffee -- I don't know if it's the water or our machines, but it's terrible. In fact, they know me by name at the local Dunkin Donuts. Is that a bad sign?

aP: Describe a situation where you thought: 'This is my 15 minutes of fame.'
RH: I've been a jazz musician nearly my whole life, and in college, I had the opportunity to play with Dizzy Gillespie. He was the real deal -- an amazingly influential originator of the art. A few years ago, I was watching Ken Burns's documentary, "Jazz," and he had a segment on Dizzy -- and I thought, "Hey! I hung out with that guy!"

aP: Your favorite "athena moment?"
RH: I just hired someone who won't actually start with athena for several weeks, but he became involved with an important project that is already moving. This means he's been working at athena prior to working at athena, which was exactly my experience! It was an incredible moment for me to carry on this athena tradition. I'm only wondering whether I'll have to provide this individual with a performance review the day before he starts.

aP: Do you bring your lunch or buy it?
RH: I usually try to bring my lunch. We wind up with a lot of leftovers in our house, and I think it's a waste when they're not eaten -- so I'm kind of the utility player in my kitchen, finishing whatever is there. It's also generally more time-efficient to have lunch immediately available. It makes it possible for me to eat when my schedule gets really busy.

aP: If your office were on fire, what is the one thing you would grab on the way out?
RH: Truthfully? My notebooks. I can replace my family pictures because they are duplicates. My computer files are all backed up on the network. And I'm not really that attached to my stapler. But I'm a scrupulous note taker, and I would be lost without my spiral-bound notebooks.

aP: Favorite way to unwind after work?
RH: I have two young boys at home, so I really enjoy playing with them. They're into soccer and baseball, so there is always a ball that we can kick or throw around. I also have two dogs, and they are normally the fastest to greet me when I walk through the door!