The Monthly Review spotlights a different URACer each month in a Q&A. This month it's Larry Kroll, one of URAC's Business Development Executives.
TMR: When did you start at URAC and what brought you here?
Larry: My first day was Monday, May 14, 2018. The enthusiasm of Kurt Acker was a big reason for joining URAC. Kurt had joined URAC earlier in the year and shared with me his positive experience; which included the people, the mission and the culture. He also mentioned that he really appreciated his boss. I also had worked for a non-profit company based in the Washington D.C. area in a previous life and really enjoyed my time there.
TMR: What were you doing before you came to URAC?
Larry: For the past 15 years plus I had been in software sales, promoting Learning Management Systems, Revenue Cycle and Compliance solutions to large acute and post-acute health systems in the U.S., especially in the southeast. I have also done some consulting in the healthcare space with startup healthcare organizations. I did depart from my healthcare background for a little while in the last year by consulting for a company that provided team building events to medium and large companies through the culinary experience. Team Building through competitive cooking. Quite fun.
TMR: Describe yourself in three words.
Larry: Thoughtful, loyal and consistent.
TMR: How do you like to spend your leisure time?
Larry: With my family, cooking, traveling, staying active and going to street festivals.
TMR: What’s your favorite restaurant?
Larry: I enjoy all types of food but especially enjoy Italian and Middle Eastern. In Atlanta, I look forward to going to Ippolito’s for Italian and Cedar Grill for Middle Eastern. Both restaurants always prepare the food well and who doesn’t like a good red sauce or mezza platter.
TMR: What do you like to watch?
Larry: In terms of movies, I have always enjoyed movies. My favorites include the Godfather I and II, Shawshank Redemption, Rounders, Good Will Hunting, LA Confidential to name a few. With regard to network shows, I like Modern Family and Black-ish. I recently started watching, although old and long gone, “the Wire” and “West Wing”. I was a big fan of the Sopranos. I have recently started listening to Podcasts to stay current. And did I mention, I am a little bit of a political junkie.
TMR: What kind of books do you like to read?
Larry: Mostly novels but also enjoy non-fiction. The last book was part of the Jack Reacher series by Lee Child called “No Middle Name. Jack Reacher in the book is a lot bigger than Tom Cruise in the movies. I am in the early stages of the book “Yes we (Still) Can, Politics in the Age of Obama, Twitter and Trump by Dan Pfeiffer.
TMR: What's your favorite vacation spot?
Larry: I do like to travel and will try and take two interesting trips per year. I do not know if I have a favorite vacation spot, however I especially like going to Europe, which includes Italy, France and Spain, and hope to visit countries such as Sweden, Denmark, Norway and Iceland. Did I mention Australia and New Zealand. For pure leisure, I do enjoy Aruba and St. Martin. Food, people, lodging and sightseeing in the cities and countryside are big components of the traveling experience for me. I enjoy going to the large food markets such as the one in Barcelona off of Las Ramblas boulevard called La Boqueria.
TMR: Are you a cat person or a dog person?
Larry: Although I really like animals and have had nine pets over time (4 dogs and 5 cats), I still gravitate towards dogs, not that there is anything wrong with that. My favorites tend to be Goldens, Labs and larger mixed dogs.
TMR: Tell us something about yourself that most people at URAC would not know about you.
Larry: I have lived in Atlanta since 1977, but was raised in the Bronx, New York, not terribly far from the Bronx Zoo and attended Evander Childs High School. My grandparents on my mother’s side are from Turkey and my father’s side from Russia. I met my wife while in college at SUNY Binghamton and have three pretty grown children; two public school teachers and a pediatric nurse.
