Erik Herring Recalls Playing Basketball at Camp David

Erik Herring has played a lot of basketball in his lifetime. At Thorton Township High School in Harvey, IL, he was a two time State basketball player. While playing guard at George Mason University in Fairfax, VA, he was named CAA All-Conference Player in 2000 and 2001, including in 2001 when he helped lead his team to the NCAA tournament. Following college, he played semi-professional ball in the United State Basketball League (USBL), American Basketball Association (ABA) as well as professionally overseas.

Of all the games in his long and successful basketball career though, there’s one game Erik’s unlikely to forget.

As a sales representative on the Autodesk Government team, Erik came to DLT in 2008. After work and on weekends, he and friends would frequently get together and play pick-up games at the gym at Georgetown University. As a VAR and information technology solutions provider to the public sector it makes sense to be headquartered less than 30 minutes outside of D.C.

One afternoon Erik got a call from a friend who he frequently plays with. The friend worked at the White House under the Obama Administration, and asked Eric to meet him outside of the White House as soon as possible. Erik recalls “I thought it was a little strange. He had urgency in his voice that was out of the ordinary. I met him anyway, ready to play.

“When I got there he asked ‘how do you feel about playing at Camp David?’ I thought he was kidding. Next thing I know, there I am in the Presidential motorcade. About 40 minutes later I was standing on a basketball court, Presidential Seal on the floor, about to play basketball with President Obama.”

The game wrapped up, and everyone was thanked for coming out. “I thought that was going to be the end of it,” said Erik.

But a few months later, Erik was asked to travel to Algeria as a part of a Presidential retreat to be an ambassador for the United Sates and the game of basketball. Transported on the aircraft commonly called Air Force One (the aircraft is only officially referred to Air Force One when the President is on board), Erik taught Algerian children how to play basketball. “The kids were amazing,” Erik recalls. “The Algerian people were incredibly welcoming and I couldn’t have asked for a better experience.”

Upon returning to work, Erik presented the CEO Rick Marcotte with this Camp David challenge coin.  It serves as a reminder to everyone here at DLT, that our government is made up of people just like us.  It is a government of the people, by the people and for the people…even the ones who like to play basketball.

Check out our 20th Anniversary Art Piece and read more stories of how DLT became successful serving the public sector.

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