Personality+: Joe Gomez Acting With Authority

When the daily ups and downs of the telecom industry get a little hectic, W. Lange And Company Inc.’s Joe Gomez forgoes gardening, the golf course and the gym for what he says is some real stress relief — hunting criminals, dodging bullets and joining in on high-speed pursuits.

Joe with wife, Angelica, and daughter, Natalia Grace

After 10 years of service in the U.S. Air Force, Joe moved to Los Angeles in 1988 to serve as an adviser to the U.S. government intelligence community. He naturally fell into reserve police work after working as a security police supervisor providing protection to the nuclear bomb forces in the Air Force. “After hanging up my uniform from my military service, I still felt the need to serve my community and my country,” explained Joe, who is now a 19-year veteran of the Los Angeles Police Department.

As a reserve police officer, Joe performs all the same duties as a full-time officer, and by virtue of his training, he is also a California Peace Officer, with powers of arrest and ability to carry a loaded and concealed firearm while off duty. Additionally, Joe is one of the Bike Patrol Squad Leaders for the West Traffic Division Reserve Unit, working at least two weekends every month.

Joe (left) and fellow SWAT team members on “Shark”

And now, thanks to running into an old friend at a training course, Joe isn’t just a policeman, he also plays one on TV. His friend’s wife had formed a production company, called SWAT4Hire, to provide talent and technical advising services to the TV and movie industries. The company had landed its first big contract for the hit series “24.” Joe auditioned for the SWAT Team for the show, and then became the No. 2 man on the show’s Counter Terrorism SWAT Team.

“Technical advising and tactical choreography is a lot of fun because you have a lot of say in the final product,” said Joe. “I have rewritten dialogue that didn’t sound authentic, helped design realistic sets, and given the directors insight as to how something would occur in the ‘real world.’”

Although Joe had no real acting experience when he got this first gig, he now has performed in several police reenactments for the History Channel and “America’s Most Wanted,” and also appeared on shows like”24,” “Shark” and “ER.”

Joe and America’s Most Wanted’s John Walsh

 In addition to his police and acting activities, Joe serves as the CIO of master agency W. Lange And Company, where he provides concept development, network design and implementation support to Internet, IP VPN, VoIP, MPLS and Web hosting customers. “Telecom pays the bills; I have never really seriously pursued a full-time career in either law enforcement or acting,” said Joe.

Joe spends all of his free time with his wife, Angelica, who also works for W. Lange And Company, and their three-year-old daughter, Natalia Grace. Natalia suffers from four serious brain defects, including epilepsy and cerebral palsy, and was originally given a short life expectancy due to her brain issues.

“I think that the most important and satisfying thing I have ever been involved in is raising my daughter,” said Joe. “My wife Angelica and I have shifted our priorities in life and try to balance our hectic work schedules with making time to help with our daughter’s development. The other stuff is fun, but this is what’s important.”

First job: Newspaper delivery boy in Taylor, Texas, at age 14.

Words to live by: “For those who fought for it, freedom has a flavor the protected will never know.”

Do you know someone who has Personality+? We’re looking for interesting characters in telecom to take the spotlight! Please send nominations to Cara Sievers at csievers@vpico.com.