Day in the Life: Sr Product Manager at CentralSquare, John Coltrain

It’s easy to view large organizations like CentralSquare as a faceless entity, especially before you’ve had the pleasure of interacting with one of our customer service reps. But unseen by customers and prospects, our employees work hard behind the scenes, developing and curating solutions for the public sector.

Each staff member has a different background. Every employee has a unique reason for the passion that fuels their work. For some, it stems from past careers in public safety or administration. Others simply understand how their work positively impacts communities nationwide.

This article is the first of our Day in the Life blog series, where you get a glimpse behind the curtains. In each of these articles, we’ll highlight a single employee so you can learn more about the people and the passion that keeps CentralSquare running.

Today, we’re excited to spotlight John Coltrain, the Senior Manager of Product Management for Public Safety and Justice. Keep reading to see our interview with John and to learn about his dedication to product management and development.

Q: What brought you to CentralSquare?

“I’m a retired Police Officer and Deputy Sheriff with 30 years of law enforcement experience. Although I’m retired, I wanted a second career in the software industry while still contributing to public safety. I’m passionate about equipping public safety personnel to do their jobs better. That includes more efficient dispatching and faster emergency response.”

Q: What does your typical day look like?

“To start the day, I review my email inbox for any high priority items that may have come in overnight. I also assess the day’s meetings and gather the necessary materials for those meetings, such as dashboards, slide decks, and spreadsheets. Before meetings, I review those items for clarity and accuracy.

“Three days per week I hold Office Hours for direct reports and PCT team members, as well as an additional Office Hour for Account Managers. During this time, anyone with an invitation can show up and I’ll attempt to resolve their issues.”

Q: What are the main projects you’re working on?

“Cloud migration projects are the highest priority, hands down. Development work is also ruthlessly prioritized throughout the day. We’re always focused on offering customers a fully cloud-hosted product suite like ONESolution – a one-stop solution that integrates seamlessly and solves their biggest challenges.

“We often hear about cybercriminals penetrating both public administration and public safety networks, which results in system downtime and data being held for ransom. This happens all too often.

“Our customers, especially those in public safety, risk their lives to save others. We’re extremely motivated to prevent them from becoming victims of bad actors who would exploit sensitive data for personal gain. At CentralSquare, our cloud-based solutions come with advanced security measures to protect those who protect others.”

Q: What goals are you working towards in 2025?

“As a people leader, I endeavor to lead with the smallest footprint possible to achieve the desired result. I’m always striving to improve my management skills, even focusing on those that would be required of me at the next management level. In my case, that means the level of Director.”

Q: What are you looking forward to this year?

“Definitely ENGAGE. It’s the premier customer/product event of the year. ENGAGE is an exciting time to provide product training and a directional roadmap, but the best part is sitting down with customers, listening to their needs, and working towards specific resolutions to product gaps.

“We are also providing six cloud-specific webinars in H1 2025. Explore the topics and sign up for a webinar today that catches your interest.”

Get Started Today

Stay tuned for more employee spotlights in our Day in the Life series. Until then, discover for yourself why people like John have dedicated themselves to developing products like ONESolution.

ONESolution provides everything your agency needs for cross-department collaboration, seamless communication and effective emergency response. By integrating CAD, RMS, Mobile and Jail, you get a one-stop solution to your biggest challenges.

Schedule a discovery call today to learn how to customize ONESolution to your agency’s precise needs.