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inside this issue
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Vol. 89
No. 4
A publication for current and retired employees of the Metropolitan Utilities District
pg. 2 // Crews install services for development
pg. 10 // A night in the life of an auto mechanic
pg. 5 // Families attend children’s holiday party
pg. 12 // Retirements
pg. 6 // Customer Experience focus shifts
pg. 16 // 43-pound weight loss success
pg. 8 // District sees organizational changes
pg. 18 // United Way drive makes a splash
Crews work on development in West Omaha
VOL. 89 No. 4 Winter 2018 TAPS & JETS is published quarterly for current and retired employees to inform them about the District, activities and accomplishments of its employees. Your comments are welcome. Please send comments and suggestions to: TAPS & JETS, Metropolitan Utilities District, 1723 Harney St., Omaha, NE 68102-1960; email jessica_heidebrecht@mudnebr.com or call 402.504.7204. Follow us on Twitter (@mudomahane) and Facebook (facebook.com/mudomahane) for alerts, photos and news. Board of Directors: Chairman David Friend, Vice-Chairman Tim Cavanaugh, Jim Begley, Tom Dowd, Jack Frost, Gwen Howard and Mike McGowan. President: Mark Doyle Editor: Jessica Heidebrecht 2
Taps & Jets
On the cover... Todd Pignotti, Transportation, works the night shift as an auto mechanic. Employees on the night shift work from 4 p.m. to midnight servicing vehicles and equipment so they can be used by crews the next morning. For more, see the story on page 10. (Photo by Claire Smith.)
Crews install gas and water service for the Heartwood Preserve development, formerly known as West Farm. The development, located between West Dodge Road and Pacific Street from 144th to 150th Streets, will be a mixed-use area with restaurants, shops, office space, living quarters, a trail system and park. Opposite page, above: Crews from various companies work on the Heartwood Preserve development just south of Dodge Street. Rocky Hudson, Construction, oversees the installation of a gas service. Opposite page, below: Troy Bostwick and Kevin McWilliams, Construction, connect two pieces of gas pipe before it is put in the ground. This page, above left: Jason Jorgensen, Construction, operates the boring rig to pull 500 feet of gas piping into place. This page, above right: Kevin McWilliams digs a hole to see the end of the gas piping come through. This page, below: Troy Bostwick and Kevin McWilliams mark where the new gas line will be installed. (Photos by Claire Smith.)
Winter 2018
3
kudos
Mike Ariza
Doug Boynton
Jason Chevalier
Al Clark
Mike Conrad
Justin Corcoran
Ken Cribbs
Kyle Crum
John Davis
Wayne Davis
Mike Dvorak
Pete Georges
Ray Goldsberry
Dennis Gramps
Brenda Harmon
Gene Jaworski
Chris Kaslon
Ronnie Kates
Jeff Kuhn
Al Kurz
Buffy Larson
Blaine Lazio
Jim Lindley
Dan Murcek
Bob Nielsen
Dave Peters
Mike Sapienza
Kaelee Schultz
Rob Stewart
Mike Szymczak
Tom Todd
Dave Turnbo
Chris Walter
Roger Williams
Dave Zapata
Field Services
Construction
Credit Services
Field Services
Field Services 4
Customers recently wrote or called to praise the work performed by these employees.
Taps & Jets
Construction
Construction
Construction
Construction
Field Services
Field Services
Field Services
Construction
Field Services
Field Services
Field Services
Construction
Construction
Construction
Field Services
Law Department
Field Services
Construction
Field Services
Field Services
Field Services
Plant Engineering
Field Services
Transportation
Field Services
Field Services
Field Services
Meter Reading
Meter Reading
Field Services
Families celebrate at annual holiday party
Approximately 155 children and their families attended the annual Children’s Holiday Party, sponsored by IBEW Local 1521, the District and Family Focus Federal Credit Union. Children received a gift, decorated cookies and posed for photos with Santa. A magician and face painter also provided entertainment. Volunteers for the party included, standing, from left: Tom Todd, Kathy Cox, Tom Riley, Rocky Barraza, Carol Nary, Greg Andrade, Will Carter, Reni Cimatoribus, Caroline Lesac, Jerry Anderson, Teri Crowell, Bill Dudzik, Louise Miller, Mark Reier, Macy Shaffar and Lisa Riley. Kneeling, from left: Face painter Terri Sortino, magician Joe Cole, Libby Rodeghier, Bonnie Savine, Bobby Urbach, Jr., Laura Shaffar, Mrs. Claus (Mary Conrad), Santa (Mike Conrad) and Ava Shaffar. (Courtesy photo.)
Employees, retirees attend Benefits Fair
More than 450 employees, retirees and their families attended the District’s annual Benefits Fair October 23 at the Firefighters Hall. Representatives from various benefits vendors were available, and Human Resources staff provided information on benefits, wellness, tuition assistance and SuccessFactors. (Photo by Claire Smith.) Winter 2018
5
Customer Experience focus shifts unde Employee training, two-hour appointments, outbound calling see success in 2018
M
embers of the Customer Experience Committee – formed in 2017 – have been working hard to identify how the District can improve the customer experience. The group started the year with seven overarching goals. After digging in, a lot has changed direction. “Not only did we refine some of the areas we were focusing on, the shift in leadership that took place also brought in a different focus and direction,” said Stephanie Mueller, vicepresident, Customer Services. As some areas of focus were redefined, more emphasis was added to others. In 2015, several employees went through a Customer First Success training program to identify how to communicate more effectively both internally and externally. “The majority of Customer Services went through the training in 2016 and we launched the training District-wide in 2017,” said Stephanie. So far, 291 employees have taken the training, which will continue until all employees have taken it. Angie Garfield, owner of Customer First Success, facilitates the training for the District. The program aids in enhancing the communication skills of our employees and helps ensure effective and efficient communication with internal and external customers. “Throughout the sessions, participants have been positive and participative and those who have been through the process understand more about communication,” Angie said. “One example is how behaviors affect day-to-day communication and how adapting to the behavior of others is so important. I am certain that the program concepts and principles can assist the District in reaching their overall goals for success.”
Stephanie Mueller
Stephanie said, “I have heard nothing but positive feedback from our employees about this training. A lot of that success goes back to Angie in how she delivers the material and the type of environment she creates within the training sessions.”
“Everyone is really working together and at the end of the day we’re all just trying to do what’s best for our customers.” —Stephanie Mueller vice-president, Customer Services 6
Taps & Jets
Customer First Success facilitator Angie Garfield shakes hands with Kyle Krause, Engineering Design, during graduation as his co-workers (Mark Mendenhall, Law Department; Sarah Jones, Marketing and Rates; Castro Okuom, Information Technology; and Kyle Bowman, Marketing and Rates) congratulate him.
Another area of the customer experience that has taken a lot of energy and focus in 2018 is our ability to schedule and respond to two-hour service order windows. A new work management system was implemented within Field Services in June 2016. After transitioning to the new system, we began offering two-hour appointments to customers in September 2017. A goal of 95 percent adherence to the two-hour window was set. Two months after launching this option, we saw between 88 and 94 percent adherence. At the end of November, our technicians were reporting a 96.5 percent adherence. Stephanie added, “It took some time for our technicians to get used to the new work management system technology. Our response statuses are reliant upon our technicians using the technology to track their orders, and if even one step gets missed, that could determine whether we hit that two-hour window or not.” “This was a learning curve for everyone, and I think now that we’re all on board we’re seeing that reflected in the higher adherence rate.” Efforts have also been in place over the past year to remind customers on payment due dates. The District began using outbound calling in July 2017 to remind customers of an upcoming service disconnection due to non-payment.
er new leadership
Quarterly contest winners announced
“We’ve received a lot of positive comments from our customers,” Stephanie said. “Some of our customers are going through hardship and may forget a payment deadline, so getting a phone call is a great reminder and avoids a lot of heartache. This process is a great efficiency for us, but it’s also really benefitting our customers.” Over the course of a year, outbound calling is saving the District nearly $1 million. Residential customers receive automated calls and commercial customers receive live calls.
Outbound Calling
Residential Calls for Non-Payment Total automated calls made
2,947
Total paid within 3 days of call
880
% paid
30%
Commercial Calls for Non-Payment Total live calls made Total paid within 3 days of call Stats for November 2018
% paid
129 85
Third quarter Customer Experience Contest winners were announced in October. The winners, pictured with supervisor Reina Walls (right), were: Amelia Moran, customer service clerk II; Kim Plummer, customer service clerk III; and Jill Goss, customer service clerk I. (Courtesy photo.)
District celebrates Customer Service Week
66%
It costs an estimated $50 to send a truck out to disconnect service for non-payment. Over the span of five months (AprilAugust 2018), more than 20,000 outbound calls were made. Of those, nearly half resulted in payment within two days, resulting in an estimated savings to the District of nearly $500,000. Looking toward 2019, the customer experience is only going to continue to improve. Focus is being put on implementing Text Ahead for appointment confirmation and reminders. Anticipated to be in place by the end of the first quarter, this initiative will send a series of four text messages to a customer after they schedule a service order – confirmation of the appointment, a reminder 24 hours prior to the work, an update when the technician is en route and a completion message requesting feedback from the customer. Stephanie said, “Today our technicians do a lot of call aheads to our customers, which oftentimes is problematic in itself. The Text Ahead process will not only eliminate this step for our technicians, it will also result in improved productivity for them.” As the District continues to move forward in improving the customer experience, it’s important to realize that every employee is integral in the process. Stephanie added, “Everyone is really working together and at the end of the day we’re all just trying to do what’s best for our customers.”
The District celebrated Customer Service Week October 1-5. Teams from Customer Service, Credit Services, Customer Accounting, Dispatch and Remittance Processing took part in activities throughout the week. Above: Pattie Cannon, Customer Accounting; Angelique Sancho and Jill Goss, Customer Service; and Carissa Rodrigues, Dispatch, enjoy lunch. Left: Kaelee Schultz, Meter Reading, plays ring toss with Sophia Winfrey, Customer Service. (Photos by Claire Smith.) Winter 2018
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new employees
Jerod Cleveland
Lynn Crawley
Matthew Guinn
Pipe Layer Trainee
Customer Service Clerk I
Brad Marco
IT Asset Specialist
Construction
Andrew Johnson
Zachary Lariviere
Water Maintenance Trainee Pipe Layer Trainee
Pipe Layer Trainee
Water Maintenance Trainee Pipe Layer Trainee
Deirdre Neal
Jaylan Newsome
Jeremy Welker
Jakeb Whitbeck
Donald Wilburn
Customer Service Clerk I
Water Maintenance Trainee Customer Service Clerk I
Pipe Layer Trainee
Pipe Layer Trainee
Pipe Layer Trainee
Customer Service
Information Technology Customer Service
Water Distribution
Water Distribution
Chad Haffke Construction
Joseph Parr
Customer Service
Construction
Construction
Water Distribution
Construction
Andrew Leonard Construction
Construction
Lobsiger hired as vice-president, Information Technology Services
T
he District hired Sue Lobsiger as vice-president, Information Technology Services, in October. She succeeds Raied Stanley, who was Sue Lobsiger promoted to senior vice-president and Chief Information Officer. Sue brings more than 20 years of experience leading information
technology professionals. She has overseen application development and support, IT infrastructure and operations, strategy and project management. Before joining the District, Sue spent more than 20 years at First National Bank, where she held a variety of IT roles serving several financial business functions. Prior to that, she was a consultant with Andersen Consulting (now Accenture). Sue began her professional career in the U.S. Army as a Signal Corps officer.
She earned a master’s degree in Management Information Systems from the University of NebraskaLincoln and a bachelor’s degree in General Engineering from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point.
Sue is a former board member of the Latino Center of the Midlands, has served on multiple collegiate advisory committees and currently serves on her church council. She enjoys time with her husband and daughter, watching NCAA volleyball and spending time outdoors.
District undergoes organizational changes
A
t the October board meeting, President Mark Doyle presented a six-month strategic update. This provided an opportunity to discuss accomplishments, ongoing projects and goals as they relate to safety, 8
Taps & Jets
business continuity, reliability, customer experience, financial stability and organizational excellence. Part of the discussion centered on the need to optimize the District to meet the challenges we face, which includes
regularly assessing the organization to ensure we are strategically focused, properly resourced and appropriately structured. Based on those discussions, the following organizational changes have been made:
promotions & transfers
Stan Bobbett
Pattie Cannon
Priscilla Cardenas Dennis Dudzik
Celeste Garvis
Steve Glup
Dan Hall
Field Engineer II
Quality Control Specialist
Customer Account Clerk III Utility Locator
Communications Clerk II
Crew Leader
Apprentice Customer Service Technician
Ron Henderson
Scott Madison
Robert McCormack Laura McCoy Plant Engineering
Law Department
Dave Miller
Rich Miranda
Brian Paskach
Pipe Layer
Gas Plant Engineer- Odorant
Utility Locator
Executive Assistant
Gas Plant Engineer- Odorant
Training Foreman
Pipe Layer
Greg Ramirez
Tyson Robards
Gayle Schnatz
Joshua Shannon
Adam Sharp
Danita Stanfield
Group Leader
Claims Adjuster
Industrial Water Meter Mechanic
Apprentice Customer Service Technician
Utility Worker
Communications Clerk II
Plant Engineering
Construction
Construction
Customer Accounting Customer Accounting Plant Engineering
Gas Production
Law Department
Measurement
Dave DeBoer, vice-president, Marketing and Rates, was given expanded responsibilities. Dave’s role now includes the strategic evaluation of our water main assets and driving future growth. Stephanie Mueller, vice-president, Customer Services, has been assigned to focus more on the Customer Experience, with the objective to take it to the highest level of excellence
Field Services
Dispatch Office
Gas Production
Construction
Gas Distribution
Construction
Field Services
Construction
Dispatch Office
possible. To that end, Dispatch will now report to Ed Buglewicz, vicepresident, Field Service Operations.
focus, Facilities/Maintenance will now report to Raied Stanley, senior vicepresident, Chief Information Officer.
Jim Shields, vice-president, Water Operations, and his team are tasked with doing anything and everything possible to optimize our water plants and infrastructure to get ahead of our critical issues on the water side (especially reducing water main breaks). To allow for this renewed
Cory O’Brien, vice-president, Engineering and Construction, will lead Engineering to increase the pace of replacing cast iron water mains and increase growth. To allow more time to focus on these endeavors, Transportation Administration/ Transportation will now report to Raied. Winter 2018
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A night in the life of an Story, photos and layout by Claire Smith, Communications Intern
F
our auto mechanics, three heavy equipment mechanics, four auto service employees, a foreman and a stores clerk. These 13 employees make up the Transportation night shift. Jerry Johnson, night foreman, arrives at the Construction Center at 3:30 p.m. to discuss the day’s happenings with Geoff Hanson, daytime shop foreman, and get the tickets ready for his crew. “We could have 20 tickets or we could have two,” said Jerry. “Our employees have an important task and they never know what’s coming.” Mechanic Todd Pignotti works on the auto side. As the day shift wraps up, he and the other night shift workers gather and wait for their first assignment as Jerry finishes the tickets. “When we start out the night we’ll each get one ticket,” said Todd. “After that, they’ll be on the desk in the office. Whoever is done first gets the next one in line.” Each night the ticket requests differ. While one job may take only minutes to complete, the next could take hours.
“You might be welding one day and changing light bulbs the next,” said Jerry. “It’s the nature of the business.” Although M.U.D. has a wide variety of equipment and vehicles, auto mechanics work on everything from meter reading cars to large crane trucks. “I was really nervous when I first started, seeing things I’ve never seen before. Now it’s not a big deal,” said Todd. “If you have questions, everyone here helps each other.” Once the mechanics have their tickets, the shop comes to life. The garage doors open and each vehicle is parked in a work station. “Some of the vehicles are pretty long, so it gets tight trying to do this,” said Todd. “Sometimes it’ll be about a 10-point turn.” For Todd, the first assignment of the night is a pickup truck from the LNG plant. Since the work for this vehicle consists of regular yearly maintenance, he heads to the stores window to grab replacement filters, tools and anything else he may need to complete the task. Working through a checklist, Todd changes the oil, oil filter and fuel filter, checks the tire pressure, brake pads and spark plugs, and washes off battery corrosion with baking soda and water.
Transportation Statistics (both shifts) Oil changes: 150/month Repairs: 325/month Service calls: 100/month Gas use: 8,900 gal/week (all vehicle types included)
Todd changes the oil filter in an LNG truck during a yearly maintenance check. 10
Taps & Jets
Mike Sapienza (right), Transportation, works with mechanics to get parts for each vehicle.
After completing the vehicle checklist, Todd parks the truck back in the lot for pick-up tomorrow. “Todd has a really good work ethic,” said Jerry. “When he says it’s done, it’s done. It’s not coming back.” With the 7 p.m. break quickly approaching, Todd grabs the next ticket off Jerry’s desk and heads to the Operations Center garage to locate the truck used by customer service technician fitters. Once parked, it’s time for break. While each ticket differs with vehicle type and issue, the general process of fixing it is similar. Find the vehicle, park it in a work station, head to the stores counter for parts and tools, work on fixing the issues, complete the ticket and return the vehicle to its original location.
auto mechanic
QA
with
Todd Pignotti Hometown. Omaha
First job.
Auto mechanic at Firestone in high school
Best advice.
If you’re going to do a job, do it right. Left: Todd installs a new light on the back of a crane truck, as requested by the truck’s crew. Right: Auto mechanics work on between eight and 10 vehicles per night. The vehicles range from small Honda Civics used by meter readers to large crew and crane trucks.
Mentor who helped the most in my career. My dad.
Mechanics on the night shift work through this process to complete a total of eight to 10 vehicles per night.
was reaching the lights, he begins looking into the wiring underneath the truck, quickly finding a corroded connector.
About my family.
“The goal is to get everything, if possible, fixed by the end of the night so they can use it tomorrow,” said Todd.
Although the connector was not the problem, Todd fixes it anyway. By 11:15 p.m., the cause has not been found. He puts the lights on a list to work on later.
People lying or not giving it their all.
After break, Todd moves on to his next two assignments — the fitter’s truck and a new crane truck. With the fitter’s truck, Todd fixes a noisy fan on a heater by replacing the fan’s motor. For the crane truck, the crew requested a light be added to the rear of the truck. With both of those requests fixed within two hours, Todd moves on to his fourth ticket of the evening around 9:30 p.m. Unlike the first three tickets, the fourth vehicle, a Gas Distribution truck, had the issue of malfunctioning lights around the top of the box. “Sometimes you can get an idea of what may be the problem,” said Todd. “Sometimes it could be what you thought was a light bulb ends up being a wiring problem. That’s what makes it interesting.” After a second 15-minute break at 10 p.m., Todd tests every fuse in the truck; however, none of the fuses had blown, so he moves on to the next step. Learning that no power
Apart from the team members who submit the ticket requests for vehicle service, many times the night shift crew goes unnoticed, as they are the only ones in the Construction Center at that time. However, their work is very important. “Nobody even realizes we are here,” said Jerry. “If you didn’t have a shop like this on site, where are you going to take stuff at 4 p.m. and expect it to be done in the morning?” The last half hour of the night shift is spent entering tickets into the computer to log what had been fixed. Once the clock hits midnight, the night workers climb into their trucks and head home. “None of our vehicles are off the showroom floor,” said Jerry. “Everything we have has been modified somehow. It takes special people to be able to work with that stuff.”
I am married with three children.
Pet peeve.
Favorite vacation spot. Storm Lake, Iowa
Outside interests.
Making sure my family is provided for and going to my kids’ events.
Favorite food.
Chicken wings or fried chicken
Favorite movie. Wedding Crashers
Favorite band. AC/DC
Favorite place to eat. Texas Roadhouse
Favorite car brand. Chevy
Favorite sport.
Football — San Francisco 49ers
Dream car. ‘55 Chevy
Winter 2018
11
retirements Keith Alexander, field foreman, Meter Reading, plans to retire December 31 with 23 years of service. Keith joined the District in 1995 as a meter reader, Meter Keith Alexander Reading. He was promoted to meter reader-car route in 1999 and to field foreman in 2003. Prior to joining the District, Keith was self-employed. He spent two years in the U.S. Army. He is a member of Platteview Golf Course Country Club and spent more than 10 years mentoring two Sudanese boys. In retirement, Keith plans to spend time with his grandchildren and visit friends in other states and travel internationally. He also enjoys golf and fishing. Keith and his wife, Kathleen, have a daughter and four grandchildren. The couple lives at 8620 S. 97th St., La Vista, NE 68128; 402.208.6347; kalexander12@msn.com. Jerry Blackman, meter reader-reread, Meter Reading, plans to retire December 31 with 33 years of service. Jerry joined the District in 1985 as a meter reader. He was Jerry Blackman promoted to meter reader-car route in 1998 and transitioned to meter reader-reread in 1999.
Leo Block 12
Taps & Jets
Leo Block, pipe layer-welder, Construction, plans to retire December 31 with 24 years of service. Leo joined the District in 1994 as a pipe layer trainee. He was promoted
to pipe layer in 1996 and to pipe layerwelder in 2003.
operator in 1990. Steve was promoted to water plant engineer in 2007.
Doug Boynton, pipe layer-welder, Construction, plans to retire December 31 with 14 years of service. Doug joined the District in 2004 as a pipe layer trainee, Doug Boynton Construction. He advanced to pipe layer in 2007 and to pipe layer-welder in 2009.
Diana Clark, supervisor, Construction Center Stores and Service Yard, Stores, plans to retire December 31 with 40 years of service. Diana joined Diana Clark the District in 1978 as a mail cashier, Customer Services. She was promoted to collections clerk in 1979 and to customer representative in 1983. In 1986, Diana transferred to Meter Reading as a meter reader. She became stores clerk II, Stores, in 1989. Diana was promoted to stores clerk V in 1997 before being named crew leader in 2005. In 2008, she was promoted to supervisor, Construction Center Stores and Service Yard.
Shelley Camarillo, crew leader, Gas Distribution, plans to retire December 31 with 29 years of service. Shelley joined the District as cashier I, Customer Service, Shelley Camarillo in 1989 before being promoted to administrative clerk I in 1990. In 1992, she was promoted to gas maintenance trainee, Gas Distribution, before advancing to gas maintenance worker in 1994, gas utility worker in 1997 and crew leader in 2001. In retirement, Shelley plans to travel and spend time with her husband, Joe, and their grandchildren. Steve Carlin, water plant engineer, Water Pumping, retired November 20 with 39 years of service. Steve joined the District as a special laborer, Water Distribution, in 1978 Steve Carlin after working as a summer help employee in 1977. He was promoted to Meter Reading as a meter reader in 1979. Later that year, he became a water plant operator II, Water Pumping. In 1980 he was promoted to water plant operator I and became a water plant
Prior to joining the District, Diana worked a variety of retail jobs. She enjoys gardening and, in retirement, plans to travel, join a bowling league and care for her mother. Diana lives at 7505 Vane St., Omaha, NE 68122; dianalclark@msn.com. John Crossley, meter reader-reread, Meter Reading, plans to retire December 31 with 25 years of service. John joined the District in 1993 as a meter reader and John Crossley transitioned to meter reader-reread in 1997. Prior to joining the District, John was a van driver for Omaha Public Schools and worked for 13 years at Greyhound as a baggage and ticket agent. He is a member of the Holy Name Catholic Church Men’s Club.
John and his wife, Cindi, have a son and three grandchildren. In retirement, John plans to help out with his grandchildren. Rose Janousek, buyer, Purchasing, plans to retire December 31 with 24 years of service. Rose joined the District in 1994 as a customer account Rose Janousek clerk I, Customer Accounting, and was promoted to customer account clerk III later that year. In 2006, she became administrative clerk IV, Purchasing. She was promoted to purchasing administrator in 2010 and buyer in 2014. Rose has a daughter, two sons and six grandchildren. In retirement, she plans to spend more time with her family, jet ski and travel. She can be contacted via email at rosejan@cox.net. Mark Killion, material handler, Stores, plans to retire December 31 with 25 years of service. Mark joined the District in 1993 as a pipe layer trainee, Construction. Mark Killion He was promoted to pipe layer in 1996 and pipe layer-welder in 2001. Mark transferred to Stores in 2006 as material handler. Prior to joining the District, Mark worked at Midwest Pipe and Neuman Equipment. He also spent time in Houston, Texas at FMC Wellhead and KTXH. Mark attended Montana State University, where he was a member of the Sigma Chi fraternity, and Metropolitan Community College. Mark enjoys fishing and bicycling.
In retirement, he plans to camp and complete modifications to his ‘66 Ford pick-up.
The couple lives at 6026 S. 167th Cir., Omaha, NE 68135; 402-660-6222; bmosby2@icloud.com.
Mark and his wife, Mary, have two daughters and three grandchildren. He can be contacted at 402.250.5487; mkil4208@gmail.com.
Steve Osmera, senior customer service technician, Field Services, plans to retire December 31 with 21 years of service. Steve joined the District in 1997 as Steve Osmera a meter reader, Meter Reading. In 1999, he was promoted to mechanical service helper, Field Services. Steve became a customer service technician trainee in 1999 and was promoted to apprentice customer service technician in 2000, customer service technician in 2002 and senior customer service technician in 2007.
Steve McConnell, stationary engine mechanic, Maintenance, plans to retire December 31 with 38 years of service. Steve joined the District in 1980 as Steve McConnell an auto mechanic I, Maintenance. He was named mechanic in 1990 and was promoted to senior mechanic in 1992 and stationary engine mechanic in 2001. Steve and his wife, Dodi, have two sons and two grandchildren. In retirement, Steve plans to spend time with his family and German Shepherd, Ammo. Bob Mosby, crew leader, Construction, plans to retire December 31 with 25 years of service. Bob joined the District in 1993 as a meter reader, Bob Mosby Meter Reading. He transferred to Construction as a pipe layer trainee in 1993 and advanced to pipe layer in 1995, machine operator in 1996, pipe layer-welder in 2000 and utility worker later that year. He was promoted to crew leader in 2002. Prior to joining the District, Bob worked on housing construction. Bob and his wife, Sheri, have a daughter, two sons and two grandchildren. In retirement, he plans to spend more time with his children and grandchildren.
Prior to joining the District, Steve worked in management at Burger King Corporation. He also spent time in insurance sales and construction. Steve enjoys golf, woodworking and spending time with his grandchildren. In retirement, Steve plans to work on his wife’s “honey do” list and remodel their home. Steve and his wife, Jacqueline, have a son, three daughters and nine grandchildren. The couple lives at 12825 Emiline St., Omaha, NE 68138; 402.896.2463 (home); 402.709.1626 (cell); sosmera@centurylink.net. Crystal Slaughter, administrative clerk III, Water Pumping, plans to retire December 31 with 31 years of service. Crystal joined the District in 1987 as a Crystal Slaughter data entry operator, Information Technology. Continued on next page — Winter 2018
13
retirements
continued
She became a data entry clerk in 1988. In 1994, Crystal was promoted to administrative clerk II, Field Services, and in 2004 she became administrative clerk III, Water Pumping.
back to a pipe layer. In 1988, he became a pipe layer-welder and was promoted to utility worker in 1990 and group leader in 2002. He became a machine operator in 2010.
Prior to joining the District, Crystal worked at World Insurance, OPPD and the City of Omaha. In retirement, she plans to spend time with family.
Greg Woster, foreman, Field Services, plans to retire December 31 with 37 years of service. Greg joined the District in 1981 as a laborer, Water Greg Woster Operations. He was promoted to special laborer in 1982 and to plant maintenance person in 1983. In 1984, he transferred to Field Services as a mechanic’s helper. Greg was promoted to junior mechanic in 1986 and senior mechanic in 1988. Later that year he became a customer service technician before being promoted to senior customer service technician in 2001 and field foreman in 2007.
Crystal can be contacted at PO Box 31283, Omaha, NE 68132; 402.556.7032; slau1208@msn.com. Jerry Stanley, machine operator, Construction, plans to retire December 31 with 40 years of service. Jerry joined the District in 1978 as a special laborer, Jerry Stanley Construction. He advanced to pipe layer in 1979. He worked as a mechanic’s helper for a short time in 1985 before transitioning
Attention Retirees and Friends! An updated Retirees and Friends Directory will be published in the fall of 2019. Please be on the lookout for Retiree Communication Update forms, which will be mailed to your homes. Submission of the form is required to be featured in the directory. To be added to our email distribution list and receive the monthly Employee Bulletin, retirement and death notices and other District-related updates, please email jessica_heidebrecht@ mudnebr.com. If you attend a retiree gathering on a regular basis and would like to promote the event to other retirees, please call Jessica at 402.504.7204 or email her for assistance. Employee Assistance Program 402.354.8000 bestcareeap.org
73 employees recognized at annual Service Recognition Dinner
Seventy-three employees celebrating 15 to 40 years of service were recognized October 3 during the District’s annual Service Recognition Dinner. Honorees and guests enjoyed dinner at Anthony’s Steakhouse and received certificates presented by the board of directors and senior management. 25-year honorees included, standing, from left: Bob Mosby, Construction; board chair Dave Friend; board member Gwen Howard; board vice-chair Tim Cavanaugh; board members Mike McGowan, Jack Frost and Jim Begley; and Vince Juarez, Construction. Seated, from left: John Crossley, Meter Reading; Debbie Gardner, Customer Service; Ken Franklin, Field Services; Gayle Schnatz, Measurement; Mark Killion, Stores; and Steve McAndrews, Construction. (Photo by Claire Smith.) 14
Taps & Jets
Save the Date! 2019 Employee Picnic Saturday, June 8 Make plans to attend our annual picnic — unlimited waterpark and rides, dinner, prizes and MORE!
Online registration will be available in the spring.
in memoriam Larry Burghardt, 73, died November 23. He retired in 2005 with 38 years of service. Larry served in the U.S. Army prior to joining the District in 1966 as a junior draftsman, Engineering, advancing to field engineering assistant in 1968 and to field engineer I in 1969. He was promoted to buyer, Purchasing, in 1977, and was placed on long-term disability in 2003.
Larry Burghardt
Daisy Ingoldsby
Tom Macdissi
Brian Shinrock
Daisy Ingoldsby, 96, died November 2. She was a gas systems controller, Systems Control, when she retired in 1983 with 24 years of service. Tom Macdissi, 58, died November 10. He was director, Gas Production and Distribution, Gas Operations, when he retired in 2018 with 35 years of service. Tom joined the District in 1983 as an
engineer II, Engineering Design. He was promoted to engineer I in 1985 and to supervisor, drafting, in 1987. In 1989, he advanced to director, engineering services. Tom transferred to water supply engineer, Water Operations, in 1998 and in 1999 he was promoted to director, Gas Production and Distribution, Gas Operations. Brian Shinrock, 80, died November 19. He was a customer service technician, Field Services, when he retired in 1998 with 40 years of service. A U.S. Marine Corps veteran, Brian joined the District in 1958 as a laborer, Construction, and advanced to pipe layer in 1962. He transferred to Field Services in 1967 as a mechanic’s helper, advancing to junior mechanic. He was promoted to customer service technician in 1972. Winter 2018
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Watching the weight fall Cutting sugar leads to 43-pound loss
W
ith a 30-year high school reunion on the horizon, Kim Ash was determined to get a jump start on her weight loss. To aid in that process, the customer service clerk I, Customer Service, joined Weight Watchers in September 2017. “They always say you need to develop a ‘why’ for yourself,” Kim said. The reunion was her why. Unfortunately, the closer it got to summer, plans changed and the event was canceled. But that didn’t stop Kim from pushing through. “I was having such success through Weight Watchers that I wanted to continue getting healthier and bring down my numbers.” Around the same time, Kim had some personal issues that lowered her self-esteem. However, she was determined to never weigh as much as she had. “I decided I needed to do something for me. So I did,” she said. Not only did her cholesterol, blood pressure and weight drop, her confidence went up.
Weight Watchers prides itself in its unique point tracking system. Members are given a specific amount of points per day based on their current health situation and goals. They then use these points to track the food they’re eating throughout the day, with emphasis placed on fruits, vegetables and lean protein. After joining Weight Watchers, Kim quickly realized her daily “Caramelicious” or iced caramel mocha lattes were heavy on the points. “I learned that what I was having just for my morning coffee was almost my whole daily allowance in points,” she said. Cutting Scooter’s and Dunkin’ Donuts from her daily routine and drinking coffee at home saved her money, points and pounds. “In addition to eating more chicken, fish and veggies, cutting those coffee stops is the biggest thing I changed.” In support of the popular notion that weight loss is 80-percent diet and 20-percent exercise, Kim didn’t change her physical activity. “I do some walking and light weights, but the biggest change has been my nutrition,” she said. As a customer service clerk, Kim spends the majority of her day sitting. “I was in customer service for 10 years before I came to M.U.D., so I’ve been sitting for almost 14 years. That plays a huge role in weight gain.” To offset some of that sitting, Kim spends her breaks and lunch walking in the Operations Center garage or nearby neighborhood. She also spends a few days a week swimming or lifting weights at the gym.
Kim before (left) and on her one-year Weight Watchers anniversary. (Courtesy photos.) 16
Taps & Jets
Kim spends her breaks and lunch walking in the Operations Center garage or nearby neighborhood.
Kim’s actions have proven successful – she’s dropped 43 pounds since she began Weight Watchers just over a year ago. “I love the accountability through the program,” Kim said. “You can be having a down week and the weekly meetings get you re-motivated and hold you accountable for your actions.” Kim has just seven more pounds to lose before hitting her lifetime goal of a 50-pound weight loss. “Once you hit lifetime in Weight Watchers, you get free e-tools and there are less restrictions as to how many meetings you have to attend,” she said. In order to maintain lifetime status, you’re required to stay within two pounds of your goal for six weeks.
“My ultimate goal is to hit lifetime this session. If I don’t get there, I’ll continue with the next session. The District offers participation in the program for pretty much free if you attend enough meetings, so it’s hard to pass that up.” Kim’s advice to others who are on the verge of making the change to a healthier, more sustainable lifestyle is to just try it. “Weight Watchers is very well-known and respected by doctors. And it’s flexible so you can make it work with your schedule and your life.” Her 43-pound weight loss proves that anything is possible with a little determination, and a lot less sugar.
DID YOU KNOW?
The District began offering Weight Watchers at Work in 2017. Since then, employees have collectively lost 1,421 pounds. Winter 2018
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District’s first Bike Day a success Employees enjoyed the first annual M.U.D. Bike Day October 6. Participants rode from the Construction Center north parking lot down the Keystone Trail and back. Far left: Andy Randall, Plant Engineering, and Dan DePorte, Field Services, and his family. Left: Sniffy (Annette O’Brien, Customer Accounting) and Justin Kiichler’s (Engineering Design) children. (Photos by Claire Smith.)
Annual United Way drive makes a splash
Employees and retirees raised more than $109,400 as part of this year’s United Way drive. Employees were served breakfast burritos, invited to pledge and had the opportunity to purchase raffle tickets. Top left: President Mark Doyle throws a softball in an attempt to dunk drive co-chair Gene Jaworski, Construction. Top right: Committee member Connice Kelly, Customer Accounting, serves burritos. Left: Stephanie Lemonds and Linda Flott, Accounting, complete their raffle tickets.
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5K RUN / WALK Saturday, March 2 - 9AM Stinson Park in Aksarben Village 1920 South 67th St., Omaha
To register, visit bit.ly/MUDheatthestreets
Use coupon code MUD19 to save $10. (Prices increase February 1.) Questions? Contact Jessica at 402.504.7204.
Funds provide utility assistance to those in need in the Omaha metro area - including seniors and veterans.
1723 Harney St. • Omaha, NE 68102 ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED
PRSRT STD US POSTAGE PAID PERMIT NO 101 OMAHA NE