Fall 2014
|
3
from the executive director
Customer
Service.
Co-founder of Apple Inc. Steve Jobs once
said, “Your work is going to fill a large
part of your life, and the only way to be
truly satisfied is to do what you believe is
great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do.”
After seven years as Executive Director of the North Carolina Rural Water
Association (NCRWA), I still experience a renewed excitement each
morning as I head to work. As an organization and team, the sincere desire
and passion to serve our members resonates from the surface to our very
core. It’s a phenomenon that is nearly unexplainable and unbelievable until
it is experienced firsthand. Whether it is rooted in the commitment of our
members to protecting public health and the environment, the unwavering
vision and mission defined by our outstanding Board of Directors, or the
service-driven mindset of staff, I love working for NCRWA.
But sometimes…
Sometimes, I miss working for a water and wastewater system. I miss
the fulfillment of making a direct impact on my local community every
day. I miss the camaraderie of being part of a team that literally delivers
a product to every home, that touches every person, and that changes
lives every single day. And as crazy as it sounds to anyone that has
worked for a system on cut-off day, I even miss dealing with the public,
the customers, on a regular basis.
Customers are at the core of every water and wastewater system and
rightfully so. They are the most significant source of revenue in nearly
every utility. For this reason, there may not be anything more important
than quality customer service in a utility. That is not to downplay effective
management or operations, but the customer can literally affect every
other part of your system.
So why is outstanding customer service so important?
Customer service is not only a basic business fundamental of every
organization desiring to remain viable, but to utilities it is even more
important. Customer service is at the very core of why we exist, our
mission. On top of that, we are completely susceptible to the level of
support we get from the public. Whether it is our public image, the ability
of them to watch over our assets and report problems, or successful
media relations, we need our customers to know and appreciate us as
NCRWA BOARD OF DIRECTORS
President:
Neil Carpenter,
Maggie Valley Sanitary District
Sr. Vice President:
Barry Sutton,
Eastern Pines Water Corporation
Vice President:
Keith Hoilman,
Town of Newland
Secretary:
Dean Gaster,
City of Dunn
Treasurer:
Ron McGrady, UMC,
Mulberry – Fairplains Water Corp.
Past President:
Macon Robertson,
Warren County Water Department
Director:
John Gregory,
Pasquotank County Water
Director:
Wilmer Melton,
City of Kannapolis
Director:
Jay Gibson,
Town of Franklin
Director:
Rod Watts,
Energy United Water Corporation
Director:
Joey Threewitts,
Wayne Water Districts
Director:
Lisa Smith-Perri,
West Carteret Water Corporation
Director:
Sam Call,
Town of Wilkesboro
Director:
Kenny Keel, PE,
Town of Hillsborough
Director:
Todd Taylor, PE,
Orange Water and Sewer Authority (OWASA)
NCRWA STAFF
Executive Director:
Daniel Wilson, PE, UMC,
336-731-6963,
Technical Assistance Division Leader:
Al Slover, UMC,
919-812-5115,
Circuit Rider:
Keith Buff, UMC,
336-309-9363,
Circuit Rider:
Mike Hill, UMC,
919-812-6088,
Circuit Rider:
Becky Turner,
919-812-5744,
Circuit Rider:
Marty Wilson, UMC,
919-745-7968,
Training Division Leader:
Alan Oldham, UMC,
919-812-4513,
Water Training & Technical Assistance:
Lowell Gunter,
919-812-0568,
Wastewater Training & Technical Assistance:
Dwight Lancaster, UMC,
919-812-2717,
Wastewater Training & Technical Assistance:
Fred Summers, UMC,
919-812-5119,
Backflow & Cross Connection Training Specialist:
Ronnie West,
919-812-2940,
Training Specialist:
Mandy Hall,
919-812-1191,
Groundwater/Source Water Protection Division Leader:
Keith Starner, PG,
919-812-2008,
Source Water Protection Specialist:
Debbie Maner,
919-812-5500,
Technical Assistance & Training Specialist:
Brian Grogan, UMC,
336-309-6529,
Finance & Human Resources Manager:
Sharon Lookabill,
336-731-6963,
Member Services Manager:
Amy Everett,
336-731-6963,
Member Services Coordinator:
Jamie Walker,
336-731-6963,
The Tarheel Pipeline® is the official publication of North Carolina Rural WaterAssociation, Inc
®
(NCRWA) and is published quarterly for distribution to members of theAssociation as well as other
representatives of rural and municipal water and wastewater systems. The publisher reserves the right to
reject or edit any submittals received for publication. Statements of fact and opinion are the responsibility
of the authors alone and do not imply an opinion or recommendation on the part of NCRWA. Mention of
trade names or commercial products does not constitute endorsements or recommendation for use.
