PROFILE: "You'd think I just walked out with a PhD," retiring Weeden remembers a proud day 30 years later

Ray Weeden, a Westerly Security Officer in 1987, displays his certificate of completion of Wastewater Treatment Plant Operation classes.

If ever there was a story of someone working their way to the top, it’s Ray.

Ray Weeden is nearing retirement as Director of Operation & Maintenance in February after more than 35 years of service.

Born and raised on the east side of Cleveland, Ray worked a variety of jobs out of high school, including security gigs. Following a downsizing at the UAW plant where he was a security guard, Ray was out of work for 13 months, and went back to school full-time. When he heard the Sewer District was hiring, he put in his application. “I started at the District on May 25, 1981, a day I’ll never forget.”

WATCH: Why we do what we do.

Cleveland has amazing water resources.

And while they are so visible that they are easily taken for granted, there are also unseen resources that help make sure our lakes, rivers, and water quality are protected.

This moving #MyWaterLegacy video from the Water Environment Federation was shown at WEFTEC—a huge national water conference—this week, and we believe it showcases why we are so proud to serve our customers and our region.

What do you think?

RELATED LINKS:

• CAREERS: Our latest job openings and career resources
• QUICK CLIPS: See all our 2-minute-or-less videos about our water-quality work

PROFILES: How Kate's ability to grow has helped her career, and the health of her coworkers

Kate in her role as a maintenance worker.

Within nine years, Kate Rybarczyk’s work ethic took her from Custodian to Plant Maintenance Manager.

“As a mechanic I strengthened my problem-solving skills,” shared Kate from the Westerly Wastewater Treatment Plant. “When something wasn’t working, we'd troubleshoot to determine how we could fix it, rebuild it, or modify it.”

Kate also worked to enhance her communications skills through District self-improvement courses, and utilized the Tuition Assistance Program to get an associate's degree from Tri-C. These opportunities led to her most recent management role.

RELATED NEWS: Have you considered a clean-water career?

Outside of work, Kate’s interests include landscaping, gardening, health and fitness, and winemaking. She is well-versed in all these topics. When asked for a health tip, Kate warned against processed food. “Everyone thinks they're convenient, but studies are showing negative long-term health effects.”

Kate’s passion for health and fitness led to her involvement in the Sewer District’s Wellness program. Alongside co-worker Mitch Falatach, Kate built a community garden at Westerly visible from the employee lunchroom nearby. This year, the garden has a variety of leafy greens, green peppers, hot and sweet peppers, and tomatoes.

“The garden makes [being] healthy convenient. If the operators are here at night, on the weekend, or someone is working overtime, they can go outside and grab what they need for a salad, instead of hitting the vending machine.”

In addition to the Wellness Program, Kate is involved in the Veteran’s Employee Resource Group, and she is Westerly’s lead for Charity Choice and the Women’s Employee Resource Group.

Kate, right, says these garden boxes she built at Westerly helped make being healthy more convenient.

– Story and photos by Yolanda Kelly

PROFILES: Operations team's top finish at state competition carries them to nationals this fall

Front: Christen Wood, Doug Dietzel, Dan Valek.
Back: Karl Ellis, Jimmy Spencer, John Corn.

New Orleans, here we come.

In June, the District’s Operations Challenge team competed at the Ohio Water Environment Association (OWEA) competition in Aurora, Ohio, and their top finish guaranteed them a spot at national competition in the Big Easy this fall.

Ops Challenges are held across the nation, and consist of five main events in the areas of Maintenance, Collections, Safety, Laboratory, and Process Control. Accuracy and speed are key to winning.

Our team—Christen Wood, Doug Dietzel, Karl Ellis, Dan Valek, and Jimmy Spencer, led by John Corn—took first place in Division II, first place in the Process Control event, and third place overall. They will represent OWEA in Division II of the national event at the Water Environment Federation Technical Exhibition and Conference (WEFTEC) in New Orleans this September.

“This is the first time in about 20 years that the District has participated in the Ops Challenge,” said Unit Process Manager Christen Wood. “I saw the dedication required and the skills demonstrated and wanted to be a part of it.

“I heard from at least three OWEA reps and a WEF rep how pleased they were that the District is back in the Challenge,” said Operation & Maintenance Deputy Director Frank Foley.

John Corn explained how this type of competition goes hand-in-hand with the District’s training programs. “It creates cohorts who can learn best practices across the industry and incorporate it into work,” he said.

“To win, you can’t be good at just one thing,” explained Wood. “The lab people need to learn Maintenance, for example. Being able to leverage those differences makes the whole team stronger, and you’re learning things you wouldn’t normally come across in your job.”

“Events like this enhance the overall skill level of our staff,” said Corn. “We’re maximizing our capabilities and level of service to our customers.”

RELATED NEWS:

•  CAREERS: See what opportunities await you in the water industry
• QUICK CLIPS: 2-minute-or-less videos about our work and your community
• RATES: How are your sewer rates determined? (Video)
• VIDEO: How an in-house training center offers a fuller learning experience

Michael Uva, Senior Communications Specialist

#h2olloween LIST: 7 comic-book characters' alter egos, and the water careers they could have had

Heroes of comic books and movies make for great costumes for all ages. But are they also indicators of career options?

Captain America: The Winter Soldier filmed in Cleveland in 2013, and before the release, we spent time examining whether famous characters' alter egos' skill sets made them viable candidates for careers in the water industry. Here were a few ideas, and the list is certainly far from all-inclusive.

CAREERS: neorsd.org/careers
COMICS: Information from Masked Heroes

CAREERS: Military Employment dialogue to be featured among #neorsdTOUR Open House events 9/19

Among the many exhibits, tours, and presentations slated for our September 19 Open House, a special conversation about Military Employment will be featured twice throughout the day to highlight career opportunities for veterans.

"Veterans bring a really unique skill set and an extraordinary commitment to serving the community," said Human Resources Manager David Feinerman, "to serving the American way of life; and that's what we do at the Sewer District, as well."

Join our Open House September 19 and stop by our Inside Stage and 9:30 a.m. or 1:30 p.m. to learn more. With more than 600 employees and 200 different job titles, we may have opportunities to help you put your skills to work.

The Sewer District has been recognized this year among Northeast Ohio's Top Workplaces and recently earned a spot in NorthCoast99's Best Places to Work for the first time in its history.

PROFILE: From veterinary medicine to sewage treatment, here's how Christen "fell in love" with her unexpected career

A former lab analyst and now Wastewater Plant Operator, Christen Wood’s career path has led her from veterinary medicine to sewage treatment. We asked her about opportunities in Wastewater Operations.

How did you get into wastewater?

I sort of fell into it! The local paper ran a column on the “brain drain” in Ashtabula, why we weren’t able to get qualified candidates into jobs there. I wrote a thank-you letter to the editor for covering the topic, and as soon as the letter ran, the Ashtabula wastewater treatment plant called me and said, “We need you to apply now."

CAREERS: Training, development opportunities give employees a chance to grow and improve

One of the advantages to working at the Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District is the opportunity to advance one’s career. The District offers two training programs for careers in Maintenance and Wastewater Plant Operation—through which District employees develop their proficiencies and reach their disciplines.

Maintenance Training has four different tracks for those pursuing a vocation as an Instrumentation Technician, Plant Maintenance Electrician, Systems Utility Maintenance Person, or Plant Utilities Maintenance Person at the Sewer District.

RELATED: This story is a Web Extra featured in our Clean Water Works technical journal (Fall 2014)

Interested employees enroll in a hands-on Talent Assessment Program (based on Automotive Manufacturing Technical Education Collaborative, or AMTEC standards) to determine their technical knowledge. Those who achieve a composite score of 75 or better qualify for the Maintenance Training program.

Successful applicants embark on a training regimen that includes 800 classroom hours (an equivalent of between 38 and 52 semester hours) of coursework provided by Cuyahoga Community College onsite at a District facility, plus 8,000 hours of on-the-job instruction over the course of four years, followed by  ongoing professional training that continuously enhance one’s skill set.

#WaterWorks: Pipes, problems, and potential? Why water infrastructure stands in the national spotlight today.

 

Efficiency doesn't always make headlines.

Today, a national summit in Washington, D.C. is trying to change that by bringing attention to the water infrastructure our entire country relies on and yet so often overlooks.

The goal is to raise awareness of the jobs and economic impact of America's water and sewer projects, a value the Water Research Foundation places at $524 billion over the next decade and more than 289,000 jobs annually. | Download the complete report. Download a national fact sheet.

LIST: 7 ways back-to-school jitters are like treating wastewater

Parents, it’s that time of year again. And we can make a few connections between our work and your kids’ first-day jitters that you might not have expected. Class is in session.

1. Sure maybe it stinks, but where would you be without it?

OK, the end of summer may not stink in the literal sense (wastewater work has plenty of unique literal scents of its own). But while you might not be excited about your first day back, you need it. Same thing with wastewater treatment: You wouldn’t last long without it.

2. Your supplies list tends to be pretty pricey.

As parents, students’ supplies lists seem to make our jaws drop. A $198 million sewer tunnel like the Euclid Creek Tunnel, for example, tends to generate the same response, but when it can store 60 million gallons of water to prevent spilling pollution, it helps put things into perspective.

PICS: Interns' turn to make a difference in East Cleveland day of service

Post by Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District.

Our work for clean water takes place in treatment plants, offices, along streams, and in the communities we serve.

Last week, 60 of our interns spent a day of service cleaning Forest Hills Park in East Cleveland with other local volunteers. It was one of a variety of experiences we offer students to bring them closer to the work we do and its impact on our neighborhoods.

Learn more about career opportunities at neorsd.org/careers 

CAREERS: Commitment, service are at the heart of the skills veterans bring to work

John Corn, a US Navy and Marines veteran and one-year Sewer District employee, recently shared his story in an interview with Crain's Cleveland Business at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Hiring Our Heroes Job Fair at the Cleveland Public Auditorium on June 26, 2014.

"The most important thing is to take a breath [and] to relax," was John’s advice to service men, women and their families who are transitioning to civilian life and into the Northeast Ohio workforce. 

As he told Crain's Cleveland Business Sections Editor Amy Ann Stoessel, he understands from experience that reentering the workforce after service can be intimidating, but it is a very reachable goal. "You've got all the confidence on earth. You've done things that most people shudder at the thought of doing. You can do it."

[WATCH THE VIDEO]

The Sewer District was a proud participant in the Job Fair, discussing career opportunities with hundreds of participants.

HEROES: Could these superheroes' alter egos have found better career options?

As Marvel Studios' "Captain America: The Winter Soldier" release date edges closer and closer—an event in which we hold particular interest—we've got superheroes on the brain.

Of course, Captain America's alter ego was Steve Rogers, whose comic book origins state he was a fine arts student and budding illustrator. If he hadn't become Cap, what might his career options have been?

We considered the same question for several other comic book classics, and wondered if they could have found a place in the clean-water industry. Here were a few ideas, and the list is certainly far from all-inclusive.

CAREERS: neorsd.org/careers
COMICS: Information from Masked Heroes

LEARNING: It all starts with students.

Sewer District summer students team up with
Naturehood to build a neighborhood garden.

From elementary school to college, the Sewer District takes opportunities to connect with students seriously.

While the efforts help introduce young people to the importance of clean water and how we keep it that way, they also promote career opportunities and a greater understanding of the many aspects of our industry that often are overlooked.

Technology, administration, public relations, biology, law, environmental education—all of these areas and more are essential to helping your Sewer District keep our Great Lake great, and our unique programs bring students closer to them every day.

This month, we released our 2012 Student Programs handbook, a resource profiling our 13 programs and how they are helping students and our employees. You can view or download copies below, or request a personal copy or more information by contacting us.

Open publication - Free publishing

VIDEO: Students learn how our work affects the world around them

What does the Sewer District do? It's a question common to classrooms we visit, coming from teachers and parents as often as it comes from the students.

Our involvment with local schools at all levels gives students a chance to learn more about our clean-water work and understand its value to public health and the environment, and that lesson can benefit Northeast Ohioans of all ages. This video was created to showcase several of our growing student programs and explain how they are contributing to our region.