Every November, we honor and celebrate the many Veterans who have sacrificed so much to serve our Country and protect its values. Veterans Day is a time to remember those who have served in either of the five branches of service within the United States Military: Army, Navy, Air Force, Coast Guard, and Marine Corps. Here at the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission, we are fortunate to have Vets working throughout our Agency, that are able to support our mission and values by bringing their past experiences and wisdom into their work. By strengthening our pipelines to career opportunities for a more inclusive workforce, we are able to attract a diverse group to join our team.  In honor of Veterans Day, let’s hear from some of the Vets currently working at the SFPUC. 

Serving for ten years on active duty in the U.S. Army, Jonathan Smith currently works as a Water Quality Technician within our Wastewater Enterprise. Jonathan explains how he has used his military experience to excel in his current role today. “We work in traffic and perform sewer entries, so the safety and the structure that I learned in the military has helped me with the work we do every day.”

Stationary Engineer at our downtown Headquarters, Jayson Santoyo served in the U.S. Air Force for 7 years. He spent his whole service overseas and traveled to 30 different countries during his time as a Combat Civil Engineer. “I was a craftsman in Water and Fuel Systems. I went through training for Plumbing, Water Purification, Fire Suppression Systems, Fuel storage systems, and Fuel distribution,” Santoyo said. “My military experience helped shape me into a great engineer, not only within my craft, but as a Staff Sergeant I was taught and was expected to lead others. Veterans Day for me is a way to honor those who have served in the United States Armed Forces. Without our military, we wouldn’t have the freedom that we have in America.”

Steve Kech, Public Relations Officer on our Communications Team, served in the U.S. Army as a Medic in Germany. During his service, he learned how to achieve his goals by working with others through strong communications skills. Taking what he learned during his service, Steve continues to pursue opportunities to better himself every day. “SFPUC encourages every employee to create his or her own career path and then provides the resources for them to achieve those goals.”

Christian Losno joined the military straight out of high school at the age of 17. He served for 10 years in the U.S. Army and says that the military has helped mold him into the person he is today. Chris explains how three attributes have helped him excel in his current role with the SFPUC: Teamwork, Structure, and Flexibility. “As much as we understand structure, we also understand that flexibility is an important attribute. From shipping off to boot camp, deployments and transferring to new commands, I have learned how to personally adapt to a variety of circumstance. We also understand that working together does not threaten our individuality, but rather greases the wheels of accomplishment.”  Losno explained. “Real Heroes don’t wear capes; they wear DOG TAGS.”

We want to thank all the men and women who have served or are currently serving our Country today. The countless sacrifices they have made to protect our Country does not go unnoticed. Happy Veterans Day.