Internal Newsletter

1. Wayne Thomas
Adeline Isaacs, Office of
Administrative Services
Mr. Wayne Thomas began working
for the DC Government, Department
of Sanitary Engineering, Mobile
Equipment Management Division on
October 24, 1966. The Department
grew and the name was changed
to the Department of Environmental
Services and eventually, in 1984, the
name changed to what is now known
as the Department of Public Works
(DPW). Most of Mr. Thomas’ years
with the District government have been with DPW, except for a few years each with both WASA and the Department of
Recreation and Parks.
Mr. Thomas came to the DPW as the Department’s Facilities Manager, Office of Administrative Services in March of 2000.
He was Facilities Manager until May 27, 2006, at which time he was recalled to active duty in the U.S. Navy during the
time of 911 events. His stint in the Navy lasted 20 months and 20 days.
Over the past three years since Mr. Thomas returned from active Navy
Duty, he has served as a Co-DPW Accountable Property Officer and has
assisted Mr. Donald Gibson, Chief, Support Services Division of the Office
of Administrative Services (SSD/OAS), in the daily accountability of the OAS
vehicles and the Summer Youth Employment Program (SYEP). In these
assistance roles, Mr. Thomas was responsible for the care and maintenance
of the Reeves Center DPW vehicles and he also served as the DPW
Alternate Worksite Supervisor for the SYEP.
Although Mr. Thomas planned to retire as a DPW employee in December of
2008, especially since he looked at DPW as his second home, as fate would
have it, one more career move would occur for him. On May 28, 2006, he
accepted the supervisory position of Facilities Manager for the Department
of Youth Rehabilitation Services. Wayne believes that he has answered the
call to “get the job done” for the last time, but as he stated, “Who knows what
tomorrow brings.” We wish Mr. Thomas much success in his new position.
DC Department of Public Works Vol. 6, Number 4 June 2006
In This Issue:
Employee Profiles (3)
Director’s Corner
SWMA Ron Marshall Gets
Doctorate
Summer Youth Employees
Clearinghouse News
Preparing for the Heat
New and Notes
Mark Your Calendars
Kudos
Just For Fun
Thought Provoking

2. Director’s Corner
This issue is all about you. I hope you enjoyed National Public Works Week.
I’m sorry I wasn’t able to be there to personally thank you for all that you do
but I want you to know that I appreciate all of your efforts in making sure that
District residents are served well by this department. Enjoy this issue with its
many photos and profiles of you and or your coworkers.
William O. Howland, Jr.

4. FMA Welcomes New Team Members
Wanda Garnett, Fleet Management Administration
Ms. Stephanie Harris – Ms. Harris, Program Assistant with the Office of
Administration for Fleet Management Administration, began her service as one of
the newest Fleet team members on February 6, 2006. As a native of Washington,
DC, Stephanie says, “I like working for the District of Columbia Government
because it’s like being at home.” That’s because Stephanie’s work experience
for the past two years included working for the Federal Government Department
of Treasury where she performed research and prepared legal cases for the
Federal Retirement Thrift Investment Board. Although most of Stephanie’s work
experience has been in government, she has also worked in the private sector performing administrative work. When not
grinding at work, Stephanie spends the remainder of her time taking classes to obtain her Business Administration degree.
Currently, she attends Prince Georges Community College but plans to transfer to Howard University in the spring of 2007.
Stephanie describes herself as smart, funny, and adventurous. During her private time, she enjoys singing Rhythm and
Blues and Hip Hop with friends at karaoke night.
Mr. Robert Richardson - One of the most critical operations to the
District Government is the Sweeper Shop under the supervision of Mr.
John Hall. The Sweeper Shop helps keep the District’s city streets
clean. In maintaining Fleet’s goal of providing excellent service to the
City as well as in the work performed on the equipment, the Sweeper
Shop has added a few new employees to its team. One of those
individuals is Mr. Robert Richardson, a native of Washington, DC,
who began employment with Fleet on February 21, 2006. Working
with a team of mechanics is no strange thing for Mr. Richardson. Mr.
Richardson said, “I like working with my colleagues. I have had great
support from my team members, especially from Mr. Jose Duran
(featured on right in photograph and who began his employment with
Fleet on December 12, 2005) because he showed me around and
helped me to become more familiar with the Sweeper components, although I already knew some parts.”
Mr. Richardson has an extensive mechanics background that encompasses working on different types of equipment and
with people of diverse backgrounds. In 1990, Mr. Richardson worked four years as a mechanic for the Laidlaw Waste
System located in Gaithersburg, MD where he assisted in maintaining full operation of 42 Hydraulic Trailers and 25 Mac
Tractors. In a quest to expand his experience and knowledge base, Mr. Richardson left Laidlaw Waste and landed a
great opportunity with Trailer and Tractor, Inc. in Hyattsville, MD where he worked for eight years on straight body trucks,
installing lift gates, and converting truck systems from spring to an air ride system. Prior to his employment with DPW, he
worked the last four years in the Amtrak Locomotive Shop repairing electric and diesel locomotives. In his spare time, Mr.
Richardson enjoys racing remote control cars at a race track in Waldorf, MD. He continues to live in Washington with his
father.
FMA also acknowledges and thanks all of its new employees for their hard work and dedication to making Fleet a success.
Below are the names, title, and hire date of each new employee:
Oscar Jones Tools and Parts Attendant 10-02-05
Lonza Jones Heavy Mobile Equipment Mechanic 10-03-05
Noe Marschante Mobile Equipment Servicer 10-03-05
Eric Bryant Heavy Mobile Equipment Mechanic 03-20-06
Marquette Burgess Heavy Mobile Equipment Mechanic 05-01-06

5. SWMA’s Ron Marshall Gets Doctorate
Jeff Dickerson, Solid Waste Management Administration
Congratulations to Ron Marshall, Facilities Manager at DPW’s Fort Totten Waste
Transfer Station, for receiving his doctorate degree in Civil Engineering this May
from Morgan State University.
Mr. Marshall is a civil engineer by trade, and one intriguing branch of that
profession, he found, was traffic controls. His doctoral research led him to try
to understand the impact of the increasing number of “red light cameras” being
placed throughout the District, and their effect on the number of vehicles that
typically pass through an intersection during a green and yellow light.
Mr. Marshall understood that traffic engineers calculate and plan traffic flow based on a certain number of vehicles that
will move through an intersection during this time. What Mr. Marshall was concerned with was that there might be an
unintended consequence of these new red light camera installations – that they would reduce traffic flow. He felt that the
addition of red light cameras, while having the positive effect of reducing red light “running,” might also reduce the number
of vehicles that chose to pass through the intersection during this time, where drivers felt the risk of getting a red light traffic
ticket was higher. Consequently, fewer drivers passing through red light camera intersections means less traffic is flowing
than transportation officials have planned for.
Marshall’s theory proved true when he found that drivers were passing through intersections with red light cameras less
frequently than before. He developed a mathematical formula that can be used to aid transportation planners by accounting
for this reduction of traffic flow where red light cameras are present.
Mr. Michael Mack, Veteran Tow Truck Driver
Robert Bryant, Parking Services Administration
If one travels along Connecticut Avenue between the hours of 7:00
a.m. and 9:30 a.m., one may witness Mr. Michael Mack in his blue and
white tow truck in search of parking violations. Mr. Mack is one of a few
original tow truck drivers remaining, who were hired by Parking Services
Administration. In the beginning, the D.C. Government relied on a private
towing company called Transportation Management Incorporated where
Mr. Mack worked in 1979. Eventually, in June 1982, the Government
hired the TMI drivers, thus, making them Civil Service employees.
Mr. Mack is a native Washingtonian who graduated from Eastern High School. The 54-year-old towing technician is married
and the proud father of four children. His 25-year-old daughter, Sabrina is a parking control aide who has been writing
tickets for three years. He fondly remembers, “She was just a baby when I started towing.”
“What does he like about his job? Mr. Mack likes the independence of working alone, without close supervision. “There
is nobody looking over your shoulder.” he said. Moreover, he likes working overtime, as tow trucks are needed to remove
unwanted cars at a wide variety of District activities ranging from parades to civil protests. And then there is the infamous
snow emergency when Mr. Mack has to work because he is an essential employee.
Accordingly, Mr. Mack has no desire to be a supervisor. “I’d rather be in my truck.” he said. And although there are two
shifts (morning and evening) he loves the morning shift, where he has spent the majority of his 24 years. Finally, while
he may enjoy towing cars with a new “state-of-the-art” truck that doesn’t require as much physical work as the old “cradle
snatcher” from 1979, Mr. Mack looks forward to retirement after six more years of service. In his leisure he enjoys watching
videos, attending oldies concerts and watching sports—a diehard Redskin fan!

6. Summer Youth Employees
Venola Johnson, Human Capital Administration
School is almost over and the Summer Youth Employment Program will be kicking into gear soon. Five SYEP Supervisor
Orientation sessions will be offered throughout June. An employee orientation for DPW’s 204 participants will be held on
June 26 at One Judiciary Square’s auditorium. DPW’s summer youth employees will report to work on June 27. The 150
summer youth employees placed with the Street and Alley Cleaning Division will rotate one week of their six-week session
with the Parking Services Administration and one week with the Solid Waste Education and Enforcement Program to
experience the broad scope of DPW’s operations. Douglas Delaney, OITS, will conduct an introduction to basic computer
skills for the 54 summer youth employees placed in administrative positions to enhance their job performance.
Each participant will attend one 3-hour development session, topics will include, “Developing a Healthy Self Esteem and
a Credible Self Confidence”; “Truth, The Foundation of Communication and Ethics”; and “Mastering Your Money So Your
Money Will Not Be Your Master”. A field trip, “Exploring Your City, Learning Your Community” will take DPW’s summer
youth employees to the Anacostia Museum and Center for African American History and Culture and the Frederick Douglas
National Historic Site before taking a journey down the U Street Corridor to inform participants of the rich history and free
learning opportunities right outside of their doors. The program will wrap up on Friday, August 4 with the championship
game of the DPW-SYEP “Hoop It Up” Basketball Tournament and a Picnic and Awards Day in Anacostia Park.
Clearinghouse News
Radeena Washington, Customer Services Cleaninghouse
“Did you know she was out of the office over the next several days?” “No wonder I haven’t heard from her. I’ve been
leaving messages for the past two days.”
How often do we know that we’re scheduled to be out of the office, and how often do we forget to activate our extended
absence greeting? We know we’re going to be out, so a helpful tip is to prepare a checklist of items you must do before
your scheduled leave. That list should include activating the Extended Absence Greeting on your desk phone and the Out
of Office Assistance on your Microsoft Outlook. Both messages should include the time frame you will be out of the office
and contact information for immediate assistance. These are good methods of customer service when informing the caller
that you are out of the office and providing contact information for assistance.
Quick Tip – “Customers First for Government” (Vol. 7, Issue 13)
“Hold the Phone.” Make telephone time more pleasant for your agency’s customers. Before you put a caller on hold, ask
for permission. Check back with he/she every 20 to 30 seconds, and after returning, thank him/her for his/her patience.
“Thank you for holding!”
Preparing for the Heat
Viola McIver, Safety and Risk Management
Summer will begin shortly and temperatures will rise quickly. Working in high temperatures can be very dangerous, causing
heat stress and heat strokes. The body loses about 2 quarts of water every day from breathing, urination, bowel movement
and sweating. In DPW, our employees can produce approximately 2 quarts of sweat per hour during extreme heat. Please
follow the rules of thumb below for a safe summer.
l Employees are advised to eat appropriately before leaving home in the morning.
l Drink plenty of water before starting to work, and continue to drink plenty of cool water throughout the workday.
l Avoid very cold liquids, as they produce cramping.
l It is advisable to drink at least 8 ounces of fluids every 20 minutes during extreme heat.
l Drink fluids that leave the stomach quickly and contain little sodium and some sugar, generally less than 8% -
no soft drinks.
l Avoid tea and coffee because they contain caffeine.
l Avoid alcoholic beverages.
l Slow down and work with Caution.

7. DPW participated in two truck days again this year. Employees were sent to Adas Israel Synagogue’s Gan Ha Yeled’
preschool truck day on Wednesday, May 10, where the children had fun boarding our vehicles. (No photos) Employees
also participated in truck day for CCBC Preschool on Friday, May 13. (Photos included). The children were happy to take
turns boarding vehicles. Employees that participated in the truck days included: George D. Lindsay, Jr., Alley Sweeper
Operator, Francis S. Snyder, Sanitation Worker, Ronald Moody, Snow plan, Keith Jenkins, Dump Open Body driver, Noel
Bradley, Coordinator Alonzo Mckelvin Steve Gales Michael Gaither, and Steve Gales, SWMAA Team, MUO – Small
Packer.
News and Notes
Farewell and best wishes to Terry Walker, Safety and Risk Management – Terry
Walker accepted a position with FEMA as an Emergency Preparedness Officer. A
farewell celebration was given in her honor on Friday, June 9. Co-workers came to
wish her well. During the celebration, the Director, Bill Howland, presented her with a
gift of appreciation for her 5 years of dedicated service in DPW.
Mayor Williams Announces Ecozone Public/Private Partnership
On Tuesday, June 20, 2006, 11:30 a.m., Mayor Williams will announce that DC will become the Country’s first “Ecozone
public/private partnership to address critical DC environmental issues at no additional cost to taxpayers. The event will take
place at the former City Museum of DC, aka the Carnegie Library, located on K Street, NW between 7th and 9th Streets,
NW at Mt. Vernon Square, directly across the street from the new Convention Center. A buffet lunch will follow the event.
This initiative is a new national public/private partnership program to help fund the clean-up of critical DC environmental
projects involving the city’s air, water, energy use, parks and greenspace - at no additional cost to taxpayers. High-ranking
executive branch representatives, federal officials and key members of Congress will be on hand to support this unique
initiative that directly links community needs with business interests to improve the environment and benefit communities.
William O. Howland, Jr., DPW Director said, “This program is very valuable to the city. It has the potential to be the
cornerstone of our larger environmental education program which will connect the needs of our residents with business
interests to improve the environment and enhance our neighborhoods”.

8. Kudos
Congratulations to SWEEP - SWEEP’s Labor Management Partnership
collected and then donated enough money to the Joseph K. Smith Sum-
mer Camp Fund (Camp Brown) to sponsor two needy children to a week of
summer camp. The team presented these funds to the Camp’s Executive
Committee during Metropolitan Police Department Chief of Police Citizen’s
Advisory Council’s Summer Camp Fund Dinner. Sweep’s office received a
personal call from Mary Floto, Office of the Mayor, expressing appreciation
for the donation to sponsor two youths for the summer camp. SWEEP chal-
lenges other DPW Administrations to take action to help our needy children.
just For fun
More Brain Stuff from Cambridge University - This is very interesting.
Olny srmat poelpe can raed tihs.
I cdnuolt blveiee taht I cluod aulaclty uesdnatnrd waht I was rdanieg.
The phaonmneal pweor of the hmuan mnid, aoccdrnig to a rscheearch
at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy,
it deosn’t mttaer in waht oredr the ltteers in a wrod are, the olny ipr-
moatnt tihng is taht the frist and lsat ltteer be in the rghit pclae. The
rset can be a taotl mses and you can sitll raed it wouthit a porbelm.
Tihs is bcuseae the huamn m nid de os not raed ervey lteter by istlef,
but the wrod as a wlohe. Amzanig huh? yaeh and I awlyas tghuhot
slpeling was ipmorantt
The DPW Exchange
is a bi-monthly publication.
Director
William O. Howland, Jr.
Public Information Officer
Mary Myers
Editor
Vera A. Jackson, Community
Relations Specialist
Contributing Writers
Radeena Washington, Director’s
Office, Customer Service
Clearinghouse
Viola McIver, Safety & Risk
Management
Wanda Garnett, Fleet Management
Administration
Robert Bryant, Parking Services
Administration
Venola Johnson, Human Capital
Administration
Sharon Cooke, D.C. Energy Office
Deborah Stewart, Office of
Information Technology Services
Lakisha Love, Office of the Chief
Financial Officer
Adeline Isaacs, Office of
Administrative Services
Special thanks to Shadonna
Degraves for the Just for Fun piece.
Your input is important. All
employees are encouraged
to submit ideas/comments to
vera.jackson@dc.gov.
The newsletter committee reserves
the right to edit all materials
submitted. Deadline for submitting
information for the June issue is
July 15.
Thought Provoking
“Don’t be afraid of pressure. Remember that pressure is
what turns a lump of coal into a diamond?” - Unknown
“Do the thing you fear and the death of fear is certain.” - Unknown
MARK YOUR CALENDAR!
Every Friday
Brown Bag Day - A free homeownership workshop
11:30 a.m. - DC Home Resource Center
815 Florida Avenue, NW.