Employee of the Month > July 2023

Like a bridge over troubled water, July’s employee of the month is relied upon by many. She was key in implementing the PUD’s private bridge tracking project, which is vital to making sure our crews stay out of troubled water when responding to emergency calls that require crossing private bridges. Please join us in congratulating Robyn Kalina, Office Technician 3, on being the July 2023 Employee of the Month.

By PUD standards (where you are a fairly new employee if you’ve only been here for 10 years) Robyn has been on Team PUD for a short time, but she’s had a big impact. Robyn began her career with the utility on Aug. 21, 2019, as an Office Support Associate 2. In April 2020, Robyn was promoted to Office Technician 3 in the Everett Engineering department of Distribution and Engineering Services.

In her current role, Robyn supports engineers in Everett and in the community offices. Her work is fundamental to getting customers the service they need – including inspecting customers’ service for power, switching customers to solar power, and building addresses in SAP. Robyn not only supports our engineers, but she also serves our customers, which she says, “keeps my job fun and interesting, and I learn new things every day!”

“Robyn is the hub of the wheel here in the Everett Customer Engineering department, she keeps us organized and is a go-to for information,” said Brett Smith, Manager Distribution Services-Everett Engineering. “She is always willing to lend a hand and does so with an upbeat and positive attitude. She provides excellent customer service and routinely goes above and beyond for internal and external customers. Our group is so thankful for Robyn and she is a very deserving employee for this award. Congrats and thank you Robyn!”

On top of her everyday job duties, Robyn was extensively involved in the Private Bridge Tracking CI Project. In 2019, a cross-departmental group formed to develop a system to track and update information on private bridges in the PUD’s service territory. Prior to this project, data was not centralized, inconsistent and often incorrect. Robyn is currently responsible for maintaining a centralized system that is tracking 200 private bridges.

“The private bridge tracking project was a cross-departmental effort that significantly contributes to the safety of our crews in the field. Robyn’s efforts on the CI Team, and her continued efforts maintaining the tracking system, is making a difference for members of Team PUD,” said Guy Payne, AGM Distribution and Engineering. “Kudos to Robyn for the work she does every day and for her willingness to contribute her time and energy to essential continuous improvement projects.”

Robyn has also been recognized by her colleagues for her willingness to step up when her department of two recently became a department of one. Her efforts were commended by employees at the Monroe Community Office who had this to say: “Lately, Robyn has been working on her own in a department that had been previously handled by two people. Thanks to her dedication and exceptional work ethic, the stellar service level that Robyn provides has been unchanged and we love working with her! Robyn pivots from one task to the next swiftly and is very reliable.”

“Robyn has always been there for me when I needed assistance,” said Maurice Galeev, Customer Service Representative 3 in the Monroe office. “Her ability to troubleshoot as well as to share her knowledge is truly beneficial not just for me, but for many at the PUD.”

From major projects to the everyday essentials, Robyn’s colleagues repeatedly mentioned her positive attitude, willingness to help others, and her unfailing reliability.

“Robyn excels in all of her job functions and maintains a positive attitude and perspective, which is a great addition in all the continuous improvement projects and daily collaborations,” said Jason Wetzel, Senior GIS Specialist. “She always pushes herself and takes on a tremendous amount of responsibility and manages everything with ease. Robyn can always be counted on, and is heavily relied upon, for a lot of daily utility functions and crucial behind-the-scenes work that often goes unnoticed by many.”

When Robyn isn’t working hard at the PUD, she volunteers as part of a clinical trial and picks up per-diem shifts working in the laboratory at Evergreen Hospital – both activities are motivated by her ardent desire to serve others.

Thank you, Robyn, for your service to members of Team PUD and our community. Please join us in celebrating this well-deserved recognition and congratulating Robyn on being the PUD’s July Employee of the Month!