Employee of the Month > August 2022

You have probably heard the saying that “nothing worth doing is easy.” This old saying has proven true for the Connect Up program. A team of dedicated employees worked hard for months to get this important program up and running. This month, we recognize the contributions of one of those team members, Hope Linder.

Hope was nominated by Project Manager Travis Olson for consistently going above and beyond to help project managers with the Request for Proposal (RFP) process. The Connect Up program consisted of four separate RFPs that were all different in scope and size. Hope was instrumental in getting all four RFPs assembled and released in a timely fashion.

“With a project of this size, the RFP process can be incredibly complex,” said Scott Jones, Chief Financial Officer. “Hope’s contributions were vital in making sure that these documents were prepared accurately and on-time. Often the success of a project rests on how well you’ve built the foundation during the RFP process.”

In addition to working on the Connect Up program, Hope is responsible for complex purchasing and contracts, including administering, coordinating, analyzing, and evaluating requests, specifications, and contract documents. In her role, Hope helps to ensure that we minimize the risks to the PUD and that we are compliant with state statutes and PUD directives. Hope is also the point of contact for RFP/RFQs for Technology Procurements, is a member of the purchase card (P-Card) Support team, maintains the P-Card site, and serves as a Change Champion for AMI.

But it is not just Hope’s technical acumen that led to her nomination for Employee of the Month. Her positive attitude and willingness to support her co-workers were major factors.

“Hope is always available to answer questions, sometimes multiple times for those of us who don’t seem to get it the first time!” said Travis. “We all benefit from her great work ethic and her positive attitude.”

Even when faced with a challenge, Hope delivers a high-quality work product with a Team PUD attitude. “The last of the four RFPs tied to Connect Up were challenging. Hope handled them with grace and professionalism,” said Clark Langstraat, Manager Contracts & Purchasing. “I’m always confident that Hope will get the job done and that she’ll do an excellent job of representing our department while doing it.”

Hope was born in Everett at what was formally called the Everett General Hospital and was raised in Snohomish. She is recently widowed and currently lives in Lake Stevens with one adult son living in Michigan.

When asked about her favorite thing about her job, she chose to highlight her team: “Wow, there are so many things I like about my job,” said Hope.  “If I had to choose one thing, it would be the team environment. Everyone in my department supports each other. We all share ideas and work to do our best in supporting the various PUD departments. If someone is out, others don’t hesitate to back you up. As with all departments, we are busy, but working with such a talented team makes it so you don’t dread coming to work.”