Whatever your role at WAPA, the odds are good that you work with at least a few contract employees. These contractors could have been hired for any number of reasons, whether to assist in the completion of temporary projects or to complement an existing team of federal employees with a particular set of skills.
On April 28, Project Manager Eva Lampman celebrated a milestone: 40 years of WAPA service, most of those spent finding and hiring contract employees for the organization. Currently, Lampman is responsible for managing the Cherokee Nation Strategic Programs contract, overseeing the Wyandotte Services and Wyandotte Technologies subcontracts.
Due to the nature of her position, Lampman has been involved with a large number of programs and departments at WAPA. Upon learning of her milestone, many of the contractors she hired and worked with reached out to Closed Circuit to share their memories of working with her.
Many of them discussed Lampman as a manager.
“Eva has a special way of making a person want to work harder,” said Lands Realty Clerk Tracy Rogers. “She has a heart of gold and work ethics we all aspire to. I’m grateful for her leadership.”
“Having worked in many different industries under many different kinds of managers, I can confidently say that Eva is, by far, one of the best managers out there,” said Technical Writer Jennifer Williams. “Her authenticity and care for and interest in her staff are genuine and mean so much to me, and I’m constantly amazed at her ability to juggle many tasks at once with seeming ease. She sets a heck of an example to live up to.”
“The best manager a person could wish for,” declared Personnel Security Support Assistant Olga Cooprider. “I consider Eva one of the benefits that came with my employment package. We can rely on Eva to have our back; if we share concerns with her, she will never doubt or question us. Eva is also amazing at voicing her appreciation for our accomplishments, no matter how small they are.”
Some of them made note of the substantial periods of time they’d worked with Lampman and how consistently positive the experience has been.
“Working with Eva has been such a pleasure,” said Security Specialist Bernadette Martinez. “She really goes the extra mile in all she does, especially for her employees. I have been so thankful to have a boss like her for the past 12 years, and hopefully 12 more.”
“I have been working with Eva as her administrative assistant for 15 and a half years, and it has been a great experience for me,” said Administrative and Technical Support Technician Diana Valdez. “Eva is a hard-working manager who is willing to go above and beyond for her employees and her customers. She is part of the heart of WAPA.”
“I have worked on no less than seven different contracts with Eva as a coworker and eventually as a supervisor,” said Drafter David Sanchez. “I like what I do and I like working for WAPA. The one constant we could always count on was Eva, so 34 years later I’m still here and Eva has had a lot to do with that.”
Engineering Technician Debra Denton mentioned that she’d worked with Lampman for 35 years, and emphasized that “she’s an outstanding, caring person who really looks out for her employees.”
“Eva and I hit it off on my very first day of work at WAPA more than 36 years ago,” recalled Graphic Illustrator Joel Klassen. “She can be tough when the job demands it, but her people skills and easygoing attitude have made her by far the best of the program managers to whom I’ve reported during my time here.”
An impressive number of them shared not only their appreciation for her as a manager but as a person.
“Working with Eva Lampman was such a blessing,” said Realty Specialist Barb O’Rourke. “One of the things I loved most was that she never just jumped into the subject at hand. Her first comments were, ‘How are you doing?’ or ‘I hope you are having a great day.’ She puts other people and their feelings first, and I admire her for that.”
“The first time my hearing-impaired mom ‘met’ Eva was when I was talking to her on the phone from my parked car with my mom sitting next to me,” remembered Drafter Barbara Palmer. “After a few moments, my mom said, ‘Oh, I like her! I can hear her!’ I laughed and handed the phone to my mom and she and Eva proceeded to have a lovely visit.”
“Eva is the best manager that I have ever worked with in 21 years,” said Technical Writer Paul Robbins. “She genuinely cares and will stand by you in any situation, big or small. Recently, she took time out of a very busy week to talk to me, facilitate discussion with others and resolve what I later thought was a little thing. After it was over, I said something like, ‘Sorry to bother you with this.’ Eva told me that it was no bother at all. She ended by saying, ‘I’m literally standing by your side!'”
“I started working with Eva a little over a year ago,” said Administrative and Technical Support Technician Leah Wilson. “Little did I know it would change my life forever. She is amazing to work for. She trusts in her employees. She is kind to everyone but can be assertive when necessary. She is very supportive and her communication is unmatched.”
“Working with Eva all these years has brought a wide range of experiences, adventures and memories,” said Engineering Technician Lynn Fleury, who has been with WAPA slightly longer than Lampman. “Too many to mention!”
“For 40 years and eight contract companies, I have wholeheartedly supported WAPA,” reflected Lampman. “I have supported many offices by providing extraordinary customer service and have hired solid candidates to help achieve WAPA’s goals and mission.”
Lampman’s long service to WAPA is impressive in its own right, but for at least one employee, it reinforces something important.
“Forty years,” reflected Technical Writer John Flynt. “Well, it proves one thing: Eva is and always has been there for all of us.”
Last modified on March 6th, 2024