Name: Tom Borkowski, federal employee
Title: Inventory Management Specialist
Location: Huron, South Dakota
Region: Upper Great Plains
When did you start working with WAPA After four years in the Army as a paratrooper and two years with the Bureau of Reclamation as an engineering technician, I started with WAPA in August of 1981 as a warehouseman. Yes, I'm
that old.
What is the most interesting thing you have worked on at WAPA? In my 36 years at WAPA, I have worked in Warehousing, in Finance and in Fleet and Property. The most interesting part of my job isn't the "what" or the "where," but the "who." The people who come to work here every day are some of the best I've ever had the pleasure of working with, and for. Our people make WAPA the excellent place to work that it is. In my travels for WAPA, I've had occasion to talk to people who work for other organizations, and I've always walked away thankful that I work for WAPA. True, we have our share of, dare I say, "characters" in our midst, but they only add uniqueness and spice to our mix. When I someday retire from WAPA, it's a sure bet that I'll miss the people that I've worked with over the decades.
What do you wish people understood about your job and the work you do? I'd love for people to realize that, while Warehousing and Fleet and Property aren't particularly glamorous, those of us in these fields perform necessary, needed functions, and we do our best to ensure that our office people and field crews have the supplies and materials they need in order to do their jobs.
Tell us something about yourself we wouldn't find on your resume. I love to read. We have one hundred feet of bookshelves in our home, yet still have stacks and piles and boxes of books that won't fit on them. I like to tell people that my books cover the Ps and Ss pretty well; Plato to phasers, Socrates to starships.
How is what you do tied to WAPA's mission? Keeping track of our movable property assets helps ensure that our people have the equipment they need to do their jobs. Keeping the warehouse shelves stocked helps keep them supplied with the consumable items they need to make their jobs easier and more convenient.
