SharePoint
      WAPA.gov
WAPA » Newsroom » 40th anniversary » Tom Borkowski’s inventory: Plato to phasers

Tom Borkowski’s inventory: Plato to phasers

WAPA's Media Line: 720-962-7411

WAPA's 40 anniversary banner

Inventory Management Specialist Tom BorkowskName: 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 org​anizations, and I've always walked away thankful that I work for WAP​A.  ​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.​

​​​​​​

  
Employee: Michael Prowatzke
Employee: Steve Johnson
Employee: Lesley Berg
Employee: Jennifer Henn
Employee: Bob Easton
Customer: Tom Heller
Employee: Martin Wallette
Employee: Kyle Conroy
Employee: Nancy Ruiz
Employee: Parker Wicks
Customer: Elston K. Grubaugh
Employee: Tanya Newman
Employee: Tom Borkowski
Employee: Pete Miller
Employee: Joel Klassen
Employee: Brian Graybeal​
Retiree: Michael Hacskaylo​
Employee: Krystall Valencia
Employee: Robert Delizo​
Retiree: Harvey Roepke
Employee: Chrystal Dean
Employee: Kevin Ripplinger
Customer: Paul Hauser
Employee: Jeff Robertson
Employee: Tatiana Young
Retiree: Mike Fisher
Employee: Dorothy Engdahl
Employee: Mike Rumbaugh
Customer: Jack Lindley ​
Page Last Updated: 4/6/2020 12:01 PM