New Opportunities at the Sewer District

Good Neighbor Ambassadors Thomas Chapman and Ronald Motley at the Great Lakes Science Center.

PLEASE NOTE THIS ARTICLE IS WRITTEN BY ALEXIA CASTILLO, PARAPROFESSIONAL INTERN, NEORSD. THANKS!

A New Year is often a door for new opportunities. New opportunities come in many ways and for some, new jobs are the perfect opportunity to live up to your resolution for this year. The Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District is hiring 10 Good Neighbor Ambassadors; this is the sixth cohort of Ambassadors. Ambassadors are exposed to professional development opportunities and work in communities that have significant Project Clean Lake construction sites.

Project Clean Lake is the Sewer District’s $3 billion infrastructure investment project to reduce pollution impacting Lake Erie, the Cuyahoga River and other waterways by four billion gallons per year. Communities on Cleveland’s west side are beginning to see construction sites arise as the Westerly Storage Tunnel project is underway.

Ambassadors serve as liaisons for the Sewer District in communities near construction sites.  It is common for one to wonder what these projects consist of and the Ambassadors have a physical presence in these communities and are proactive in assisting residents. They are be the day-to-day face of the Sewer District as Project Clean Lake is underway.

Ambassadors focus on maintenance and cleanup efforts in communities. They also provide general assistance on watershed projects in the community by helping install cisterns, bio-retention basins, community gardens, rain gardens and other related features.

“A lot of our Ambassadors want to make difference in their community, so even when it’s simply providing maintenance services in local neighborhoods, that goes a long way,” says Darnella Robertson, Manager of Government Affairs.

On top of serving as a physical presence for the residents to engage, a key role of the Ambassadors focuses on community outreach. They have a variety of opportunities that includes having an active presence in community and scholastic outreach events to engage with the public and educate about the work the Sewer District does.

“They are learning specific skill sets, they are developing their professionalism, they are getting experience in interviewing, handling their finances and we provide them with a variety of assessments they can take to figure out fitting career paths based on their interests” says Demetrius Tucker, supervisor of the Ambassadors.

Professional development and networking opportunities with local organizations allow the cohort to be exposed to new career paths within Northeast Ohio. This program’s focus goes further than just being present in the communities impacted by construction, but making sure that the cohort leaves with transferrable skills that they can enhance as they advance in their career field. By providing the Ambassadors with the professional resources and opportunities, many want to stay and work for the Sewer District.

The Good Neighbor Ambassador position requires applicants to have a high school diploma or GED Equivalent. This is a part-time position that includes full benefits including tuition reimbursement. To apply for this position, or to find additional career opportunities at the Sewer District, visit https://www.neorsd.org/career-home/

 

Jennifer Elting

Alexia Castillo is a paraprofessional intern with the Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District.

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Volume 11, Issue 3, Posted 2:52 PM, 03.10.2019