28 years later…where does the time go?

I was updating my resume today when I realized nearly 30 years have gone by since I first entered the world of UST systems. From climbing into my first tank pit in Vermont with a PID gas sniffer in 1986 until today sitting in my office planning my next training trip and getting snowed with calls and emails from around the country, I can easily say I never imagined I’d still be doing USTs. What’s so interesting about this industry? Why be a UST guy for nearly three decades? Here are some off-the-cuff thoughts.

Collaboration: Managing and regulating USTs is a collaborative process, meaning we’re all part of a big team. EPA designed it that way in the 1980’s and the spirit is alive and well today. Industry and regulators continue to work closely at a state and national level in partnership to ensure UST system management is both practical and safe.

Community: I’ve known some folks in this industry since the beginning and many for decades. Many I consider good friends. With so many friends making up a professional community, it’s easy to enjoy the work and stay motivated to keep plugging along.

Innovation: My friend Rich Bradly likes to say there’s always a way to build a better mousetrap. The same holds for UST systems. There’s always a better/smarter way to manage and inspect UST systems and this industry excels on program improvements. I’m happy to have been at the edge of UST innovations from at least 1996.

Second Class in Saipan. The graduates!

Inspiration: For reasons that remain elusive after all these years, UST systems and the people who run them inspire me. In fact, it’s the people who inspire me most on a daily basis. I remain committed to unifying UST equipment, people, management systems and technology to make the world a better place, one tank at a time.