Celebrating Public Works Week
May 2024
Below is a letter from Public Works Director Kelli Hammer Levy:
In recognition of National Public Works Week, I wanted to take a moment to thank and celebrate the dedication of the approximately 500 employees of Public Works who are proudly working for the public good! With a diverse scope of responsibilities across six divisions that include Capital Improvements with Survey & Mapping, Environmental Management, Construction, Customer & Technical Services, Stormwater & Vegetation and Transportation, there is a lot of important work occurring every week that directly affects the quality of life in Pinellas County.
Thank you all for helping make life in Pinellas more vibrant, sustainable and safe!
Public Works Long-Time Employee Spotlight
Matthew Laverdure
Position: Crew Chief 1
Department: Public Works
How long with Pinellas County? 25 years.
How long have you been in this position? 3 years.
Describe your job in 25 words or fewer: I am the safety person for our aerial program at Mosquito Control. I have 2 seasonal temps that help me fuel and load the helicopter.
Please describe your career path with Pinellas County: I started my career with the Parks Department on October 12, 1998 and was there for 8.5 years. I got hired on as a Park Maintenance Worker at War Veterans’ Memorial Park and was there for about one year before I transferred to Boca Ciega Millenium Park to be a part of the staff at a brand-new County park. In 2001, I got a promotion to a Spray Technician position which led me to the County nursery. I was there for about one year before I transferred to Sand Key Park to become the new Spray Technician. At that time, the spray technicians were in a supervisory role, so I was looking to gain some of that experience. In 2007, when the Parks Department downsized, I was relocated to Vegetation Management, which is located out of Mosquito Control. I worked for Vegetation Management for 14 years spraying County ponds and ditches. I loved it! Then, 3 years ago, I got a promotion to a Crew Chief 1 position, which led me to where I am now. I assist our pilot with our aerial program, and I also work out of our warehouse. I have gained so much knowledge and confidence over my past 25 years with the County. I love what I do and I’m thankful for it!
What has been the biggest change over the years since you started? The biggest change for me over the years has been with the advancement of technology. I have an iPad that I use to submit service requests when specialized repairs need to be made at the facility, and for Cityworks entries to transfer chemicals from the warehouse to the technicians’ storerooms. It’s useful when doing my chemical inventory, for doing any trainings, field work, and for Zoom classes or meetings. It’s been helpful for those reasons.
What are some of your achievements that you are most proud of during your time with the Public Works Department? One achievement that I am most proud of was being selected to participate in a I Am Pinellas County video and then being recognized for it by the County Administrator and the Board of County Commissioners. Another achievement of mine was completing the Public Works Leadership Foundations training.
What advice do you have for people looking to get into your field? We are here for public service so you need to keep calm and have a good attitude when dealing with the public, you should enjoy helping others, be prepared to work in various weather situations, be flexible, and love what you do.
What is something that most people don’t know about your job that you would like them to know? When the helicopter is not up in the air treating for mosquitoes, I stay busy at our campus doing many things. I conduct monthly facility inspections, do landscaping, painting, pressure washing, plan pollinator workdays, help with our monthly chemical inventory, general maintenance, and anything else that needs to be done.
What have you enjoyed most about working in the Public Works Department? Working with the staff, the training opportunities that are available to us, and the willingness to help each other out when it is needed. That’s just to name a few.
Most memorable moment/story: One of the most memorable moments that I have is being on the original staff at Boca Ciega Millennium Park in Seminole. To watch the formation and to see what all went into developing a new County park being built from the ground up was pretty amazing. I enjoyed being a part of the staff to help with the opening of the park. Good times.
5/22/24