TRS called Will Pack, one of our site construction experts, at his project site in Los Angeles County to see how he’s settling in to the company and the work site he calls his “baby.”
Position: Construction Technician
Location: Los Angeles
TRS Employee-Owner Year Started: 2020
Specialties: Piping and plumbing; water main construction; technical acumen; site management
Education: Associate’s Degree in Computer Science from Los Angeles Trade Technical College
Will Pack: TRS is unique. I’ve experienced things here that I haven’t experienced at any other company, ever.
TRS Group: That’s great to hear. So, you’ve been working at one site during your time at TRS. Where is it?
Will: It’s in Los Angeles County.
TRS: And what has that experience been like?
Will: From the very beginning, my experience at TRS has been amazing.
So a little bit about my background. I used to work for a company that made pipe liners to fix water main breaks here in California. It was fun, physical work. The only thing is that they couldn’t keep us working through the whole year. They paid us a lot, but we only worked for six months and then we were off for six months.
During my down time, I applied to TRS.
Melanie (Campbell, HR Manager) called me one morning and said she wanted to talk. I liked her energy, so I took a couple of days off and met Lynette (Stauch, Senior Project Manager) in New Mexico. I really liked her personality and how when we sat and talked, she asked me questions about my life. She wanted to know more than just about my skill set.
So, I went back to California and did a daily prayer about working for TRS. Then I got another call and met with Patrick (Joyce, Project Manager) and Doug (Seiler, Senior Engineer). We sat down, had lunch and talked. I really liked those guys. I hadn’t heard from them for a couple of weeks, and I was calling and texting Patrick. They called and said they wanted to move forward.
Once I got on site, Patrick trained me. He’s taught me so many things about what we do here at TRS and how we do them. There’s such a wealth of knowledge in Patrick and Doug. They have taught me so much.
All my life, I’ve been kind of a science geek. I mean, I don’t have the white stuff in the corners of my mouth, the pocket protector and the thick glasses, but I’ve always been a science guy. To be in the environmental industry in and of itself is rewarding for me. I could go and do anything I want to in the world, and I feel most rewarded that I am doing something to help the environment and the community. Since then, I’ve learned so much about environmental cleanup and remediation.
Every day I find myself thinking about what I could do to remediate these sites faster. That’s something I love about this position. It keeps my mind going all the time. I’m the type of person where I don’t just want to stand somewhere and make money. I want to do something meaningful.
For the universe guiding me into this field and company, I am thankful. It’s truly a blessing.
TRS: Where are you originally from?
Will: I’m originally from New York. I just came out to LA to visit a friend. But I liked the weather and I liked the school system.
I got a degree at a junior college in computer science. That and falling in love with riding motorcycles is what prompted me to stay in California.
"For the universe guiding me into this field and company, I am thankful. It's truly a blessing."
TRS: What single thing have you been most proud of during your time at TRS?
Will: The single thing I’m most proud of is that this site gets to be my baby.
I don’t know if this counts, but Patrick has shown me so much that I can run the whole place and anticipate potential problems, and that’s very satisfying. Patrick has a great ability to show you how the whole system works. Patrick is my angel here.
I want it to be like when Patrick’s not here, I am his eyes and ears and hands. And hands down he’s trained me to that end.
Patrick and Lynette treat me like family. And everyone else does too. Everyone has been so there for me. My first year at TRS, I lost a couple of people to COVID. My home life went through a rough patch. But everyone has been there for me.
Patrick and Lynette are two of the greatest people that I’ve ever worked with in my life.
TRS: What is the most satisfying aspect of your job?
Will: There are actually a couple of things. One we spoke about earlier is just what I do every day in helping the environment. That’s probably 70-80 percent of the enjoyment I get out of what I do.
The other thing is that TRS has treated me like a family member, not just an employee.
Lynette will call and talk to me about anything. Most of the time, it’s not even about work stuff. She calls and asks me how I’m doing. She asks me what’s going on with me. Lynette has been a family member to me since I started working here.
That’s how she talks to me – like what I’m going through really matters to her. When my mother passed and Lynette saw that – other than going to help my family with things, I didn’t take any time off – she asked what she could do to help. She gave me resources where I could find help. I’ve never had a job where the people showed that much concern for my mental health.
How could I not be passionate about that? Doing something I feel is worthwhile. And that’s a big deal to me.
TRS: What attracted you to the environmental remediation field?
I’ve always been attracted by science. My first experience in the environmental field was with the other company that I used to work for. When they hired me, I didn’t have any experience in the environmental industry at all. But working with them is where I got to see what goes on with our nation’s infrastructure. Where we get our water. The electricity that’s running underground. Things like that. So that’s what got me to say this is an industry that I want to be a part of.
In my previous job I was more of just a laborer. At TRS, I was taught how everything works. Now I’m completely hands on and helping to manage large projects. Having an occupation that interests and challenges me is a blessing. There’s a big difference between just working and doing something you’re passionate about.
