Photo: Award winner Jeremy Nitek with Dain Wold (Transmission Maint.), Elizabeth Ressie (Human Resources) and Eric Groat (Transmission Services).

Congratulations to Lead Lineworker – Maintenance Jeremy Nitek for earning the May People Powers award! Jeremy was nominated by Area Supervisor Dain Wold and Manager, Safety Jeff Sedlmayr for acting with a Lead by Example and Own It mindset.

Jeff recognized Jeremy for his exceptional use of Human Performance Tools, which led to a critical Good Catch. In his nomination, Jeff described a situation where a contractor requested access to conduct a bore test. Demonstrating diligence and a commitment to safety, Jeremy asked the necessary questions to verify that all safety protocols had been followed. During a follow-up check, Jeremy discovered that digger locates had not been completed as required. Recognizing the potential risk, he immediately escalated the issue to leadership, resulting in a stop-work order.

“Jeremy’s actions not only prevented a potentially serious safety or reliability incident but also exemplified what it means to lead by example, take ownership of outcomes and prioritize safety above schedule,” Jeff remarked.

In addition, Dain referenced Jeremy’s consistent dedication to improving work environments, ensuring the safety of everyone around him.

“As a trusted resource, Jeremy is someone that other Dairyland employees frequently reach out to for guidance and support. He is fully committed to the safety first culture and consistently leads by example,” said Dain.

Congratulations People Powers nominees!
The following Dairylanders were also nominated for People Powers awards in the month of May, in the category noted. Thank you for your excellent contributions as part of the Dairyland team!

• Katie Thomson nominated by Luke Fuller (Own It)
• Jessica Sandry nominated by Clay DeWitt (Raise the Bar)
• Jessica Sandry nominated by Rob Maly (Cooperative Purpose)
• Jessica Sandry nominated by Jane Eggen (Own It)
• Matt White nominated by Brian Kalvelage (Raise the Bar)
• Nate Harris nominated by Brian Kalvelage (Own It)
• Asia Parkhurst nominated by Kyle Overby (Raise the Bar)
• Sophie Graner nominated by Amy Haakenson (Grow and Learn)           
• Sophie Graner nominated by Christa Weisenberger (Raise the Bar)