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EDCOE Team Member Spotlight - Derek Peart, Maintenance Technician, Facilities

00:00 AM - November 03, 2020

EDCOE Team Member Spotlight - Derek Peart, Maintenance Technician, Facilities

Interview with Derek

Briefly describe your background (where you grew up, family, why you came to work for EDCOE).

I was born in 1989, in a small town you may have heard of called Placerville, CA. I have amazing parents and an older sister that teaches at an elementary school. I went to school at Gold Oak, Pleasant Valley, Union Mine, and then graduated college with a degree in registered nursing. I have been with my lovely wife for 14 (married for 5) years and together we have a beautiful 3 year old boy.

What is your department, title, primary work location, and how long have you worked for EDCOE?

I work in the facilities department as a maintenance technician and my working location consists of all EDCOE sites, so essentially the entire county. I have been a fulltime employee since 2015, and I was a substitute employee for EDCOE facilities beginning in 2008.

Describe how your role helps support programs/schools/students directly or indirectly.

My role supports schools and students by working to keep sites in good working order, and by making sure our locations are both safe and comfortable for staff and students alike.

What are you and your team doing to support education in El Dorado County during the COVID-19 facility closures?

My team and I have been extremely active during the COVID-19 pandemic. Our primary goal has been to facilitate the individual needs of EDCOE staff/programs to ensure everyone can return to work safely and feel protected. This has included tasks like fitting work areas with physical barriers, posting COVID-19 safety signage, installing sanitizer dispensers, placing social distancing markers, installing CDC recommended air filters, and most importantly using our state of the art HOCL production machine to make and distribute the most efficient COVID-19 killing product.

What do you most appreciate about your department/team?

The thing I appreciate most about my department is that every single person maintains a positive attitude and is willing to be flexible in order contribute to the overall team success.

What is your proudest moment at EDCOE? Why?

My proudest moment at EDCOE was when Mike and I had a demolition job at our transportation department. We were able to use my truck to pull the entire parking structure down with only a few inches of clearance on each side… it was anxiety inducing but honestly very fun and satisfying.

What do you like to do in your spare time?

In my spare time I like to exercise and be outdoors with my friends and family. My usual activities are hunting, fishing, gold prospecting, archery, and softball.

What is something many people may not know about you?

Something many people may not know about me is that I was an avid snowboard alpine racer, and I qualified for the slalom and giant slalom California State Championship race three years in a row.

If you could meet anyone in the world, living or deceased, who would it be and why?

If I could meet anyone from history it would be Jesus or my Great Grandfather… I would have a lot of questions for either one, and I feel like I would leave either interaction as a better person.

From supervisor Phil Jones:

Derek is a man of great character. Every project is thorough and done right. Having such integrity and talent on our team is a blessing. His work and attitude are nothing less than Excellence in Education for the 21st Century. It’s a pleasure working with him.

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