December 8, 2016 – Northshore Utility District (NUD) Inventory and Purchasing Specialist Dave McMorris will be highlighted in an upcoming publication of the Washington Association of Sewer & Water Districts (WASWD).  The feature invited WASWD member agencies to nominate staff who represent going “above and beyond the call of duty” to serve the public.

Inventory and Purchasing is one of those hard-working interior gears of an organization – not often spotlighted because it’s busy keeping the machine running smoothly.  But Dave’s work is integral to NUD’s success and service of our customers.  We are privileged to him on our team and to share this recognition.

The full text of the article is included below – nomination written by NUD Finance Director Steve Hamilton.

 

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“Northshore Utility District’s Inventory and Purchasing Specialist Dave McMorris is a prime example of workplace leadership and continually going above and beyond the call of duty for Northshore Utility District and its customers.

Dave has been working for the District for almost seven years, and provides both internal and external customer service at a level most managers only dream of.

Dave’s responsibilities are typical for an inventory and purchasing specialist:

• Orders, procures, receives, distributes, and manages inventories.
• Researches and negotiates pricing for the best goods/services at the best value.
• Analyzes and develops complete specifications to meet the competitive price quotes requirement among all vendors.
• Conducts open competitive bidding processes from start to finish and evaluates performance to ensure contract compliance and user satisfaction
• Prepares and maintains databases and spreadsheets to analyze and monitor inventory of purchases of all tools, equipment and supplies for yearly state audit
• Stocks.
• Maintains inventory records and levels.

However, it is the manner in which he manages these responsibilities that makes him such an invaluable member of the District’s team.  He goes so far beyond the level of simply meeting these responsibilities.  He OWNS them, taking great pride in everything he does.  It is not uncommon for Dave to pore over a voluminous purchase agreement to make sure that the supplier lives up to all his commitment.  When a lunchtime delivery interrupts his lunch, he happily makes his way back to the inventory room and takes care of business.

Everything Dave does, he does with a big smile on his face and a bounce in his step, cheerfully greeting every employee along the way.  He has an attitude unsurpassed within the District.  Dave does his job with a pleasant demeanor and youthful smile, not commonly found in an inventory and purchase guy.

He is always cognizant of the bottom line.  He has researched using different vendors over the past year which resulted in over $15K in savings.

We have annual All Star awards to employees who go that extra mile.  The recipients are voted on by their co-workers.  Since inception, Dave has been an annual winner.”