NACA award for hands-on technician

The National Association of Clean Air’s prestigious award for the best air quality technician in 2008 was awarded to an ECOSERV technician in Nelspruit on 2 October 2008.

Johannesburg-based Bethuel Komape says that while the award came as a surprise, he feels it is well deserved.
“I am cool with it. I work hard. In fact, all the staff at ECOSERV are very committed to their work. We take our jobs very seriously,” says Bethuel.
ECOSERV Johannesburg office manager, Mike Turnbull, actually initiated the NACA award in the 1980’s, when he was MD of our supplier SI Analytics, to give recognition to the technicians who keep ambient air quality monitoring instruments in working condition.

“The people who invariably get the credit for a job well done are the managers. Yet the real stars of this business are the hands-on guys behind the scenes who keep the equipment running and the data flowing.”

Mark Baird, Allan Jansen, Bethuel Komape and Quentin Hurt

Mike says Bethuel impressed the judges with the sterling work he has done in stack sampling. “He has been leading several teams successfully for a number of years,” says Mike.
ECOSERV MD Quentin Hurt nominated Bethuel for the award, putting his name forward to a panel of judges selected by NACA. “Bethuel is really an exceptional person,” says Quentin. “He takes a strong technical approach to his work and his attention to detail is impressive.”

Quentin says the award shines light on the team that Bethuel has put together. “This award is not only a reflection on Bethuel’s amazing work but on the work of his entire team. They are all to be congratulated.”

Bethuel says two men have been instrumental to his success – ECOSERV director Mark Baird and his mentor, former ECOSERV director Allan Jansen. “Mark and Allan have been very supportive of me and have an ability to foresee events and to put the correct plans in place,” he says.

Bethuel has been working for ECOSERV for five years now. His award comes in spite of the fact that he has never had formal engineering training, apart from the training he has received at ECOSERV and the guidance from his supervisors.

But come the New Year, and this should change. “I will be completing my studies as an electrical engineering technician in November 2008. It’s been very hectic but it will be worth it in the end,” he concludes.