Many choose to go unrecognized and lead from a quiet stance. That is Daniel Ortega. He simply believes in getting the job done and instills that leadership in his staff. When I took the lead as Town Manager, Daniel would sit down with me and talk about opportunities he believed would benefit the Town in regard to water safety and infrastructure, but more importantly, he wanted to strive for synergy between our water and wastewater teams. He put his full effort into ensuring both teams participated in assignments together, building trust between them. We are now at a point where our water and wastewater personnel are completing different levels of certification at heights we have not seen before, providing a direct benefit to the Town.

Recently, the Town took on the construction of a well at the Rodeo Grounds. Daniel and his team took the lead on this job, as it had to be completed within 60 days with one of the Town’s signature events scheduled at the venue. His efforts included vendor procurement, site supervision, excavation, plumbing, electrical work, and keeping management up to date. Daniel did not miss a single key step. What I appreciated most is that he personally invited me out to the site, where he provided a one-on-one briefing of the entire project. This allowed me to keep our Councilmembers informed of our progress. His ownership of this endeavor ensured its success – we met the assignment goal ahead of the 60-day benchmark. Outstanding!

Speaking of wastewater and water team success, this group showed up at the Christmas party as the Minions. All personnel were dressed in costume, smiling, and fully engaged – another first and a direct result of his leadership. Well done, Daniel (D). This is why you have been chosen as the Power Performer for the month of December.