Photo: Jay spends an afternoon on his Harley-Davidson in Lassen National Park.
Yuba Water Agency's hydro maintenance worker, Jay Maskell, provides general maintenance for all aspects of the agency's facilities. This ranges from smaller jobs like making sure trash is removed from our various facilities, to hanging new signage, road maintenance and operating a 38-ton crane. Scroll to learn more about Jay, his background and what he enjoys about working for Yuba Water.
What is your background/formal education that led to where you are in your career today?
I was involved in heavy equipment operation for 10 years. This was preceded and followed by being self employed in the trucking industry, primarily in logging, long-haul and oversize. Mixed in there are some less relevant positions that contributed to having the knowledge and abilities to be able to perform the duties of this career.
How did you get involved in your current career path?
Truthfully, it was by word-of-mouth. I had always longed for a career in this sort of arena, and one afternoon, I received a call advising me to apply for an open position at Yuba Water. So, that afternoon, while sitting in my recliner recovering from a severe accident, I updated my resume, submitted my application and was off to the races.
What does your average day look like? Or what are some of your essential duties?
My day generally starts off with a planning/scheduling type of meeting. This is where decisions are made to go ahead with routine maintenance items or pivot if something of higher priority has been identified that may take precedence. From there, we divvy up the day's work among the available personnel and head to our various destinations where we tackle all of the necessary items that need to be addressed to keep the wheels turning.
Photo: Jay and his wife, Jane, enjoy some time together at Ft. Bragg.
Do your duties differ throughout the year? And if so, how?
They most definitely do due to the to the nature of my job and the changing of the seasons and the demands that each one brings. Spring and fall are comprised of a fairly strict diet of vegetation management and herbicide application to maintain access to our critical infrastructure. Couple that with a proportional effort to remove debris from New Bullards Bar, springtime generally shapes up to be quite busy. Summer is generally consumed with a fair amount of additional work on the lake. Whether it be replacing safety lines or refurbishing floating comfort stations, there is always something to be done there.
Then, we have the ever-looming annual maintenance season for our hydropower facilities, which typically takes place between fall and late spring and brings an array of projects. All of which are drops in the bucket of items and maintenance that are crucial to the productivity and longevity of the agency.
What do you enjoy most about working for Yuba Water?
There is a real feeling of family here. Sometimes family disagrees, but at the end we unite and charge forward with a vigor that is inspiring to witness. Combine those feelings at work with the security and personal touches of being a smaller entity and you've got yourself a good recipe. It would be difficult to find a better place to work. This career, at this agency, has given me the most profound work/life balance I have ever experienced, allowing me to be a better husband to my wife and father to our children.
Before working here, what was the most interesting job you had?
I'd have to say long-haul trucking. By my mid-20s I had seen and experienced more of the United States than most people would be able to in a lifetime. I got to experience all the seasons, from fall in New England, to winters in the Rockies, summer in Miami, and lastly, tornado season in the Midwest. Throw in having been to most key points-of-interest, monuments and landmarks, and I'd say this era of my job history was by far the most interesting.
What do you like to do in your free time?
My top priority is spending time with my family. This includes riding Harleys with my wife (she has her own), coaching our kids' baseball teams, family trips and adventures, golf, fellowshipping with friends and recreating at the lake.
What are three words you would use to describe Yuba Water?
Innovative, efficient and amiable.