Mark Wagner, a multiskill maintenance team member, was standing beneath a tree after helping set up the groundbreaking ceremony for the new Albert C. Black Elementary School in case he was needed during the event when Chief Operations Officer David Bates asked if the maintenance crew had water.
Several people in the audience were overheating due to the temperature that day and the sun shining overhead, including a little girl who came to take shelter in the partial shade of the tree. Wagner’s team did not have any water on hand, so Wagner headed straight to a nearby 7-Eleven to fix the problem.
“I went, got water and came back, and that was it,” he said. “It was nothing I wouldn’t do for anyone else.”
While Wagner saw his actions as just another way of doing his job, Pamela Lear, deputy superintendent of Staff and Racial Equity, witnessed his fast, flexible customer service at the groundbreaking ceremony and decided to honor him for stepping up.
District leaders have been handing out special Dallas ISD lapel pins to commend team members who go above and beyond, and Lear presented Wagner with one not long after the event.
“It was an honor to be recognized,” Wagner said. “I have been in Dallas ISD for 10 years, and I like it all. It’s nice to see an issue that needs to be taken care of and make it right.”
Wagner said he will continue to strive for the yes and act with urgency for all as he works with his team to resolve campus work orders, repair flooring, build walls and office spaces and more.
“We always try to be professional and fix any problems that need to be taken care of,” Wagner said. “We can’t always fix things immediately, but within a few days, we try to get the jobs done. Over the years, we’ve done a lot of good work and I enjoy that.”
