Our Veterans Day series continues with Ron Wallace, who served 23 years in the U.S. Army, part of it while working at Charlotte Water.
Key Takeaways:
- Ron Wallace served 23 years in the U.S. Army.
- He is a Treatment Plant Maintenance Supervisor for Charlotte Water.
- His work helps maintain the equipment that supports wastewater treatment and environmental protection.
Learning a Trade
When Ron’s friends left for college in 1987, he didn’t have the money to go with them. So he joined the Army with a plan: learn a trade he could fall back on in civilian life.
He worked as a mechanic, keeping diesel vehicles running, from Jeeps and Humvees to the Army’s five-ton trucks. He later became a senior human resources NCO, short for non-commissioned officer, one of the Army’s experienced enlisted leaders.
His proudest moment was making sergeant just three years in, a quick climb the Army calls “fast tracking.” “Making sergeant is a big thing,” Ron said.
Finding Charlotte Water
While serving in the Army Reserve after active duty, Ron spotted a City of Charlotte job posting for a wastewater treatment plant mechanic.
“I applied and they interviewed me and they offered me the job, and the rest was history,” he said.
He started out splitting his time between the Mallard Creek and McDowell Creek wastewater treatment plants. Today, he is a Treatment Plant Maintenance Supervisor.
In 2006, Ron deployed to Iraq for a year. The City held his job, and Ron returned to his position.
Skills That Stick
Ron’s mechanic training still pays off at work and at home, from plumbing to working on his truck. “It’s a great skill to have because it can save you money,” he said. And when hanging anything on a wall, he says, “always have your level to make sure that it’s straight.”
The Army also taught him to work with anyone. “You get shipped off to a new unit and meet brand new people,” he said. Coworkers describe him as well-liked and easy to get along with..
His biggest adjustment to civilian life was slowing down. “The military is fast paced, 24/7,” he said. He learned to match the pace of the people around him.
The Work Behind the Scenes
Ron wishes more people knew that Charlotte Water protects the environment as well as the people it serves.
“We’re sending safe drinking water to the home so they can drink, bathe and cook,” he said. “And then on the wastewater side, we’re returning treated water to creeks and streams after the wastewater treatment process.”
Off the Clock
Outside of work, Ron walks, runs, travels and does jigsaw puzzles. He recently finished a 1,000-piece Carolina Panthers puzzle of the stadium and Charlotte skyline. The hardest ones can take him three months, and when he finishes, he glues and frames them.
“You’ve got to have really good patience,” he said. He also sees puzzles as exercise for the brain: “If you don’t use it, you lose it.”
What Veterans Day Means to Him
For Ron, Veterans Day is about honor, respect and appreciation.
“It makes me feel good knowing that I am a veteran and that I’m being appreciated by others that don’t even know me,” he said. “‘Thank you for your service’ and things like that. It goes a long way.”
Thank you, Ron, for your service to our country and to Charlotte Water.