I can’t remember the first time I physically met Bill Payne, but I can tell you I remember the first time I heard his name said because my first thought was “Bill Payne, that’s a great name”. Our first job together, it was my first project managing responsibilities while a contractor performed concrete patch repairs at a parking garage in Edison, NJ. I was just an intern at the time while I went to college, but the experience would last the rest of my career.
So started my obsession with remediation and my relationship with Bill. It wasn’t until I started working directly under him for UPS projects that I started to understand how much his tutelage would impact me. He provided me with insight and direction as well as allowing the room to grow and come into my own as a manager. If there was an issue or concern, Bill was always there if needed.
He was also one of my greatest cheerleaders. An unexpected issue occurred while on my way down to a parking garage in Alexandria, VA. Bill called me to let me know the client had an issue and I needed to resolve it. I spoke with the client and made sure their concerns were answered and went to the hotel. I received a call from Bill saying how happy the client was and that he had already told our boss what a good job I had done. When you are a young engineer trying to find your stride, it means the world to me to have someone support you like that.
Working under Bill in the Pennsylvania office was challenging but fun. I took over for his coworker Dave that was leaving for a few months but… He never returned and Bill was “stuck” with me for the next year and half. I learned a lot in that time, and I cherished all of it.
I have called Bill Payne my mentor ever since. The respect I have for him is not based on just our business relationship but the way our personalities have meshed well to provide not just quality work but quality service. The understanding that although this is a business, we are here to assist with someone’s home or school or place of work. What we do matters and can have an impact.