Professionalism – delivering superior results
By CAP standards, Jaxon White is a relatively “green” employee. When he joined the CAP team in 2019 as a Water Systems Engineer-in-training, it was his first professional job after graduating with his Masters. But for those who work with him, his newness isn’t what stands out – it’s his professionalism.
Supervisor Marcus Shapiro said Jaxon serves a cross-functional role in the department, willingly supporting both the Water Systems and Water Transmission groups.
“Jaxon is aware of himself and others, which helps him to productively engage with people by asking questions, seeking input, learning and contributing to whatever task is at hand,” said Shapiro.
For Jaxon, focusing on professionalism is a lesson he learned early. At 13, he worked on the football chain gang (the crew that is responsible for the chains that mark the downs) at football games and realized…a little late…the importance of keeping track of his hours so he could get paid. When he started his next job at a car wash, he knew what was important: work hard, stay respectful, be personable and customer focused, engage with those around you, perform consistently and keep a positive attitude.
“I always come to work ready to work,” said Jaxon. “I know that having a positive attitude and working collaboratively will help produce the best results.”
He was presented some challenges early on at CAP, when after 10 months on the job, he had to transition to work from home. He was working on multiple projects while still learning about the business of CAP and suddenly had to do it remotely. But he thrived.
“Jaxon successfully populated the forecast file to help in planning for the upcoming Colorado River shortages while getting grounded in the numerous agreements held by CAP water users,” said Shapiro.
Co-worker Candi Brunk said Jaxon is a great team member, working independently and collaboratively; he is quick to understand the technical aspects as well as what data will be important to an end user.
“Monthly water accounting relies on input from various people. I gather the pieces from Jaxon and others to put the puzzle together for finance,” said Brunk. “Jaxon is timely and curious and likes to know how things are all fitting together.”
His job is no easy task. But Jaxon says he tries to keep everything in perspective.
“I know everyone’s time is valuable, so I want to respect that and do my part well to ensure the train keeps rolling,” Jaxon said. “It’s critical that my work is error-free because mistakes that aren’t caught can be costly.”
Shapiro says Jaxon’s professional approach to all the work is effective.
“Jaxon is a great member of our team, dedicated to his job, yet also easy going and enjoyable to work with,” said Shapiro.
