By Joanne Bailey-Boorsma
joanne@wktv.org
It was a former boss and mentor who once told Myron Erickson that he could “easily become director” of the City of Wyoming’s Department of Public Works.
“I was in my late 20s, early 30s and I really did not think much about it,” Erickson said during a recent phone interview. “I just really kept my nose to the grindstone, did a lot of different things, and one day realized I was pretty responsible for a lot.”
On May 14, Erickson officially assumed the role of director of Wyoming’s Department of Public Works.
“It was kind of a weird time,” Erickson said. “Bill [Dooley] was retiring on May 14 and we were meeting by Zoom just trying to keep our bare bones department together because we can’t just stop city services due to COVID-19.”
Originally from the east side of the state, Erickson was working on his master’s degree at Michigan State University when he landed a seasonal position at the City of Grand Rapids Wastewater Treatment Plant. When the position ended, his Grand Rapids manager said he thought his counterpart at the City of Wyoming could use Erickson’s talents.
“I did some lab work doing some experiments for the wastewater treatment process,” Erickson said. “That position ended and I needed something for my thesis and Wyoming was ‘this is something that we are interested in doing,’ so I ended up taking two six-month positions back-to-back.”
Erickson’s project was a study on the impact of the then new 1994 federal law that regulated the beneficial reuse of wastewater treatment residuals. The project was a success and resulted in operational changes at the wastewater treatment plant. More importantly to Erickson at the time, it provided him the three credit hours he needed to graduate.
With degree in hand, Erickson began looking for a job in consulting, but his friend, mentor, and the person who hired Erickson for the internship, Tom Kent, convinced Erickson to apply for an opening in the department’s industrial sewer use group.
“Tom was the guy who convinced me of what a golden opportunity working here was,” Erickson said. Not knowing how much this would impact his career, Erickson applied and got the job.
There would be other mentors who would also have an impact on the direction of Erickson’s career. Former Director of Utilities Joe Staph encouraged Erickson to become a registered professional engineer in the State of Michigan, which Erickson would need to become director, and former Public Works Director Bill Dooley, who Erickson said help him prepare for the directorship of both the utilities department and the public works department, provided “the wisdom and guidance” that has become invaluable to him, Erickson said.
So Erickson’s intention to stay for only five years, ended up being 26 as he worked his way through various positions from industrial waste monitor to depty director and finally director along with making West Michigan his home.
“I love two things about my career: the simple provision of public service and good local governance, and the ability to help and mentor others coming along behind me,” Erickson said. “More specifically, I love what Wyoming does with local government. the challenges of stretching a buck, doing more with less, finding and employing the best people who truly care about the community they serve, and solving the many technical and managerial trails we face as economically as possible all inspire me.”
And just like the mentors who encouraged Erickson along the way, he is now giving back to those coming up through the ranks.
“To young engineers and scientists coming behind me, I would advise: find a mentor, seek licensure and accreditation, give your best to your employer, treat every employee at every level with respect and recognize their contributions and never stop learning.”
