“In 1993, my boss in the City of Lewisville, Texas, introduced me to TX-APWA,” Bates said. “The people I met have become some of my closest friends. Together we’ve solved some very difficult public works issues and shared the solutions with other public works professionals.”
That includes forming the North Central Texas Public Works Emergency Response Team, now expanding into a statewide initiative to assist with emergency situations throughout Texas.
Over the course of his career, Bates worked disaster response and recovery for Hurricanes Ike, Dolly, Alex, and Gustav, as well as tornadoes, floods, and winter weather events. In 2014, he received TX-APWA’s Texas Professional Manager of the Year Award for Emergency Management.
In addition to his current job in the City of Allen, Texas, Public Works Department, Bates has served as TX-APWA’s part-time Administrator since 2015.
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With more than 1,500 members, TX-APWA is the largest chapter of the American Public Works Association. Members include public agencies, private sector companies, and individuals involved in the delivery of public works goods and services. The chapter offers training and certification programs, networking opportunities, awards programs, and scholarships for higher education and professional development.
TX-APWA members participate through nine regional branches: Central Texas, centered around Austin and Waco; North Central, centered around the Dallas/Fort Worth metroplex; Paso del Norte, centered around El Paso; Permian Basin, centered around Midland and Odessa; Rio Grande Valley; South Central, centered around San Antonio; Southeast, centered around Houston; South Plains, centered around Lubbock; and West Central, centered around Abilene. Each branch meets locally and provides its own educational programming to supplement the offerings of the statewide chapter.
Prior to his positions with TX-APWA and the City of Allen, Bates served as Special Projects Manager for HNTB Corporation in Dallas; Public Works Manager for the City of Grand Prairie, Texas; Public Works Operations Manager for the City of Lewisville, Texas; and Assistant Project Manager/Inspector for Halff Associates in Dallas.
In his interview with Texas Contractor, Bates shares the lessons he learned throughout his career, as well as TX-APWA’s priorities and how public works construction contractors can adjust to coming challenges.
Who has been the biggest influence on your career?
My dad has been the biggest influence in regard to work and life ethics. I’ve also been very blessed with the bosses I’ve had over the years. Without them in the right place at the right time, I wouldn’t be where I am today in my life and career. Because of their willingness to get involved and help me, I made it my mission to pay it forward and help with the career advancement of young people who cross my path.
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What’s the best advice you ever received?
My grandfather told me many times to work hard and smart, do it right, be dependable, do more than expected, make your boss look good, and help people along the way.
What lessons have you learned in your professional life?
You get what you put into it. If you only put half your effort into something, it won’t turn out that well; if you put in your all, it will be awesome.
Why did you choose a career in public works?
I believe it chose me. I enjoy helping people and making our communities look good. There’s nothing more fulfilling than going into a neighborhood and improving the streets and sidewalks. People then become proud of their neighborhood and improve their properties to make the neighborhood look even better.
What professional achievement makes you proudest?
In January 2012, I had a vision for a public works emergency response team in the North Central Texas region. Despite a lot of pushback, I kept working, helped by Bob Kopp, a fellow public works professional. Now the emergency response team is flourishing with over 68 jurisdictions on one Memorandum of Understanding. With over $2 million in grant-funded emergency response equipment throughout the region, we work together to provide mutual aid to our neighboring cities when they’re in an emergency situation.
In the past year, TX-APWA started a statewide Public Works Emergency Response Council that coordinates with the North Central Texas response team and is working to add three more regional response teams in the state. This new council already helped the Texas Division of Emergency Management on two deployment requests.
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What are your responsibilities as TX-APWA Administrator?
I manage the everyday responsibilities of the association, provide support to the Board of Directors, handle the financial books, and take the lead in the annual Public WorkShop (two days of educational programming for public works field service personnel) and the Annual Conference and Equipment Show.
What are the biggest issues facing public works?
First, funding to maintain and improve our assets and keep up with new technology in transportation. Another issue is succession planning. We need to entice a new generation into our profession. So much historical information of our systems and assets will be lost if we don’t pass that knowledge down to younger, newer workers.
What are TX-APWA’s priorities?
Our top priority is getting a new generation of public works employees trained and certified so they’re ready to fill the next open position of a retiring, lifelong public works professional. They need to bring with them the new industry standards, along with smarter, cheaper ways to maintain, improve, and expand our current infrastructures to meet the demands of a new transportation system.
What challenges lie ahead for construction in the public works sector?
Many transportation changes are on the horizon. We need contractors to provide new, more efficient methods that are cheaper, faster, and more environmentally friendly.
