On most days, Daniel Ellis wakes up at 4:30 in the morning and goes to work at one of Houston’s 38 wastewater treatment plants, where he takes water samples.
That part of his job is routine. Collecting samples is a small but necessary step in the process of treating the city’s wastewater. A skilled laborer, Ellis is part of a dedicated team of more than 600 employees in the Wastewater Operations Branch, part of Houston Public Works, which is tasked with ensuring water quality, protecting public health and safeguarding the environment.
But routine doesn’t define Ellis’ job. Every once in a while there is an emergency, and that’s when he truly shines.
Tomas Martinez, a senior division manager, recalls when a main line broke at one of the wastewater treatment plants and there was “a lot of cleanup that needed to be done.” Martinez describes the event as a “calamity” that only happens once in a lifetime, and he recalls how dedicated Ellis was to “getting the job done.”
“Daniel was out there every day,” Martinez says. “He never stopped. He worked overtime and never complained, even when he was getting dirty to the bone.”
Joshua Davis, Ellis’s direct supervisor, is equally impressed.
“Daniel doesn’t give up until the job is done,” he says. “He’s very energetic, he has a go-getter mentality, and he’s a very genuine person.”
For his service to his community, Ellis, a member of HOPE AFSCME Local 123, is a winner of our union’s Never Quit Service Award. The award recognizes public service workers who go above and beyond the call of duty to make their communities better.
Ellis says he loves serving his community and is active in other ways outside of work, including through his union and his church.
“I love people,” he says. “I love interacting with the community.”
He says he loves making a positive impact locally, which is what motivates him to give the best of himself. Growing up, his parents both encouraged him to help others.
“My mom, especially, she would give her clothes off her back, she loved to help,” he recalls.
Ellis began his career in public service just two years ago, when he was hired by the city’s Parks and Recreation Department. For him, this is just the beginning, he says, and although he doesn’t know where he’ll end up next, he’s pretty sure he’ll serve his community in one way or another for as long as he can.