Spanish Resource Team
When a Spanish-speaking customer calls NW Natural Customer Service, our Spanish Resource Team is ready to help them. The team — Rebecca, Maria, Maribel, Lydia, Judi, Victor, Salvador and Joel — delivers the same high-quality service NW Natural is known for.
Every member of the team has a personal passion for service, and their dedication to serving Spanish-speaking customers runs deep.
Rebecca sees her work as a continuation of a commitment that began when she was 13. “My parents never learned English, so I translated for them a lot,” she said. “I’m so happy I can be there now for people who don’t speak English.”
When Victor moved from Mexico City to Portland as a teenager, he didn’t speak English, and that experience helps him serve customers. “I remember when I had to call about bills and needed someone who could speak my language,” he said. “I’ve been there. I know what it feels like.”
Salvador, who has been helping NW Natural’s Spanish-speaking customers for nine years, said, “I get a lot of satisfaction from how happy the customer is to talk with someone who can speak with them in their language.”
In addition to taking customer-service calls in Spanish and English, the team supports other Spanish-language needs across NW Natural. Judi, who oversees the team, said, “We go wherever we’re called, and we deliver on NW Natural’s core value of service every day.”
Willa
As a student at Colorado State University, Willa got involved with the March of Dimes through her sorority. Zeta Phi Beta, a historically Black sorority, has a longstanding partnership with the nonprofit, which works to ensure all moms and babies have access to health care.
Now a supervisor in NW Natural’s Emergency Contact Center, Willa started by participating in the annual March for Babies walk to raise money for the March of Dimes with her sorority. And for the last 13 years, she has been the sorority's local team captain.
"I believe in the work the March of Dimes does, and I'm passionate about the health of babies and mothers," she said. "Babies born to Black women in the U.S. are over one-and-a-half times more likely to be born prematurely than babies born to white women. I want to help change that statistic."
Acting on that desire, Willa served as March for Babies chair in Portland in 2019 and 2020. The event raises money to help give mothers and babies access to the best healthcare possible, with proceeds supporting pregnancy care and neonatal intensive care nursing.
Although the March for Babies addresses serious issues, Willa says the event is filled with positive energy. "It's all about families and children," she said. "And it's fun."
Bryan
What do snow cones have to do with safe digging? NW Natural employee Bryan brought them together as a way to teach kids about the colors used to mark underground utilities on the street. A former member of NW Natural’s damage prevention team, he has been active in the Oregon 811 program for years and has built a reputation for creative ideas to promote public safety.
Bryan came up with the idea to bring a snow cone machine to community events and encourage kids to order their favorite flavor of snow cone based on the color of underground utility markings, including green (sewer), yellow (gas), blue (water), red (electric) and orange (communication).
"From our first event, the snow cones were a big success in educating kids about underground utility safety," he said. "The idea has really taken off and is now used by utilities across the country."
Last year, Bryan’s unwavering commitment to damage prevention earned him the first-ever Morrison Award from the Oregon Utility Notification Center, the state agency that administers Oregon's excavation laws and locate requests.
In nominating Bryan, his former supervisor said, “Bryan has been a damage prevention leader for over a decade. His efforts as an Oregon 811 ambassador continue to influence new people coming into the industry and will for years to come.”
