Employee Spotlight: Santiago Gardea

At Select, we take immense pride in our dedicated employees who go above and beyond to uphold our commitment to safety and excellence. Today, we’re happy to introduce Santiago Gardea, manager of our poly service line in the Permian Basin. 

Santiago is one of the first team members to receive the prestigious Drop of Excellence award from our CEO and Chairman John Schmitz. The Drop of Excellence award recognizes individuals for their commitment to delivering operational excellence. The nomination process will be led by region and department leadership. Individuals who received a Drop of Excellence award will be chosen for their significant contributions to Select and for demonstrating an exceptional work ethic, reliability, and dependability. They are adaptable, team players, effective communicators, customer-focused, resourceful, and committed to our mission.

We recently caught up with Santiago to learn more about his career at Select and his life outside of work. 

What does your job entail?  

I meet the needs of my customers and or any projects from the planning stage through execution. I communicate the project layout up and down the chain of command. If my team has any conflicts or struggles, I help manage them to resolve them. I encourage them daily to follow safety rules and let them know when they have done a good job. I believe communication with my team is key.

How long have you been with the company?

7 years.

Who or what inspired you to pursue the career you have today?

I have held an interest in this position in this career for a long time and I’m happy that I started from the bottom because I understand the needs of my team and this position to make our projects work. My family also inspires me every day to keep pushing forward.

What’s the best advice you can give to someone who just started their career?

Don’t settle. Make sure that your career choice is something you’re passionate about and that you can see yourself doing for the long haul.

When you are at work, how do you motivate yourself?

I motivate myself with personal tasks to achieve a goal.

Who are some of your biggest inspirations within the company?

Charles Whiteley and Mike Bosshard are my biggest inspirations in the company because they are both hard-working, they are knowledgeable about the company and the work we do.

Tell us something about you that most people don’t know.

I’m passionate about music and have managed a Mexican band for 25 years. I also worked as a machine operator in a lumber yard in Wyoming for 20 years and learned to weld during that time. I believe that’s why I have picked up a new hobby carpentry.