This past February, Tracie Marshall was sworn in by the Portage mayor to receive the position of Superintendent for the Portage Utility Service Plants. For Marshall, this step up in her career was both a moment of joy and a moment of anticipation.
“Being sworn in was such a great honor. To be sworn in by an elected official who has trust in you and knows you're gonna do a great job; well that’s a really special feeling,” said Marshall.
Since her college days, Marshall has been an avid lover of both science and chemistry, and a year after realizing that her degree in nursing was not the career she wanted; Marshall decided to take a leap of faith and try a new career in science.
Marshall’s career in science began in 1997 at Isk Magnetics which was later named Cafe Pigments. At Isk/Cafe, Marshall made iron oxide for pigments in makeup for the Sun Chemicals Corporation. Marshall continued to work at Isk/Cafe until 2009 when a new career opportunity passed her eye.
By the year 2009, Marshall decided to further her career in science and work at Advanced Way Services, which later became Corvanta, as a lab manager. At this establishment, Marshall oversaw the employees treating the water and then double-checked their work to make sure it was safe to redistribute to Lake Michigan.
With the position of lab manager, Marshall was able to meet the then Superintendent of the Portage Utility Service Plant, Don Slawnikowski, and was able to work with him and the current mayor on several local projects. This collaboration allowed Marshall to make lifelong friendships and benefits within the City of Portage. With the collaboration of working with the former Superintendent and the mayor, when Slawnikowski retired, the mayor appointed Marshall to her current position.
For Marshall, working at the Portage Utility Service Plant is both an educational and excitable experience for her. She finds both the constant learning and the employees at her occupation to be fun and full of new surprises.
“It’s a very interesting job. You’re working with microscopic organisms and it's continually educational. I love the change and never-ending learning. I also love the people at my job, we always work as a team and get along. There’s never a dull moment,” Marshall said.
When considering the magnitude of her occupation, Marshall believes it is something that is very important to the City of Portage as well as the earth itself. Without Marshall’s department and every industry like hers, simple functions like washing your hands and getting water from your sink would be almost impossible.
“The Portage Utility Service Plant provides a great service. It’s a great career and it’s such an endlessly educational industry. To know that you're making a difference and providing a service for everyone is amazing. We’re able to flush our toilets because of our job,” said Marshall.
From a nurse to a scientist, a lab worker to a superintendent, and a wife to a mom; Marshall encompasses the belief of following your heart no matter the risk.