Let’s jump to the end of this story: Everyone went home safe and healthy! That’s the goal at Mason PUD 3. Whether in the field or in the office, we succeed when every employee returns home at the end of the day the same way they arrived: safe, healthy, and ready for tomorrow.
Throughout 2025, the Mason PUD 3 executive team worked with consultant Joel Myer, retired PUD 3 public information officer, to refresh the strategic plan for the next planning period. The refresh on our core values placed safety and health at the center of everything—guiding every project and every decision we make.
“Safety and health is our foundational core value at the center of all our core values, but creating a safe and healthy workplace takes an ongoing commitment,” said PUD 3 Chief Operating Officer Michelle Endicott. “We continually look for ways to strengthen training and support the well-being of our staff.”
One of the ways we demonstrate our commitment to safety and health is by hosting two annual events: Safety Day and the Wellness Fair. Both events provide valuable opportunities for learning and engagement, but if we are being totally honest, the fun giveaways and free lunch are always crowd favorites.
Safety Day
We launched our first Safety Day Fair in 2024, and it quickly became a valuable event. In its inaugural year, approximately 135 employees participated, about 78% of our workforce, demonstrating strong engagement and enthusiasm from the start. In 2025, participation grew even further, with roughly 150 employees attending, or approximately 84% of employees. As we prepare for our third annual Safety Day Fair this month, we look forward to building on that momentum and welcoming even greater participation.
“The purpose of the Safety Day Fair is to promote a strong culture of safety, wellness, and preparedness across our organization,” said PUD 3 Safety Manager Ali Burgess.
The event includes live demos, training sessions, and opportunities to talk directly with experts. We bring in partners from the local fire department, sheriff’s office, the Washington Department of Health, Washington Department of Labor and Industries, Life Flight Network, and tool manufacturers, just to name a few. Each group shares knowledge that’s useful at work and at home.
In 2025, the presentation that received the most praise from field and office staff came from PUD 3’s very own karate kid: Purchasing Manager Jennifer Renecker, who led a self-defense class. Renecker has practiced karate since adolescence and currently holds a Shodan first-degree black belt in the practice of Butokukan Karate. With her extensive knowledge of self-defense and use of scenario-based drills, she wowed and engaged the audience. The moment of the day was when she took her volunteer—who just so happens to be her co-worker and husband—down to the ground in a matter of seconds. It not only highlighted Renecker’s skill but had the audience laughing and applauding.
For our 2026 event, we will again welcome Life Flight Network. Their live helicopter landing and onsite training gives employees a rare, up-close look at the critical work they do. The Life Flight Network crew shares valuable insights into emergency response, trauma care, and preparedness, reinforcing the importance of staying calm and ready under pressure. During a previous visit, employee volunteers participated in a mock rescue, carefully loading one of our own employees onto a stretcher and working together to safely load her onto the helicopter. While there were many “attaboys” and selfies afterward, the seriousness of the training was not lost on anyone. This training demonstrated to our crews exactly what to expect if they ever need to make a mayday call for a critically injured co-worker.
To encourage participation in the Safety Day Fair, employees are given a passport that outlines the day’s events. As they attend different sessions and visit booths at the vendor fair, they get a hole punch in their card. At the end of the event, passports are turned in and employees earn points and prizes through our safety incentive program to add an extra layer of fun and motivation while reinforcing key safety messages.
The event has led to measurable improvements in safety awareness and increased participation in safety programs. Employees leave the fair more informed and motivated to apply best practices in their daily work and personal lives. It’s a powerful step in our ongoing effort to prioritize the safety of our employees, improve our safety culture, and continue to proactively identify, remedy, and prevent safety issues.
Wellness Fair
This August marks our 8th Annual Wellness Fair. The Wellness Fair began as an in-person event in 2019, transitioned to a virtual format in 2020 and 2021 during the pandemic, and returned to being an in-person event 2022 through 2025. The event aimed to strengthen employee wellness support and engagement across the organization.
Since 2019, the fair has centered around the theme “Healthy, Wealthy, Wise,” which continues to guide our approach to total wellness. While vendors vary from year to year to keep things exciting, each event includes a mix of participants representing one or more of these three wellness pillars. We’ve welcomed participation from a diverse mix of local vendors representing health and wellness services; financial planning and education; workplace safety; insurance and retirement resources; and community support organizations, all offering valuable resources and information for employees to explore and learn from.
To encourage participation and create a positive experience, the Wellness Fair includes door prizes, healthy snacks, a boxed lunch from Panera, and wellness-themed giveaways. Attendance has steadily increased over the years, particularly among field staff, as we continue to find new ways to make the event engaging and accessible for everyone. One especially popular feature of our in-person events has been the music DJ, which helps create a fun, energetic atmosphere and enhances overall engagement.
As we constantly seek new ways to improve, train, and highlight safety and wellness for our staff, we regularly adapt the schedule and activities of these two events to keep the experience relevant—rotating the mix of vendors and bringing back the favorites. Together, these events reflect our ongoing commitment to support employee safety, health, and wellness through a culture that values growth, well-being, and continuous improvement.
