FM Spotlight: Daniel Pego – Con Edison of NY

Interviewed by Sonya Verny of IA Interior Architects, IFMA NYC Secretary

Daniel has been with Con Edison of NY since 2007 and has been involved in various departments before coming to Facilities Operations. He is currently responsible for the Third Avenue Work Out location in Brooklyn, which supports the Electric Operations of the region. The location is over 86,000 square feet, and Daniel oversees the site's operating budget of $2.1 million dollars.

“Dan has demonstrated enthusiasm with the facilities operational and maintenance needs of the locations under his jurisdiction. He has taken advantage of improvement opportunities with implementation and use of our new work management system ‘Maximo’ to schedule resources, respond to customer service requests and maintain regulatory compliance at our facilities locations. He is a leader who can be trusted and cares about our three top priorities - Safety, Operational Excellence and Enhancing the Customer Experience.” - Michael P. Whelan, Section Manager, Facilities Brooklyn & Staten Island Facilities Operations & Maintenance

What is one thing that no one knows about you?

“I love swimming! I swam competitively in college and have kept up with it. It led me to discover triathlons, which I have been competing in since 2011. Recently I’ve started coaching a local kid swimming team and been helping kids of all ages advance in their swimming and competing.”

How did you get into the Facilities/Real Estate field? 

“I was studying Facilities Engineering at Maritime College, convinced I would be going out to sea as a Merchant Mariner Engineer. I wasn’t familiar with the FM field until a few professors started to tell us about the possibilities. When I graduated, I took a job with Con Edison as a power plant operator and I worked at three different plants for nine years. I saw an internal job posting to transfer to Facilities Operations as a Supervisor. I applied and interviewed, and when they offered me the job, I decided to take the opportunity to try something new. I’ve been doing it for three years and am really enjoy it!”

Tell us about a favorite project highlight.

“When I was at the power plants, we used a work management program called Maximo, and shortly after I was promoted to Facilities, they started the transition to begin using that program. I immersed myself into learning the program, and helping my colleagues use it as well. I used my past experiences to make the transition to Maximo as seamless as possible, and helped them properly capture locations and assets, schedule PMs, and track maintenance requests. To be looked at as a subject matter expert by my peers, especially being so new to the group, was really inspiring and humbling.”

What is your greatest success story?

“When I got to my current location, one of the tenants reached out to me for help. The tenant is called Environmental Ops, but they are known as Flush because they operate large vactor trucks that suck out any water and grime inside manholes and structures so that splicers can go in and make a repair. Flush was pursuing an ISO 14000 audit and needed my help to make sure they passed. My team and I repaired a dozen outdoor GFCI’s, replaced old lights with new LEDs so they could better operate in their Flush Pit at night. We identified tripping hazards and painted them, so they were visible, as well as painting ladders and handrails for all their equipment. We did a survey of all their confined spaces and made sure all the proper signs were hung. The Flush group passed the audit, and because of the efforts of my mechanics, I put them in for a Con Edison Award, which they won.”

Tell us about a challenge or obstacle that you face in the Real Estate/Facilities world.

“I like to tell people that you are only as good as your unhappiest customer, or your unhappiest team member. It’s these people that make you a better leader, because no matter how good your technical knowledge is, they job always comes down to people. If you are having issues with people, the best thing to do is kill them with kindness. If you don’t criticize, condemn, or complain, and give people honest and sincere appreciation, they will come around to your way of thinking.”

What learning experience would you pass onto future FM’s?

“There is so much out there for you to experience in Facilities and associated fields, so put yourself out there and learn from everyone you can. Your career is not a ladder you need to climb, so be patient and don’t be afraid to fail.”