City of Alcoa employees Clay Teaster, Water Treatment Plant Operator, and Randy Slagle, Utility Service Leadworker, received awards during the Fall 2002 meeting of the Tennessee Water & Wastewater Association, Lower East Section.
Clay – who retired from the City effective November 22, 2002 – received TWWA’s M.L. Brickey Award. This statewide honor is presented by the TWWA to deserving recipients based on service, leadership, dedication, guidance, devotion, and untiring workmanship – all exemplified by the late Mr. Brickey, a leader in the water/wastewater industry. Clay first joined the Alcoa Public Works ranks in June 1973 as a Sanitation Worker. He worked his way through the Sanitation ranks but landed a job at the Water Treatment Plant as Water Treatment Plant Operator Assistant in May 1993. Taking certification classes offered by the State of Tennessee and learning the skills necessary to operate the WTP, Clay earned his certifications as a Grade II, Grade III, and eventually Grade IV Water Treatment Plant Operator, leading to his promotion to WTP Operator I in September 1997. He was promoted to Water Treatment Plant Operator II in March 2000. Until his retirement, Clay worked as a lead operator on regular shift rotation.
Clay and his wife Betty reside in the Wears Valley area of Sevier County and are very active in their local church. In addition to working with his church, Clay volunteers at Camp Ba-Yo-Co, a youth camp in Wears Valley operated by the Knox County Baptist Association.
Randy Slagle was honored at the same meeting with the statewide TWWA Outstanding Wastewater Operator Award. Randy was originally employed by the City of Alcoa in July 1987 as a Laborer I in the Water & Wastewater Division. He was promoted to Utility Service Worker I in August 1991, Utility Serviceworker II in July 1994, and his present position of Utility Service Leadworker in July 2001. Prior to the City of Alcoa, Randy worked for a local heating and air contractor.
Randy is certified by the State of Tennessee as a Grade II Water Distribution System Operator. (He was one of the first non-supervisory City of Alcoa employees to attain a Distribution license.) He also holds a Grade II Wastewater Collection System Operator license. He is now encouraging other employees to work toward certification and to take advantage of continuing education and job-related training available through the City, the Fleming Training Center, etc.
A resident of Jefferies Hollow in the Seymour Community, Randy and his wife Sherri are the proud parents of a daughter, Ashley, and a son, Corey. He and his family attend Bethel United Methodist Church. Randy is also involved in community activities, including helping with youth sports.

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