Jerry Rivera, Acting Manager with the SFPUC's Wastewater Enterprise, comes from a long line of military service. His grandfather and two great uncles served in the U.S. Army, a family legacy that has shaped his own pursuit of service. Born in the Philippines and immigrating to the United States at the age of seven, Rivera says he felt a calling from a young age.
“In high school, I knew that two of my great uncles had given their lives defending and protecting this country, and I wanted to honor their memory by joining the military,” said Rivera.
Rivera has always been deeply dedicated to his passions. Growing up in San Francisco, while attending Mission High School, Rivera joined the Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps (JROTC). He excelled in the drill team, a marching team that performs routines based on military foot or exhibition drills. He eventually became the commander of his drill team, the first of many leadership roles he would take on.
Rivera joined the Air Force after graduating from high school and completed his basic training in Texas and New Jersey. There he was trained on how to defend an air base in enemy territory. At the end of his basic training, Rivera was recognized as a Distinguished Honor Graduate and became a Security Forces specialist.
“I filled out a ‘dream sheet’ of places I would like to be stationed at and listed everything in the Pacific. Instead, I ended up being stationed in Iceland, the middle of the Atlantic,” he chuckled.
Although it wasn’t his first choice, Rivera quickly grew to love the adventures Iceland had to offer. When he wasn’t on duty guarding surveillance planes known as E3 AWACs (Airborne Warning and Control Systems), he would explore the wilderness around him. “I swam in the Blue Lagoon before it was popular. I would leave the base to climb mountains by myself, and get back just before lights out,” he says.
After completing a year of service in Iceland, Rivera was transferred closer to home, serving the rest of his tour at Vandenberg Air Force Base in Santa Barbara County, California. He worked on an anti-terrorism team guarding missile testing sites. “In the military, when you learn how to respect people, they in turn look at you as a responsible person and start to trust you more with higher roles. The military taught me a lot of discipline, which drives my work ethic,” Rivera explained.
When Rivera was discharged from the Air Force, he transitioned to a career in construction, joining his father’s contracting business. The dedication and ambition he applied to his military service helped him manage the demands of their business. “When I was working with my father, I was working six days a week. We only took Sundays off," he recalls.
After the economic recession in 2009, Rivera left his family business and searched for work with the City of San Francisco. He was hired as a technician for the Materials Testing Lab (MTL) with the Department of Public Works. Three years later, he moved to the SFPUC to serve as a construction inspector under the Wastewater Enterprise. His intense drive and natural leadership skills made him the perfect candidate for management positions, like his current role as the Acting Manager of the Emergency Sewer Repair Program.
As Acting Manager, Rivera and his team oversee $20 million in contracts and decide how to allocate those funds for all emergency sewer repairs each year. His team also works with other City departments and companies like PG&E to prevent construction projects from damaging the sewer system.
“We are the go-to for basically everything. We repair something new daily, whether easements on the sides of hills, sinkholes, or storm drain covers. We’re constantly putting out fires,” Rivera explains.
He credits his time in the military and working with his father in preparing him to tackle any challenges his team may face.
The SFPUC thanks Jerry Rivera and all veterans within the agency for their service!