JEFFERSON CITY, MO, AUG. 17, 2023 – Daniel McDowell, an environmental program supervisor with the Missouri Department of Natural Resources’ Division of Energy, has been selected as the department’s Team Member of the Month for August 2023. McDowell was selected for his service to the department and for taking on additional duties to keep the weatherization program up and running in the absence of a program director.
McDowell has only been with the department for a short time and was promoted to a supervisor role in 2022. He has stepped up to every challenge, including being the only certified quality control inspector in the department. These inspections require a considerable amount of time for planning and logistics, as well as time away from home. In addition, he also conducted procedural monitoring when needed and developed the state plan for the 2023-2024 Federal Low-income Weatherization Assistance Program.
McDowell’s local weatherization agency background allows him to analyze agency contract monitoring issues in a strategic way.
“Dan would listen to my concerns about accuracy and completeness in a weatherization job file,” said Daniel Engler, an environmental program analyst who McDowell supervises. “Within moments, he would identify a solution that would turn the issue to a big-picture teaching moment both for the weatherization agency and for me.”
Along with monitoring visits, McDowell ensured that all mandatory monitoring reports were accurately completed and delivered to the sub-grantees. While successfully completing these daunting tasks, he also managed to compile and work through all outstanding in-office duties the program relies upon to operate. This included overseeing procurement contracts, which are vital to the weatherization network for training and certifications, organizing future monitoring schedules and leading the network as a keynote speaker and presenter at the division’s annual training seminar in November.
“Dan’s efforts kept things running smoothly and he went well above and beyond the typical duties of a unit chief,” said Greg Snellen, the manager of the weatherization program who nominated McDowell for the award. “Dan has always had a servant’s heart, a can-do attitude and is a model employee for the division.”
McDowell joined the Missouri Department of Natural Resources in October 2021 and resides in Jefferson City.