Employee All Stars

The Gas Company is proud of our employees’ involvement in their communities. While we recognize that many of our employees prefer to not have their personal actions publicized, we are also proud to recognize some who have shared their experiences with us . . .

Maurice “Mo” Mouton changes lives, one person at a time

If the purpose of being a teacher is to inspire, motivate and encourage, then Maurice “Mo” Mouton is a teacher in every sense of the word.

His official title is employee development advisor with SoCalGas, but he has also been called, “mentor, teacher, friend,” by many employees. He trains, teaches and assists with management-development classes through the Sempra Energy Academy, which is open to employees of SDG&E and SoCalGas.

His classes cover everything from effective communications to how to mentor.

Word as good as gold
He was nominated as an Employee All Star by a co-worker who says: “He is such an encouraging and well-spoken man and employee of integrity. His word is always as good as gold.”

“You will not find an employee who is more dedicated to the excellence of others; humble and deserving of this recognition,” adds Jane Valentine, manager of the company’s Organizational Effectiveness department where Mouton works.

Mouton began his career at SoCalGas in 1993. Prior to that, he spent 20 years in the financial-services industry as a sales trainer and developmental manager. He went to West Los Angeles College and earned a certificate as a financial planner from Bryn Mawr College in Pennsylvania.

His approach is simple: “An exceptional leader understands the need to touch a heart before asking for a hand,” he says.

Reaching out
Mouton uses his leadership skills for the good of the community as well. He has worked on skid row, an area in downtown Los Angeles where most people are homeless and poor. He also works at the Los Angeles Dream Center. The center is an outreach group that targets runaway teens, at-risk inner-city youth and people seeking to break the bondage of chemical addictions.

“I serve on the board of the Lord’s Gym, which works in conjunction with the Los Angeles Police Department," says Mouton. "The group offers gang members the chance to take part in organized sports programs in lieu of taking part in gang-affiliated behaviors. I also teach a financial-restitution course to successful graduates who are preparing to return to society as productive citizens.”

As if that weren’t enough, Mouton also teaches financial rehabilitation as part of the Fresh Start program at the Los Angeles Mission where he focuses on money management.

We are all called to be leaders
“Anytime we get out of ourselves and give to others with no expectation of a return reward, we experience personal growth and development,” he says. “That results in us bringing more to our work. Strong character, an outward focus and a willingness to listen are welcomed by any organization.

“We are all called to be leaders,” he adds. “It is not necessary to have the title to fill the role. In the words of Winston Churchill: ‘We make a living by what we get, we make a life by what we give.'"

SoCalGas trio combines friendship and life-saving heroics

SoCalGas employees Joe Carton, Tom Seers and John Serrato Jr. know that the people you work with often are more than just co-workers. The three men met a decade ago when they worked together at the 182nd St. base. They remain close friends, though each now works in a different part of the company. For years, the trio and their families have vacationed together. One of their favorite travel spots is the Kern River where they enjoy campfires, story telling and river rafting. Last August, their friendship turned out to be a lifesaver.

Tom Seers, Joe Carton, and John Serrato Jr

Close call
During their latest trip, Seers’ daughter and his 12-year-old niece, Michelle, were floating downstream on inner tubes, as some of the adults followed in separate boats. As the girls rounded a bend in the river, a strong current knocked Michelle from the rubber float and pinned her under a rock. When Carton, who was in one of the boats, reached the girl, he struggled for several minutes to pull her from the water. He finally succeeded in freeing Michelle, but the swift current carried her away. Carton called out to his buddy, John Serrato, who was upstream, unaware of the drama unfolding ahead of him.

Once alerted, Serrato jumped out of his raft into the water and grabbed Michelle, who was already turning blue.

Training took over
In his 15 years at the company, Serrato had taken at least 13 CPR training classes, one just earlier this year. Without a conscious thought, his instincts and training took over. As Serrato started CPR, another member of the group called 911.

The story has a happy ending. Michelle recovered fully and doesn’t really remember much of what happened. But, Tom Seers, Joe Carton and John Serrato will never forget when timing and the ties of friendship made all the difference.

“John and Joe did a super job saving Michelle’s life,” said Seers. “Joe used his size and strength to free Michelle, and John used his CPR skills to resuscitate her. If it hadn’t have been for them, things would have turned tragic. We are so grateful.”

Jennifer Walker
Dog's Best Friend

For the last three years Jennifer Walker, a Systems Protection Supervisor out of The Gas Company's Chatsworth Office, has been volunteering her time with Southern California Labrador Retriver Rescue (SCLRR). Although Jennifer has administrative responsibilities with the organization, her biggest joy is fostering the dogs and getting them prepared for their new homes.

The dogs come to her organization in a variety of ways. Some are "owner turn-ins," which are dogs that the owner can no longer keep. (For example, when some servicemen were recently called up for duty, Jennifer's organization had to find homes for those dogs.) Other dogs are rescued dogs from the pound. These dogs are "rescue" cases in the most profound sense of the word because if Jennifer or her organization does not adopt these dogs in, they are "euthanized."

Jennifer Walker with a local labrador.

One of the unfortunate things about a dogs being in a pound is that the pound is the least attractive venue for a dog. Many times a labrador will seem ferocious when it is in the pound. As a result, the general public will fail to adopt the dog, but once you take the dog away from the pound, its loving and adorable side shine through. If Jennifer or her organization didn't do something about these dogs, they would not survive.

To prevent this, Jennifer takes in the dogs, "smooths off some of their hard edges," and gets them ready for adoption. When a future owner visits a dog at a foster home, the dog has a different demeanor from being in a kennel. This helps in placing the dog.

Another important factor in placing the dog is in matching the right dog with the right family. Jennifer prides herself on matching different dogs with different kinds of families. Making sure that the right person is with the right dog is one of the crucial factors in making sure that an adoption is successful. She is tireless in learning about "temperament" testing; in fact, she has taken time off in the past to attend multi-day sessions in learning how to improve her assessment and diagnostic skills.

Last year, thanks to the work of Jennifer and her organization, almost 400 dogs in southern California found new homes. Many of these dogs would not have lived had her organization not placed them.

Debbie Freeman
Helping to Bring Soccer to South Los Angeles

In 1995 a new addition to South Los Angeles took place, as American Youth Soccer Organization (AYSO) South Los Angeles Region 1031 was born. Deborah Freeman, an Administrative Assistance at the Los Angeles Headquarters, volunteered as one of the Board Members and became the Region’s Registrar. She assisted her husband, Cleve Freeman, co-founder of this new soccer region and a SoCalGas retired employee with 34 years’ of service.

Debbie Freeman working on player registrations.

“Even though I was unfamiliar with soccer, I was excited to be a part of this new endeavor of registering children who loved the game. It was a wonderful experience to see young children’s faces filled with enthusiasm as their parents signed them up for soccer.”

For nine years Deborah has volunteered her time as the Registrar by typing team rosters, registration forms, making copies, and any tasks required to get the job done. She is currently the Region Secretary, even though she remains active assisting with registration.

In 1995, 140 players were registered and in 2002 the Region realized their highest registration of more than 700 players. Recently, Cleve was successful in receiving a new state-of-the art soccer complex, in Los Angeles’ Ladera Heights area, worth $3.2 million. “That was a happy occasion as we’ve come a long way as the league was playing in a gang-infested park on dirt and baseball diamonds.”

The Region is currently in their registration mode for the 2004-05 season and expects to register over 500 players. What makes Region 1031 unique as fees are very low – no more than $10 per player which includes a uniform and soccer shoes.

“ It’s very special that Cleve and I are able to work together to help someone else’s dream come true. It is a very rewarding experience to give to others; I hope I have made a difference in some small way to help someone else.”

Kenneth Balderama
Cultivating the Future Farmers of America

Kenneth Balderama, a Lead Construction Tech in Visalia, grew up in Los Angeles, but he often spent his summers in the farming area of Visalia and developed a love for agriculture, so when he had the opportunity to transfer from his job in Metro Division in 1988 to Visalia, he took the opportunity. Once in Visalia, Ken's love of farming and livestock was able to take root.

Ken is a Lead Construction Tech for The Gas Company at the Porterville Base in Visalia, but in his free time, he volunteers his time with the Future Farmers of America at Porterville High School. For the last eight years, he has helped students learn farming skills and compete in regional and national events. In fact, his oldest daughter just went to Louisville, Kentucky to receive National Degree Award for farming.

Ken helps students find a project that will help them learn future farming skills. For their farming projects students need to choose the right farm animal to raise given their experience level. A student may want to choose raising a steer, but that will require several hours a day. As a result, many students raise swine because they require less time, and swine provide young students with a great learning opportunity. Although swine can gain up to three to four pounds a day, but you don't want them to grow too big, too fast. If they are growing too fast, the young students need to hand feed them.

Ken Balderama working with future farmers.

In addition, to assisting with farm projects, Ken also helps raise money for the youth farm programs. Many of the students from Porterville High School will go into farming or livestock.

Clarence (C.J.) Glover)
Volunteering for Search & Rescue
"Don't forget the water!"

Clarence (C.J.) Glover has just completed his 34th year with The Gas Company. He currently serves as a Commercial Service Tech at the Yucca Valley base in Palm Desert. For more than twenty years, he has performed volunteer work either in the area of search and rescue or the Line Reserves.

Editor's Note: While putting together this story, C.J. was involved in a search effort in the Joshua Tree National Monument and another search in the San Bernardino Mountains. When necessary, CJ uses his personal vacation time to assist in search efforts.

With his current volunteer activity, he is working with the Mornongo Basin Search and Rescue, which is based out of Joshua Tree. His group provides Community service work for an area that covers from Riverside to the Arizona border. His group is deployed in whatever capacity is necessary. Sometimes he searches for missing persons, downed aircraft, or automobiles. Other times, he searches for crime scene evidence.

Not only do these volunteers donate their time, but the equipment that they use – personal tools, radios and vehicles, for example – are also donated.

Based on his years of experience, CJ has this advice. Don’t hike alone, and ALWAYS BRING WATER. Many persons feel as though that just because they are driving and going for a short trip, they don’t have to worry about water. CJ, on the other hand, always keeps water in his vehicle. If your vehicle is disabled, and it’s hot, you want to make sure you have water. Even if you feel you can handle the heat, you might become injured, and your passengers could need the water. There’s just no escaping it: Always be prepared, and keep several bottles of water.