Career Column: Rigoberto Charriez
Through this NYCHANow feature, employees write about their careers at the Authority. If you’d like to share your story, please send an email to nychanow@nycha.nyc.gov.
On February 22, 2011, I started my career as a fulltime employee of NYCHA as a Caretaker J at Williamsburg Houses, after coming through NYCHA’s Resident Training Academy. During my first year of service, DCAS conducted the Supervisor of Housing Caretakers and Supervisor of Housing Groundskeepers civil service exams. I took and passed both exams, and when the lists were established in 2014, I was promoted to Supervisor of Housing Groundskeepers at Farragut Houses.
During my time at Farragut Houses, I worked under and alongside many different supervisors. I learned how to work with a wide variety of personalities and get everyone on the same page to cooperate as a team. As an SOG, I was on the PHAS team and got the opportunity to work at many of the developments in Brooklyn.
In 2017, I scored high on the civil service exam for Assistant Superintendent. When I was offered a position, I was lucky enough to be able to stay at Farragut. During my year as an Assistant Superintendent, I found my stride and a newfound passion for my job. The work was meaningful; with every job I got done or resident’s concern I got addressed, it felt like I was making a difference. Along with my team of fellow Supervisors and Maintenance Workers, we were able to make Farragut a better place and cut down the response time to work orders from over 7 days to 1.5 days.
Right after I was promoted to Assistant Superintendent, DCAS announced that they were going to conduct the Resident Buildings Superintendent exam. I passed and was promoted to Resident Buildings Superintendent in November of 2018. I am currently the Superintendent of Tompkins Houses. My goal is to use my experience and drive to make Tompkins a better place for the residents and workers alike and continue to move up the ladder and make a difference. My message to all is this: If you want something in life, go after it and be relentless; don’t give up and don’t take “no” for an answer. I worked my way up from Caretaker to Civil Service Superintendent in seven years. The sky is the limit if you keep looking up.
