NewsOmnitrans | Employee of the Quarter Victor Cuate

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Employee of the Quarter Victor Cuate

February 25, 2020

Taking on multiple roles at once can be a difficult balancing act, but not for Omnitrans’ Business Intelligence Analyst Victor Cuate, who demonstrates innovative and quick thinking in order to get the job done. Victor has a passion for learning and strives to constantly grasp new knowledge every day.

Intellectual curiosity and clear communication are key components that Victor utilizes to ensure that he is constantly learning from his environment and peers. “This job has allowed me to combine my strengths and what I enjoy doing,” says Victor. It is because of his willingness to learn and commitment to his team that the Board of Directors named Victor Employee of the Quarter for October-December 2019.

Sometimes, unexpected roadblocks appear on the job, but with the help of his peers, Victor overcomes the challenges and comes out better equipped and more knowledgeable than before. He buckled down and sprang into action whilst taking on several projects at once over the last quarter. In fact, he volunteered to take on scheduling duties while one of two scheduling analysts unexpectedly went on a medical leave due to an injury. This included training the new scheduler and completing the routine January 2020 service changes with little to no impact on tight deadlines.

Victor also served as primary staff person behind the analysis of potential ConnectForward service change scenarios to lessen the impact on our riders. While his department director, Jeremiah Bryant, worked on communicating ConnectForward service plan items to elected officials and City staff, Victor gladly stepped up as de facto manager of the service planning team.

In addition, he improved efficiencies by reworking the reporting of agency key performance indicators (KPIs) and strategic initiatives, all while keeping up with his regular job duties. Victor states, “In the end, time management and the help of my peers allowed me to secure the accuracy and validity of my work, in order to continue to better serve the public.” Networking and gaining new insights from other departments helps Victor break down silos to help him make decisions based on honest data that yield positive results.

“I’m not afraid to ask for help. That’s ultimately what I do,” says Victor. “I’ve learned that asking the right questions gets you better and faster results, or at the very least, starts a discussion toward finding solutions. I enjoy taking the initiative and trying to find answers myself first. I’ll do whatever it takes to find the best solution for all.”

From left to right: CEO/General Manager Erin Rogers, Director of Strategic Development Jeremiah Bryant, Business Intelligence Analyst Victor Cuate, Board Chair David Avila, and Board Vice Chair John Dutrey.

Victor joined Omnitrans five and a half years ago as a graduate student in the Urban Regional Planning master’s program at Cal Poly Pomona. Victor started his journey at the agency as an intern in the Planning department. He was hired full-time after a successful internship, spending four years as a scheduling analyst, followed by eight months in his current role as business intelligence analyst.

Looking at the big picture, the idea of designing public spaces always has been one of Victor’s goals. Working in the transit industry, the objective is to effectively connect people to various destinations in their everyday lives, which is what is important to him. “Since I went to school specifically for urban regional planning, it’s exciting for me to be behind the scenes with the planning department and see for myself how routes progress through the years,” recalls Victor.

Along with his inquisitive mind, Victor’s desire to help others has aligned him to a career he enjoys. In the long-term, he would like to become a consultant and use his knowledge and skills to help other organizations meet their transit planning objectives. He constantly utilizes skills that he has learned from peers in order to always move forward and improve in the workplace. “I hope to expand my knowledge on KPI’s, learn how to improve processes here, and train staff with the support of effective communication,” Victor says.

Victor’s contribution to Omnitrans has been significant beyond the confines of the Strategic Development department. His hard work and dedication have shown that even when the going gets tough, he is prepared to rise to the challenge for the benefit of the organization. “Victor is a tireless worker who positively impacts the multitude of cross functional projects with which he is involved,” said Director of Strategic Development Jeremiah Bryant.

“Learning constantly is important, because to me, if I don’t keep learning, then I’m not growing,” Victor states. “Luckily, I am always doing both at Omnitrans.”