Love of public health motivates Nebraska Never Quit award winner

Most people don’t think twice about drinking the water out of the tap in their homes or using it to cook, clean and bathe. But water doesn’t become safe on its own.

That’s where Amy Peters comes in. Peters is a scientist with the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services and a member of the Nebraska Association of Public Employees (NAPE)/AFSCME Local 61.

“Testing water is critical for the livelihood of everyone,” she says. “It’s just the basis of human health. Water is the cornerstone.”

As part of her job, Peters tests the water that Nebraskans use to make sure it’s safe for people and the environment. It could be water from lakes, or groundwater or, of course, drinking water.

“If it’s water, we test it no matter what form it is,” Peters says.

Tara Wulfekoetter is an assistant lab manager who works with Peters. She says Peters goes above and beyond in the workplace.

“What she does is very important,” Wulfekoetter says. “I’m always learning stuff from Amy. She does not quit.”

For her service to her community, Peters is a winner of AFSCME’s Never Quit Service Award, which recognizes public service workers who go above and beyond the call of duty to improve their communities.

“If we weren’t able to test our water, I can’t even imagine what our lives would be like — having to constantly boil our water, filter our water, spending all day just making sure we have what we need to cook, bathe, clean, anything,” Peters says.

She says she her love of science and public health motivates her.

“I truly believe that what I’m doing is a service to the people,” she says.