Never Quit winner knows you don’t think about his job and wants to keep it that way

Most people don’t think about the work that goes into providing clean water to their homes and businesses, and Rob Holland wants to keep it that way. 

Holland is a lab technician for the City of Rochester, New York, where he works at the Hemlock Water Filtration Plant. Holland is responsible for maintaining the laboratory, coordinating the distribution of chemistry samples, and working directly with customers regarding water quality concerns — including lead testing.  

“The less people think about us, the more it shows we’re doing our job correctly,” he reflects.  

And yet Holland’s commitment to serving the public has not gone unnoticed. Brittany Vanno, a water quality chemist who works alongside him, says Holland is a great team player who does whatever it takes to keep his community safe. 

“Sometimes if we collect samples from the distribution system and one of the samples is positive for coliform bacteria, we have to go back and collect repeat samples and we have to do it right away,” Vanno says. “Rob has never said no to coming in on a Saturday to collect repeat samples. He regularly works overtime or fills in for someone else. He’s just such an agreeable guy and always willing to help out. I couldn’t ask for a better co-worker.”  

For his service to his community, Holland, a member of AFSCME Local 1635 (Council 66) is the latest winner of our union’s Never Quit Service Award. The award recognizes public service workers who go above and beyond the call of duty to make their communities better. 

Holland says he’s always had a passion for science and emerging technologies. In college, he majored in biology and focused on environmental science, a field in which he developed a strong interest in research and protecting the environment. 

His job at the water filtration plant is more than just a job to him. The plant provides clean drinking water to more than 300,000 residents, serving the entire City of Rochester as well as portions of Monroe and Livingston counties. It operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week. 

Holland also serves as the city’s primary analyst for cyanotoxins — produced by harmful microorganisms commonly known as blue-green algae. With rising temperatures, the prevalence of harmful algae blooms (HABS) and their cyanotoxins has increased worldwide. 

What he likes about his work, he says, is the variety it offers.  

“On any given day I may be interfacing with the public, out on the boat collecting samples, or in the lab conducting water quality testing,” he explains.  

This mix of fieldwork, customer interaction, and laboratory analysis keeps the role engaging and meaningful. 

In addition to his lab responsibilities, Holland serves as a union steward and helps hire operators. During interviews, he emphasizes to candidates that this work is more than a job — it is public health. “That kind of pressure isn’t for everyone,” he notes, “but the importance of the work must always remain at the forefront of your mind.”