In the Spotlight

By MCSA Triniti Lersch, NAS Sigonella Public Affairs

Our everyday operations onboard Naval Air Station Sigonella would simply not be possible without the incredible contributions of our valued local national employees.

One critical local national employee is Santo Urzi, from downtown Catania, who started working here as a blue-collar worker in 1993. In 2018, he was selected as the supervisor of the Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) shop in the Public Works Department.

"We work on air conditioning, boiler, and air compressor systems for all Naval Air Station Sigonella bases," said Urzi.

The entire shop repairs air conditioning and heating systems, refrigerators, and air compressors on NAS 1, NAS 2, Niscemi, and Marinai. They seek to maintain room temperatures of 75 degrees Fahrenheit or less during the summer and winter to provide the Sailors with a highest-quality of life possible.

His shop is required to work on all the equipment and find the solutions to all the possible problems that they may have.

“Every day I come in at 0700 in the morning, receive work orders, approve the work orders,” said Urzi. “I then send the work orders out to the technician to go out on the field and fix the problems around the base.”

One of the many challenge that Urzi faces is understanding the temperaments and knowledge of the 17 local nationals and six military members in his shop. That understanding is necessary to correctly assign them jobs within their individual capabilities.

“The field on which we operate is very wide, so I assign the jobs to my collaborators according to their professional knowledge,” said Urzi.

Urzi enjoys working with the military as he continually meets people who desire to improve themselves. He also said that he meets smart people from different cultures, and he enjoys being able to transfer his knowledge. But work is not his only focus.

“I like animals,” replied Urzi when asked about his life outside of work. “I have cats, dogs, and a horse. I also like spend time with my family and to ride my horse” Urzi’s favorite part of Sicily is the beach, but he finds beauty in Sicily wherever he looks. Urzi has traveled to Brazil, Egypt, Paris and London.

“Brazil was my favorite to visit, I also love London and Paris,” finished Urzi.