How This Lead Inspector Merges The Golden Rule with NDE

Every day is unique in David Luey’s life at IIA. As Inspection Lead, and the most Senior Technician within IIA, David’s day sometimes begins at 4 in the morning with an all-day drive ahead of him to a job site. It’s also possible for his day to begin at 8 am with a fifteen minute drive to the job site. Unless, that is, if he’s at the North Pole!

David began his career as a kid working after school at a full-service gas and automotive repair station, which was very heavily customer service based. It’s at this station where he eventually became a General Repair Technician, performing services such as oil changes and brake repairs. David spent many years working at the station, and the owner was a mentor who taught David all facets of the business, from auto repair to full-on running the business, which included the all important customer relations aspect.

After David’s wife joined the NDE industry, he also showed an interest and began taking a few classes on the subject. He was still working at the station, and the owner even wanted David to take over the business, but he instead felt the pull of NDE and kept taking more courses. Once he finished, his wife helped him put a resume together, and unbeknownst to him, it was soon forwarded to a member of management at IIA. After seeing his resume, David was given the opportunity to join the team, where in the last 14 years, he’s moved from trainee to Lead Inspector.

Having been in the automotive industry, David learned how much he enjoyed working with people and also getting his hands dirty. He says, “NDE expanded my horizons and my reality and brought me in line with everything I love.” He still has the opportunity to get his hands dirty while also working closely with customers. Being so customer focused, it’s not surprising that he uses The Golden Rule as his philosophy in his personal and professional life. Treat everyone as you want to be treated. This philosophy isn’t only for people, this also includes equipment. David says, “treat the equipment you are inspecting as if it were your own, and always leave it in better condition than when you began.”

Learning and growing is also important to this Lead Inspector, which is why he loves to mentor new technicians; he teaches and mentors them, but says, “I always learn things from them too. I’m proud to have the opportunity to teach the new recruits and make them a strong part of the team.” Being positive and having an impact on others are traits David also demonstrates. He says, “Even if you’re having a bad day, smile because you will make someone else’s day better.”

David’s former employee taught him how to treat people, and his own philosophies help him to stay positive, not to hold grudges or take things for granted. David has brought all of his previous knowledge and experience as well as his mind-set to IIA which benefits his team and the customers. He enjoys the variety of his job, the travel opportunities, and most of all connecting with the customers.

For the last nine years, on behalf of IIA, David has been traveling to Alert, Nunavut, which is pretty close to The North Pole! He has really embraced this experience and opportunity and says, “There is nothing more unique than being there at all times of the year: twilight, and true darkness for 24 hours and also daylight for 24 hours.” He’s also taken part in the Polar Bear Plunge, jumping into the freezing waters in a portion of the Arctic Sea. Oh, and in case you had any doubts, David confirms that Santa’s Workshop really does exist, and Alert, Nunavut is the workshop’s most northerly supplier.