At first glance, burying pipes, digging trenches, and managing infrastructure seem like purely technical and financial tasks. However, when we look closer, we realize that preserving underground water and waste systems is fundamentally about something much deeper: stewardship.
In the inaugural Chaplain’s Corner for the BAMI-I Journal, our appointed Chaplain, Dr. Lee Iseley, shares his journey and reflections on what it truly means to be a “good steward” of both our physical and digital assets, tracing back to a legacy built on the soil of hard work and faith.
A Family Built on Water and Word
The story begins with a bi-vocational underground construction worker and minister, E. T. Iseley, whose dedication spanned seven days a week. Raised building brick manholes, laying water and sewer pipe, and operating heavy machinery, his two sons each carried forward a piece of his dual vocation. One son, Dr. Tom Iseley, pursued the engineering and academic side, eventually teaching at Purdue University and becoming a founding force behind BAMI-I. The other, Dr. Lee Iseley, felt the call to ministry, serving as a pastor in Illinois and beyond.
Years later, at the 1st Global Buried Asset Management Conference (GBAMC) in Chicago, these paths crossed again when Dr. Lee Iseley was appointed as BAMI-I’s Chaplain, opening the event with a prayer of dedication.
What Makes a True Influencer?
Today, the word “influencer” is everywhere, often associated with social media followers and digital noise. But real influence, as demonstrated by generations of infrastructure workers and faith leaders, isn’t about popularity—it is about three essential character traits:
- Commitment: The dedication to show up and stay, even when the task gets difficult.
- Perseverance: The resolve to push through failures, which inevitably happen before success is found.
- Integrity: The foundational honesty that must guide both individual lives and entire organizations.
The tasks of managing our subterranean infrastructure are rarely easy, and they are often met with failure before lasting success is realized. But the struggles and the successes we experience today are the very things that “influence” and shape the generations coming behind us.
Being Good Stewards
Stewardship isn’t limited to natural resources like water; it applies to everything we have been entrusted with—our people, our families, our organizations, and even our digital infrastructure.
Let’s keep our eyes on the goal, working together with unquestioned integrity to manage, protect, and bless the communities we serve.
Need to Talk? As your BAMI-I Chaplain, Dr. Lee Iseley is always available to be of service, whether you have questions, need guidance, or simply want to talk through the challenges of life and work. Please do not hesitate to contact me at [email protected]
