Employee Spotlight Keith B. McCoy Sr. Lead Equipment Operator

Keith B. McCoy Sr., a lifelong Toledoan, and his twin brother Mark used to play with tonka trucks together for hours when they were little. They played so much that they wore holes in the knees of their pants.

It’s not surprising since the youngsters would watch their dad put on his uniform and hard hat and head to B & P Wrecking Company for his demolition job every morning.

It impressed the young McCoys so much that they begged their father to take them to work with him.

“We used to ask my dad, when we were like 8 years old, if we could go to work with him,” McCoy said. “You know, kids just don’t ask to do that nowadays. They want to play games but we wanted to go to work!”

Their father agreed and off they went to watch him operate the machinery and bulldozers. But watching from the sidelines wasn’t enough for Keith McCoy Sr., so he asked his father if he could join him.

“I thought he would say no but then my dad just picked me up and put me in the jump seat right beside him. He would shift gears and move around and then he would say, ‘ok, it’s your turn,’” McCoy said.

“As time went on, being an operator caught on to me and never left,” McCoy said.

McCoy landed his position with the City as a lead heavy duty equipment operator at the Hoffman Road Landfill over 20 years ago.

In his position, McCoy makes sure that everything runs smoothly with all of the operators, takes care of the equipment, and operates the new compactor – affectionately called “The Beast” because of its size and capabilities. It is also where McCoy can listen to jazz in the cab while he works.

He enjoys all of his responsibilities, but mentoring younger operators is where he finds meaning.

“I like to see people grow,” McCoy said. “I like to carry people with me. That’s the biggest part of my life and that’s what keeps me going.”

McCoy said he has grown on the job. “I love working for the City,” McCoy said. “There are a lot of opportunities to grow. I have been able to grow a lot in my career. I haven’t been sitting in one spot. They gave me to opportunity to advance. When I look back at my life I see that I’ve come a long way.”

“I’m proud. I’m very proud.” McCoy said.