If you’ve seen Hennessey Water Department work zones then chances are you didn’t see Water Superintendent Alyssa Kubat.

That’s because she’s down in that big hole working with another employee making the repairs.

Kubat will probably see more above-ground time since she became the town’s public works director.

Town Administrator Tiffany Tillman made that promotion effective Sept. 30, according to her Oct. 4 monthly report to town board members.

Before that, Tillman had been both public works director and town adminis-trator for seven years since 2017.

Kubat was raised from $21.95 an hour to $61,484.80 a year, Tillman told the KT&FP Thursday morning.

The new public works director attended the board’s Oct. 8 meetings where she was recognized by Tillman, then congratulated by board members Mayor Harold Shaw, Bert Gritz, David Jones and Randy Bohnstedt.

This month’s meeting wasn’t her first time at town meetings. Over the years, Kubat has also reported to the board about new or continuing projects and DEQ inspection reports.

Also Kubat has visited with the board about the needs in her department, particularly at the town’s reverse osmosis water plant.

Kubat was hired as an operator in the water department in October 2018 and was promoted to water superintendent in August 2020.

She is Licensed

At 26, Kubat may be the youngest public works director in Oklahoma, and the youngest to get a Class A water operator license. When she got that license earlier this year she was one of only 38 people in the state to pass that test.

She also has a Class A wastewater license and next week will go to a class and will be tested for A level on lab (she already has B level).

She also has a Class B license in wastewater lab and will go for that class and test in February.

When Kubat gets As in both those classes, “I will be maxed out as far as DEQ licensing,” she told the KT&FP.

The DEQ starts at the D level and A is the highest level, she said.

“Before you can test for the A level you need five years experience in water or wastewater and 200 hours of class time,” she explained.

About Kubat

Kubat is the daughter of Angie and Brian Kubat and attended Dover Public Schools from preschool to her high school graduation in 2016.

In high school, she served various offices including class vice president and president, was CPR certified and also earned the FFA Chapter Degree.

After high school, she worked at the Sleep Inn & Suites Hennessey North before becoming a water department employee.

She is married to Ruby Rodriguez, who has been the children’s librarian at the Hennessey Public Library since March 2023.