Talent Tribute Feature: Tanner Knutson

Our Talent Tribute Monthly Feature is designed to celebrate the phenomenal staff that serve our Members.

Since joining VALLEYLIFE’s Maintenance Team as a Maintenance Technician in December 2024, Tanner has quickly made his mark on the organization. With nearly a decade of experience in the maintenance field, he brings a wealth of knowledge and skill to the role, despite VALLEYLIFE being his first time working for a traditional nonprofit.

Tanner takes great pride in his work, always aiming to get the job done right the first time. What he enjoys most about his role at VALLEYLIFE is knowing that his expertise directly improves the living conditions for Members, making a meaningful difference in their daily lives. His coworkers describe him as highly skilled, reliable, and an incredible addition to the team.

Having grown up in Phoenix, Tanner is no stranger to finding ways to enjoy the outdoors despite the heat. Outside of work, Tanner enjoys weekends spent fishing whenever he can. In the past he has even dabbled in building custom motorcycles – a true testament to his craftsmanship both on and off the job.

We sat down and asked Tanner about his VALLEYLIFE experience as a whole, and this is what he had to say.

1. How would you describe your ideal day at VALLEYLIFE?

My ideal day at VALLEYLIFE would be a day where I come to work, everything runs pretty smooth, and I don’t run into any unexpected issues. Either way, I’d say my ideal day here is just me showing up and working. Fixing the unexpected is part of my job and I enjoy just being able to do what I can.

2. What has your time at VALLEYLIFE taught you over the years?

I’m not really in a position where I’ve been taught anything regarding what I do here, but what I’ve learned is mostly about VALLEYLIFE as an organization, how the billing works, and how we work with H.U.D. (U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development).

3. Can you tell us what you enjoy most about interacting with Members?

 A lot of our Members are really sweet. It’s always nice to have them remember your name and say hi to you. A lot of the Members at the Connolly Center remember me, say hi, and tell me about their day. It’s in those moments that I probably interact the most with our Members but that has a positive impact on me. A lot of times when you’re working, people outside of this line of work, they may not be as considerate or thoughtful, but with our Members, they’re very appreciative of everything you do. It’s a nice environment.

4. What skills or qualities do you think are most important for success in your position?

I would definitely say they have to not think about the amount of work in a way that would stress them out. They would have to just do what they can as they can. That’s probably the biggest skill you’d have to have.

Aside from that, they’d obviously have to be able to do my job (in terms of maintenance and mechanical skills). I feel like I’ve been able to reshape this position because of what I’m able to do, so I do a lot more than was initially expected. You’ll definitely need to be willing to learn and adapt.

5. Lastly, what do you hope to accomplish or learn in your future at VALLEYLIFE?

What I hope to accomplish is getting all of our group homes set to a standard so that we have less work orders. A lot of our homes are really old, and previous maintenance has had to be redone. I feel like if we can accomplish doing a lot of work now, it will make it a lot cheaper and more reasonable to maintain the properties moving forward.