Name: John Naples
Title: Demolition and Crane Operations Inspector
Department of Administrative Services
Office: Office of the State Fire Marshal
1. Can you share your current role and key responsibilities within the State of Connecticut?
My partner, Matt Dorso, and I conduct all written and practical testing for Crane and Hoisting Operators in CT. Licensing and registration of hoisting equipment and operators are priorities in our roles. Additionally, we are responsible for educating, upholding, and enforcing statutes related to crane and hoisting operations. Along with Anne Bonito, Matt and I also review applications for Class A and B Demolition Licenses.
2. What motivated you to pursue a career with the State of Connecticut, and what has been your journey here?
I grew up in the crane and demolition industry and felt a strong desire to help uphold the high standards that the State has set. I’m sympathetic to the dedication of the working members of the industry, from apprentices to Operations Managers and owners of crane businesses. I also understand the value of the high safety standards the State of CT maintains to keep the industry progressing. I’m truly proud to be part of a great team. Alongside Matt Dorso and Anne Bonito, we’ve worked hard to make a lasting impact. I can honestly say I’ve benefited from great leadership from CT State Fire Marshal Lauri Volkert and Assistant Director Peter Zvingilas.
3. What achievements at the State of Connecticut are you most proud of, and what impact have they had?
I believe I’m most proud of the notion that Matt Dorso and I have taken a highly educational approach to the value of industry standards, licensing, and the statutes written to keep people safe. Enforcement has taken a backseat to a more educational approach and I feel its paid dividends in safety. As a young man, my grandfather (the second of four generations of my family in the crane industry) told me, “John, you have to make sure everyone gets home at the end of the day.” I take a lot of pride in knowing our office is taking great strides to ensure that exact thing happens. Our office has sped up the licensing process for operators while maintaining the integrity of the licenses and the standards in the crane industry. Making simple adjustments, such as a higher standard of timely grading, and clarifying the steps of licensing from application to testing.
4. What hobbies or activities do you enjoy outside of your work, and how do they enrich your life?
My wife and children are what I value most in life. Being a big part of my children’s lives is the most enriching thing I’ve ever known. Beyond that, Coaching has truly been a blessing in my life. It's led me to being a coach for their jujitsu classes, as I’ve been an avid jujitsu practitioner for almost 20 years. I’m also a coach for both of their Little League baseball teams and the Vice President of the Colchester Baseball and Softball League. Helping kids, beyond just my own, find a path of dedication and value through achievement is incredibly rewarding. I have a long lineage of amazing coaches, and I’m proud to pass the knowledge forward.
5. Could you share a memorable travel experience and what made that destination special for you?
My uncle gave me advice as a young parent. “Every time your baby needs you in the middle of the night, let your wife sleep, and you go answer the call because every time you do, it’s bonus time you get with your son.” I’ve been to New Hampshire every year of my life, whether for long weekends or extended vacations. One year, my wife and I went with our oldest son, who was a baby at the time. He had croup, and I remember taking him outside, wrapped in a blanket to get some cooling New Hampshire night air. I held him under a brilliant sky of stars and in that moment, I remember thinking, time seemed to freeze. While time is a thief, I get to hold onto that forever.
6. What advice would you give to someone considering a career with the State of Connecticut?
I would tell them, you can’t necessarily make anyone’s life easier, but you certainly don’t have to make anyone’s life harder. Show up, work hard, stay on task and make sure you can look back on your week with pride.
7. What’s your favorite spot in Connecticut, and what makes it special to you?
My favorite spot in CT is my house. It’s where my family is. Home team.
8. If you could have any superpower, what would it be and how would you use it to make a difference?
My superpower would be helping people see themselves as others see them. I believe perspective is a superpower of its own, and allowing people to see through another person's eyes could bring positive change.
9. Who is the person you admire, and what qualities do they possess that inspire you?
Besides my mom, I’d say the former San Francisco 49ers coach, Bill Walsh. The reason is that a great coach forms a coaching tree, where the people they’ve coached form another generation of great coaches, who then form another generation of great coaches, and so on. Each new branch presents another. Many of the coaches still in the NFL today came from his tree, one he planted over 40 years ago.
10. What’s an interesting or fun fact?
Standing next to a giraffe greatly reduces your chances of being struck by lightning.
