District technician nominated by colleague for recognition after years of cross-campus support

Nasir Abushark, a building computer specialist, testified in support of fellow technician Amy Underberg during a Sioux Falls School District 49-5 meeting, saying he formally nominated her and urging the district to retain her expertise.

Abushark said he has worked with Underberg across district campuses and called her "a very smart lady" whose technical skills extend beyond typical building-level duties to include system-engineering and networking tasks. "She's always willing to help new techs or veteran techs such as me," he said.

He highlighted Underberg's work ethic and proactive approach to equipment rollouts. Abushark said she volunteers to test devices before districtwide deployments and often anticipates problems: "Hey, if we go that route, we might encounter this," he recounted, adding that she tests hardware and systems to reduce reactive troubleshooting.

As an example, Abushark described a situation at Rosa Parks school where Underberg addressed an atypical television setup and helped staff who were unfamiliar with the configuration. He said that her willingness to assist other buildings and previous technicians demonstrated both technical competence and collegiality.

Abushark noted Underberg's experience at multiple school levels — elementary, middle and high school — and at IPC, saying that combination gives her "massive" institutional knowledge the district should not lose. He closed by praising her personality, technical ability and commitment to helping staff districtwide.

The testimony was delivered without a recorded motion or vote in the provided transcript.