Parts Storekeeper (Supervisor) -- Meet Deneitra Henry

Deneitra Henry in her office, where she communicates with staff and vendors. 

Parts Storekeeper Supervisor -- Meet Deneitra Henry  

Deneitra Henry is a parts storekeeper supervisor who makes sure that her teams have the parts they need to keep Muni running. Learn how she built a career centered on mechanical parts, and the key skills she applies now at the SFMTA. See what her typical workday looks like – and what she enjoys most about her job. 

Jobs before current role:  

Deneitra’s story: 

Deneitra started her career in customer service at a car dealership. She had a range of responsibilities focused on mechanical parts. “I pulled parts and delivered them, and I also handled shipping and receiving,” Henry said. 

Research was also a big part of Henry’s workday.  

“In my early roles in parts, I had to use a microfiche reader to look up parts for older vehicles,” she explained. “I would have to look through a file box for the corresponding slide for year, make and model. Then, I put the slide into the reader and it worked like a magnifying glass. That way, you could see a list of parts codes and descriptions you needed to identify the correct part.” 

Henry gained a range of skills through on-the-job learning. After a few roles as a parts clerk, she joined the SFMTA as a parts storekeeper. Now, Deneitra is a supervisor celebrating 13 years at our agency! 

Previous jobs:  

• Parts clerk -- customer service focus. 

• Looked up parts, issued parts to customers, pulled and delivered parts, managed shipping and receiving, and restocked shelves. 

Key skills required for current role: 

• Communication skills  

“Being able to communicate effectively with my staff and other teams is so important to me. So, I take the time to listen well to them. I check in with my staff every morning and ask ‘how is everything going and how can I be of service to you?’ I also work closely with vendors. We need to be able to have a back-and-forth conversation that always gets us on the same page.”  

• Leadership skills  

“As a supervisor, I got where I am because I stepped up any time my supervisor was off. I took on their role, did their job. And when they were around, I would say, ‘is there anything I can help you with? Can you show me what you’re doing?’ So, when it came time to advance and I applied for the job, I scored well. That’s because I already had the experience of being a senior storekeeper. I show the same leadership now, in the role – always taking steps to make sure my team has what they need.” 

Henry in one of our storerooms, where she helps her team navigate a range of parts requests. 

What a typical workday looks like: 

• Overseeing request processes: parts and supplies 

“I make sure we have the parts we need to help our coaches make service. Our work helps the mechanics to keep the buses running safely. So, it’s really important that we’re on time with things and that there's no delay in parts. An issue like that puts coaches on hold, and we always work to prevent that.”  

• Building relationships 

“We have 12 other storerooms that I need to be able to communicate with at anytime, plus the body shop, the transit car cleaners and machinist shop. I make it a point to be visible. When I go around to different places, I always introduce myself to new faces. I ask, ‘what’s your name? What do you in this agency?’ Then that leads into small talk which helps me build relationships. When you put yourself out there, you build the relationships you need to do the job effectively.”  

What she likes most about the job: 

• Diversity of staff and their skills  

“At Muni, people come from all different cultures. So, you get to hear about all different aspects of life. You learn how people interact with their families outside of work. You hear about their vacations, where they visit in their home country. I love hearing these stories and just appreciating how diverse the group is that I work with. That applies to skills, too. Some people come from automotive stores. Others come from dealerships. It’s always interesting to learn about their backgrounds.”  

• Keeping the city where she grew up safe 

“I was born and raised in San Francisco, and I rode Muni all the time as a child. So, making sure it’s safe and clean – that means a lot to me.”