Public Works Podcast

Joseph Blackman introduced Gabby Zanzarella, a Stormwater Operations Analyst for High Point, North Carolina, whose role involves protecting water quality, maintaining infrastructure, and environmental stewardship, often in high-pressure situations, requiring adaptability and effective communication. Gabby shared her non-traditional career path, which included a degree in environmental management and experience in urban forestry and nonprofit work, and discussed how their passion for hula hooping unexpectedly reinforced their service mentality and contributed to their professional trajectory. Essential to their success is maintaining an educational approach to resolve conflicts with residents and continuously improving through curiosity and observing peer organizations, with success defined by operational smoothness and residents understanding their impact on water quality, as highlighted by their "Only rain down the drain" campaign. Give the show a listen and remember to thank your local Public Works Professionals.

Joseph Blackman welcomed Travis Kearney, Wastewater Collection Supervisor at Carpenteria Sanitary District, to the public works podcast, where Travis outlined his multi-faceted role, including managing 42 miles of pipe, overseeing maintenance and inspections, and maintaining 133 unique E1 grinder pumps in the small beach community. Travis emphasized the importance of a positive mindset and rotating work activities for team development, while also detailing the integration of the Lucidity CMMS system with ArcGIS Pro for work order creation. Travis shared his career path, credited mentors like Ricardo Larude and Mark Bennett, and offered leadership advice, including the importance of staying calm under pressure and encouraging young professionals to step outside their comfort zone. Give the episode a listen and remember to thank your local Public Works Professionals. 

Joseph Blackman introduced Lucia Diaz, the Manager of Facilities and Water System Programs for Inland Empire Utilities Agency (IEUA), who provided an overview of IEUA's wholesale water services, wastewater treatment, and her extensive role overseeing facilities management, conveyance systems, and physical security. Lucia detailed her career progression from a construction background to being the first female construction coordinator at IEUA, where she successfully managed major projects despite initial challenges, crediting her advancement to continuous learning, mentorship from advocates like Chander Letulle, and a focus on essential skill sets such as adaptability, people leadership, and strategic thinking. Throughout the discussion, Lucia emphasized the importance of listening, remaining consistent, and focusing on professional conduct, while also sharing her advice to the community to "Protect your pipes" by only flushing the "three P's." Give the episode a listen and remember to thank your local Public Works Professionals.

Joseph Blackman introduced Kristina Ramirez, the City Engineer at Harker Heights, Texas, to discuss her diverse responsibilities, which include managing capital improvement projects (CIP), ensuring compliance for development plans, and prioritizing public communication and transparency. Kristina highlighted that a city engineer's essential skill sets are communication, active listening, and bridging technical knowledge with field realities, sharing that public interaction is vital for their small public works department. The discussion also covered Kristinas non-traditional career path, her transition from the private to the public sector, the use of multiple resources for tracking federal and state regulations, and the value of professional organizations like APWA for networking and professional development, with a focus on encouraging attendance at the PWX conference. Give the episode a listen and remember to thank your local Public Works Professionals.

Joseph Blackman welcomed Danielle Blacet, Executive Director at the California Municipal Utilities Association (CMUA), who explained that CMUA is a nonprofit trade association representing 86 water, wastewater, and publicly owned electric and gas utilities in California, primarily focusing on advocacy in legislative and regulatory arenas. Danielle highlighted CMUA’s advocacy win, securing $3 billion from the state for Californians to pay overdue water and energy utility bills, and discussed the high level of innovation among CMUA members, including advanced water recycling, AI-integrated operations, and wildfire mitigation projects. Discussions also covered the ongoing efforts by members to educate the public on essential utility operations, Danielles transition into the Executive Director role, and strategies for addressing the "silver tsunami" in the workforce through early education, internships, and highlighting the benefits of utility careers.Find more at https://www.cmua.org/