Provided by Elsinore Valley Municipal Water District Elsinore Valley Municipal Water District (EVMWD) is proud to pay tribute to the service and valor of veteran staff members on this Veterans Day and United States Marine Corps’ Birthday. Their unwavering dedication to both their country and EVMWD has been instrumental in their mission to providing essential...

Introducing Ryan Ward, an Associate Engineer at the Inland Empire Utilities Agency (IEUA). Since joining IEUA in 2017, Ryan has brought valuable expertise, holding certifications such as F.E., D2, T2, Wastewater 3, and Collection System Maintenance Grade 2. Prior to his role at IEUA, Ryan dedicated a decade of service to the Army. What is...

It’s easy to get Todd Hutchinson talking about wastewater treatment and how it has improved since the late ‘90s. As Lead Operator for the San Elijo Joint Powers Authority, Hutchinson is celebrating 25 years of service for the agency that serves Encinitas, Solana Beach, Del Mar and some surrounding areas. The Board of Directors is...

Introducing Rick Justice, a seasoned expert in water management serving as the Program Manager within the City of Stockton’s Stormwater Division. Rick attributes his commitment to the water sector to his unwavering work ethic and continuous professional advancement. Certifications held: Environmental Compliance Inspector – Grade IV Certified Professional in Municipal Stormwater Management (CPMSM) Project Management...

Marvin Gonzalez has been nominated for and received awards in the past, but none of them predicted his future success as accurately as his most recent nomination. Last autumn, a coworker at Leucadia Wastewater District nominated Gonzalez for the CWEA Emerging Leaders program. Little did they know that Gonzalez would soon be promoted to Field...

City of Barstow City Manager Willie Hopkins Jr. announced the Promotion of Kody Tompkins to the position of Assistant City Manager. As Assistant City Manager, Mr. Tompkins will provide strategic level leadership support for the Finance and Administrative Services, Information Technology department and the City Manager’ Office. He will contribute and oversee upcoming planning for...

First and last name: Austin Perkins Title: GIS Specialist Branch and years of service:  U.S Marine Corps 2014 – 2020 What is your role? As a GIS Specialist at the Inland Empire Utilities Agency, I am responsible for creating, updating, and maintaining the Agency’s geospatial data, maps, and applications. What / who inspired you to work...

Robert Delgado Manager of Maintenance, Inland Empire Utilities Agency Certifications held: Mechanical Technologist, Grade 4. Other non-CWEA Certs: Certified Maintenance & Reliability Professional (CMRP), Certified Reliability Leader (CRL), and Certified Asset Reliability Practitioner. Education: Bachelors in Business Administration Branch and years of service: U.S. NAVY – 4 years CWEA Volunteer – 5 Years What is...

First and last name: Manuel Moreno  Title: Operations Supervisor Tenure and certifications held: Wastewater Treatment V, Potable Treatment II, Advanced Water Treatment III, Certified Reliability Leader (CRL) Branch and years of service:  Air Force 4 years active duty What is your role? As an Operations Supervisor at the Inland Empire Utilities Agency, I’m responsible for...

First and last name: Kyle Jones Job title: Senior Water Treatment Plant Operator, Inland Empire Utilities Agency Tenure: 13 years at IEUA, 17 years in the industry Certifications: Drinking Water Treatment T4, Drinking Water Distribution D3, Wastewater Treatment Grade V Branch and years of service: U.S. Marine Corps; 4.5 years active duty What is your...

First and last name: Allan D. Jones Job title: Electrical & Instrument Technician III, Inland Empire Utilities Agency Certifications held: C-10 License Electrical Contracting Branch and years of service: Navy; Four years of service What is your role at the Agency? As an Electrical/Instrumentation Tech III, my daily role at the Agency is to service,...

First and last name: Joshua Oelrich Job title: Deputy Manager of Maintenance, Inland Empire Utilities Agency Certifications held: Vibrations Analyst: ISO Category 1; Certified Reliability Leader (CRL); Certified Level 1 Machinery Lubrication Technician Branch and years of service: Navy 2000-2006 1.     What is your role at the Agency? Deputy Manager of Maintenance – Under direction,...

If you work in the Bay Area’s wastewater sector you likely know Levi Fuller. After thirty-one years on the job, most recently as the Operations Supervisor for Dublin San Ramon Services District, Levi has decided it’s time for some new adventures. He’s switching off his work cell phone for good and heading out into retirement....

Resources for Veterans Interested in Water Careers October 6th, 11:00 a.m.to Noon informational webinar Veterans in Water – registration link October 7th, 1:00 to 4:00 p.m. California Water Career fair California Water Jobs board – sign-up for job alerts Baywork career resources for veterans California’s water utilities now hiring and veterans have the skills utilities...

Brian Prenger Maintenance Worker 1 Costa Mesa Sanitary District Certifications : CWEA Grade 1 Collection Systems Maintenance Branch and Years of Service: USMC 1988-1992 What is your role? My role is of a Maintenance Worker 1 for the  Costa Mesa Sanitary District and our Mission is protecting the health and the environment. My tasks are preventive...

 California’s water utilities are hiring now. They’ll hire thousands of highly-skilled professionals for water jobs this year. Your skills as a veteran could be exactly what water utilities are looking for. Dive into the California water profession. We can show you how. This one hour webinar features four veterans who work on the frontlines...

Name: Alexander Avila Title: Compost Worker Tenure and certifications held: 7 Months/Confined space, Lockout Tag out, Respirator fitting Name of agency: Inland Empire Utilities Agency (IEUA) Branch and years of service: Army National Guard/ 8 years What is your role? In the Army I was a team leader responsible for supervising 6 soldiers. Today I...

  Name: Kenneth Monfore Title: Manager of Asset Management Certifications: Certified Reliability Leader (CRL), Certified Maintenance & Reliability Professional (CMRP) – Expected completion 2021 Name of agency: Inland Empire Utilities Agency (IEUA) Branch and years of service: United States Navy – 24 years as a Nuclear Submarine Naval Officer I am the Inland Empire Utilities...

Name: Manuel Moreno Title: Operations Supervisor Tenure and certifications held: Wastewater Treatment V, Potable Treatment II, Certified Reliability Leader (CRL) Name of agency: Inland Empire Utilities Agency (IEUA) Branch and years of service: Air Force 4 years active duty What is your role? As Operations Supervisor, I ensure we maintain safety and compliance through day...

Name: John Philip A. Nolasco Title: Water Reclamation Plant Operator Tenure and certifications held: CA Water Resource Control Board Grade III Wastewater Treatment Plant Operator Certificate CA Water Resource Control Board Grade D1 Water Distribution CA Water Resource Control Board Grade T2 Water Treatment Name of agency: Eastern Municipal Water District Branch/years of service: U.S....



Robert Gerena, Utilities O&M Supervisor, City of Hayward  How did you get your first job in the wastewater sector?  After getting out of the Navy, I worked for the federal government at Camp Pendleton as a Boiler Plant Operator. I saw that as a dead-end job and looked for a way to a different career path. I...

By: Channing Vang, California Rural Water Association What’s your background? After being discharged from the military, I enrolled at DeVry University and earned my Associates degree in Electronics. I went to work for an oil company and focused on instrumentation. While working there, I was introduced to the field of environmental reporting and really enjoyed...

Chris Lehman Supervisor City of San Luis Obispo WRRF 6 years US Navy, Radar Electrician What is your role? Water Resource Recovery Facility Supervisor at City of San Luis Obispo. What inspired you to work in water? In 2010 I left the Navy and moved back to California  [San Luis Obispo]. I was initially exploring...

Kody Tompkins, Chief Plant Operator Army/Served 9 years What is your role? I’m the Chief Plant Treatment Plant Operator for the City of Barstow’s Wastewater Treatment Plant. I hold a Grade V Wastewater Treatment Plant Operator, Grade IV Collection System Maintenance, Grade II Water Treatment Operator, and Grade II Water Distribution Certificates. What / who...

Coverage of water workforce topics supported by waterTALENT At WEFTEC 2019 in Chicago, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Deputy Assistant Administrator for the Office of Water Dennis Lee Forsgren Jr., announced a new effort to help American utilities surmount the looming water-sector skills shortage expected in coming years. During WEFTEC Technical Session No. 200: Water Policy Update,...

Water professionals from all over California were once again recognized for the significant impact they are making in our water environment. CWEA joined hundreds of agencies throughout California to celebrate the third annual Water Professionals Appreciation Week between Oct. 5-13. In an effort to encourage more women and veterans to join our profession, we again...

Tim Bratcher, Business Systems Programmer Davis Doane, Plant Maintenance Supervisor Valentin Martinez, Instrument and Control Technician III| Javier Natividad, Field Crew Supervisor Doug Roberts, Program Specialist Arturo Tejeda, Principal Engineering Technician Mike Wallace,Engineering Manager – Construction/Watershed Management Name: Tim Bratcher Title: Business Systems Programmer Branch/years of service: Navy, 10 years, 8 months What/who inspired you...

Steve Jackson, Chief Water Treatment Plant Operator Shawn Triplett, Facilities Maintenance Supervisor Jon Meredith, Senior Maintenance Mechanic   Steve Jackson, Chief Water Treatment Plant Operator What is your role? I’m the Chief Water Treatment Plant Operator for Las Virgenes Municipal Water District’s (LVMWD) Westlake Filtration Plant. I have a Water Treatment 4 certification with the...

Tim Gray, Maintenance Ranger with Helix Water District Tenure: 9 years Certification held: N/A Branch/years of service: Navy 4 years What is your role? I work at Lake Jennings, one of Helix Water District’s reservoirs. My role is to maintain and protect the reservoir and surrounding area. This includes cutting fuel breaks to protect it...

Rita Mooney, Administrative Assistant with Helix Water District Tenure: 13 years Certification held: D2 Branch/years of service: US Army/3 Years What is your role? I support the safety office.  I manage training and the medical surveillance program and I provide admin support for emergency operations, safety programs, safety committee and the wellness program. I conduct...

Clint Lorimer, Distribution Operator III Carmichael Water District Army Veteran (3 years) What is your role? I am currently a Distribution Operator III. This is a journey level position, and some of my duties include the installation, repair and replacement of aging water services, new water mains, and fire hydrants to further support future needs...

Chris Nelson, Public Information Officer Tenure and certifications held:  20 Years with Carmichael Water District and 5 years prior with Arcade Water District.  Cross Connection Control Specialist, Distribution Operator Grade 3, Water Treatment Grade 2, Water Use Efficiency Practitioner Grade 2, Certified Landscape Irrigation Auditor Name of agency:  Carmichael Water District Branch and years of...

Colleen Larsen, Geographical Information Services Coordinator Twenty-one years at Padre Dam Municipal Water District US Naval Reserves: Eleven years Colleen Larsen, a veteran of the US Naval Reserves, now serves the community as the Geographical Information Services (GIS) Coordinator at Padre Dam Municipal Water District. In her eleven years in the Naval Reserves, Colleen supported...

Joe Guzzino, Water Quality Specialist Seventeen Years at Padre Dam Municipal Water District Four years in the Marine Corps Joe Guzzino is the Water Quality Specialist at Padre Dam Municipal Water District and a veteran of the Marine Corps. It is Joe’s responsibility to ensure that every time a Padre Dam customer turns on their...

Paul Clarke, Director of Operations and Water Quality Twenty-two years at Padre Dam Municipal Water District Marine Corps – four years Paul Clarke is the Director of Operations and Water Quality at Padre Dam Municipal Water District. He became interested in water while serving in the Marine Corps, where his platoon operated and maintained reverse...

Ken Aplon, Wastewater Lead Operator III Marlon Brosco, Wastewater Operations Manager Gregory Davis, Water Operator II Denver Finley, Wastewater Maintenance Tech II Chipper Greene, Industrial Pretreatment Coordinator Aaron Kraft, GM Joshua Monday, Water Lead Operator III Mark Perod, Wastewater Operator I Vernon Perry, Water Planner/Scheduler Manuel Sanchez, Water Operator II Stephanee Valencia, Water Operations Manager...

Mark McClintock, Production Superintendent, Carmichael Water District Tenure and certifications held: 13 Years at CWD, SWRCB T5, SWRCB D4, Cross-Connection Control Specialist Branch/years of service: United States Navy, 8 years active duty, 12 years reserve What is your role? My position is Production Superintendent: My primary role is to ensure delivery of safe, high quality...

In preparation for California Water Professionals Week during the first full week of October we are collecting profiles of veterans who work in the CA water sector. We are asking agency, public information and HR managers to help us gather great profiles of deserving CA water pros who are veterans. We will accept and republish...

CWEA’s Kirt Brooks Memorial Scholarship was named after Kirtland “Kirt” Brooks, Association Manager and Bulletin editor for several years in the 1980’s. Kirt had joined the Association in the mid-60’s and become active in the San Francisco bay section and several other northern California sections. Kirt believed that by improving the technical qualification of operators...

Coverage of water workforce topics is supported by waterTALENT Garry Parker, Associate Professor Water Supply Technology, San Bernardino Valley College & Mt San Jacinto College, CWEA Past President 2016 Tenure and certifications held: Plant Maintenance Technologist Grade 4, Electrical Instrumentation Technologist Grade 3 Branch/years of service: US Navy 9 years What is your role? I...

On Thursday, September 12, the Elsinore Valley Municipal Water District (EVMWD) board of directors selected water industry leader Greg Thomas as the General Manager.   In this role, Thomas will carry out board directives, assuring compliance with EVMWD policies, overseeing projects to ensure water security and reliability, and developing and implementing EVMWD’s business plan.   “We are pleased...

Rhondi Emmanuel, Administrative Services Manager, Vallecitos Water District Tenure and certifications held: 7 years; IPMA-SCP Branch/years of service: USMC/9 years What is your role? As Administrative Services Manager, I’m responsible for multiple departments including human resources, public information/conservation, information technology, and risk management. What / who inspired you to work in water? To be honest, I never really thought about working in the water industry.  Since my...

Richie Arballo, Senior Water Systems Operator, Vallecitos Water District Tenure and certifications held: 15 years, Water Distribution Operator Grade D5, Water Treatment Operator Grade T2, Water Quality Laboratory Analyst Grade 1 Branch/years of service: USMC/ 4 years What is your role? Senior Operator, I work under the Supervisor. When the Supervisor is not available I...

Dale Austin, Senior Pump and Motor Technician Tenure and certifications held: 20 Years D3, T2, Mech Tech 2 Name of agency: Vallecitos Water District Branch/years of service: Army 82/85 Navy 85/90   What is your role? As a Senior pump tech, I’m responsible for all water pump and pressure stations. Sewer lift stations, Emergency generators,...

Stephen P. Keller is a self-employed Manufacturer’s Rep. starting Keller Maritime Associates in 2005 when he moved to California. He is Past Chairman of the New York Metropolitan Section, Society of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers (SNAME) and Past President, Sacramento Area Section, CWEA. What do you believe is the future of the water profession?...

Find water jobs at CAWaterJobs.org Emmanuel Sarpong Operations Technician Foreman Desert Water Agency Emmanuel served 4 years in the US Marine Corps.