Home President’s Message

SFBS Presidents Message

By: Nick Steiner, Delta Diablo
February 20, 2024

Recognition of Award Winners at SFBS’ Annual Awards Banquet

Two weeks ago, we hosted our annual Awards Banquet at the Lafayette Park Hotel where we celebrated all the award winners and nominees. The board would like to congratulate all the SFBS members and agencies recognized for their hard work and effort over the past year. We are often busy and can find it daunting to apply, but I know it is greatly appreciated by the nominees. So, we encourage you to consider applying for your agency and/or colleagues to recognize all the hard work going on behind the scenes. This year we received 16 applications, next year let’s double that number!

Award Category Recipient
Al Ditman Professional Development Training Claire O’Brien, Brown & Caldwell
Andy Stamatelos Service Max Armenta, Brown & Caldwell
Andy Stamatelos Service Blake Brown, Central San
Outstanding Young Professional Sam Hawkinson, Dudek
Laboratory Person of the Year Heidi Birdsell, Dublin San Ramon Services District
Electrical Instrumentation Person of the Year Wilson Wong, Union Sanitary District
Community Outreach Project of the Year (Small) Castro Valley Sanitary District
Community Outreach Project of the Year (Large) Central Contra Costa Sanitary District
Engineering Achievement East Bay Municipal Utilities District
Collection System of the Year (Small) Dublin San Ramon Services District
Plant of the Year (Medium) South San Francisco – San Bruno Water Quality Control Plant

Good luck to all those competing at the state level at the Annual Conference! Also, thanks to all who helped in making this event a great success.

Meet the 2024 SFBS Board
President: Nick Steiner – Delta Diablo
Vice President: Claire O’Brien – Brown & Caldwell
Program Director: Billy Wong – Stantec
Secretary: Simon Kobayashi – East Bay MUD
Treasurer: Amanda Roa – Delta Diablo
Past President: Tyree Jackson – City of Oakland
Communications Director: Nick Hansen – Central San

Please join me in welcoming our newest member to the Board, Simon Kobayashi from East Bay MUD. Simon is our newly elected Secretary. He has been involved with CWEA for the past 9 years; assisting the state level Student and Young Professionals Committee, moderating at the annual conference, reviewing presentation abstracts/applications, and working with the WEF Awards Committee. Simon is a great addition to the team with his positive attitude and desire to help CWEA evolve and grow to meet the changing demands of our industry and workforce. Congratulations Simon and welcome aboard!

We would also like to thank our prior Past President, Kaitie Gellerman for her five-year service on the board. Kaitie is a leader in the industry with all the great work she is doing through CWEA, now at the state level and with her career at Black & Veatch. Thank you, Kaitie, we wish you all the best in your future endeavors.

Upcoming CWEA Events

Local Section Events

  • SFBS Collection Systems Technical Certification Preparation Seminar – March 13
    This seminar is designed for Grades I to IV for the Collection System Maintenance Certification Exam and will be hosted by the SFBS Collections Committee in Antioch, CA.
  • Biological Nitrogen Removal at Water Resource Recovery Facilities Webinar – March 14
    This webinar is part 5 of an educational series hosted by the SFBS Laboratory Committee on the use of a microscope to make more informed process control decisions.
  • SYP Summer Graduation/Kick-off BBQ – June TBD
    This event is being put together by our SFBS SYP Committee. It is still in the works but should be posted shortly.
  • Member Appreciation Baseball Game Giants vs. Tigers – August 9
    Last year’s members appreciation event was a blast. This year we are tweaking things to make this event even better and hopefully have more time for networks amongst members.

State Level Events

  • CWEA Annual Conference (AC24) – April 9 – 12
    It’s never too early to register for CWEA’s annual conference. The event will be in Sacramento from April 9th to 12th. The conference includes a wide range of events including technical workshops and seminars with vendor booths and demonstrations. Details are available on CWEA’s website.
  • CWEA’s “Train the Trainer” Webinar – February 15
  • Engineering & Research Workshop – Feb. 28, Martinez
  • Innovations in Process Control webinar – March 13
  • CWEA Leadership Retreat – June 11-13

Thank you again and have a wonderful 2024!

Photo’s from the awards banquet are below. Click for full size. Photo Credit: Gab Baisas

Local Section Member Sponsorship Program

By: Tyree Jackson (City of Oakland)
February 1, 2024

Hello San Francisco Bay Section Members!

As we settle in to the New Year and transition to new leadership of the SFBS Board, we’d like to remind you of an important member-benefit that the SFBS Board has worked to develop and implement. The Local Section Member Sponsorship Program is a financial assistance program available to all members (in good standing) of the SFBS. The program seeks to provide financial support – up to $500 – for CWEA trainings, conferences, and specialty events. The program is a first-come, first-served opportunity that covers individual registration fees (or portions thereof) for things like CWEA workshops, Dinner Meetings, Annual Conference, and the annual CWEA Leadership Retreat. Members are eligible for sponsorship once per fiscal year. Once awarded, members are ineligible for additional sponsorship for the remainder of the fiscal period and immediate next fiscal year.

Requests for sponsorship can be made directly to the SFBS Board by emailing [email protected] with the following information:

  1. Name and description of the event.
  2. Brief statement of your interest in the event.
  3. Brief statement acknowledging financial hardship.

Sponsorship is exclusive to SFBS members of CWEA and will be awarded by vote of the SFBS Board. Sponsorship will be provided as reimbursement for fees paid – so, save your receipts and other documentation.

Members are encouraged to reach out to any SFBS Board member to learn more about how to take advantage of this opportunity – we’re happy to provide more detail and answer any questions!

Looking forward to seeing you all at our Annual Awards & Installation Banquet this Friday! If you haven’t already registered yet, there’s still time! Walk-ups are always welcomed, too!

As a final note, it has been an honor and privilege to serve as President of the SFBS section! It is my sincere hope that the work of the SFBS Board over the past year has enhanced your member and/or volunteer experience with CWEA. We look forward to continuing the great work of supporting you through trainings, networking, and showcasing the very best in wastewater industry achievement the Bay Area has to offer!

As always, thank you for your membership and interest – and be safe out there!

Find info on SFBS upcoming events here. Hope to see you soon!

2023 Board of Directors
President: Tyree Jackson (City of Oakland)
Vice President: Nick Steiner (Delta Diablo)
Program Chair: Claire O’Brien (Brown and Caldwell)
Secretary: Billy Wong (Stantec)
Treasurer: Amanda Roa (Delta Diablo)
Past President: Kaitie Gellerman (Black & Veatch)

Volunteering
The San Francisco Bay Section is always looking for volunteers! The Safety Committee is actively seeking leadership and project support. If you are interested, or have any questions, please reach out to any SFBS Board or Committee member – or email [email protected].

You can also use the following link to find additional volunteer opportunities within CWEA: Volunteering | California Water Environment Association (cwea.org)

Online Voting For 2024 CWEA SFBS Board of Director Open

By: Tyree Jackson (City of Oakland)
December 20, 2023

Greetings Fellow San Francisco Bay Section Members!

This year we had two submissions for Secretary. A picture and biography of our candidates are below. On the voting form, there will be a few options. One to vote for either candidate and a space for a write-in candidate (should you write in, please respond to the email you receive with your candidate of choice).

Candidates Statement:

Sam Hawkinson

I will provide you with all the reasons you will need to vote for me to become your Secretary. I am a Senior Engineer based in Dudek’s Oakland office. In addition to my engineering consulting work, I have held roles in leadership positions within the Pacific Northwest Clean Water Association (PNCWA) and the California Water Environment Association (CWEA).

While living in the Pacific Northwest, I actively participated in a SYPC within PNCWA, contributing to the initiation of a program, “Introducing Future Leaders to Opportunities in Water” (InFLOW). The next year I was elected as the committee’s chair. My tenure as chair lasted two years, with the second year seeing the establishment of a Co-Chair position.

I joined CWEA in 2020 and began volunteering for the SFBS SYPC and the Statewide SYPC, as well. I have been volunteering my time with CWEA by providing leadership to the statewide SYP, where I currently serve as Nor-Cal Vice Chair and serve on the local outreach steering committee; and the SFBS SYPC, where I currently serve as Co-Chair.

In my leadership roles, I have been using the weight of the SFBS SYPC to help attract SYPs to join our neighboring sections. I believe the SFBS is the gold-standard for local sections and want to use our position to foster the development of other local sections. I look forward to being Secretary for the SFBS and to continuing to use my position to foster meaningful partnerships.

Sam’s Contact Information:
Sam Kawkinson
Dudek
Senior Engineer
[email protected]

 

Simon Kobayashi:

Hello SFBS, I am Simon Kobayashi, an Associate Engineer with East Bay MUD. I’ve had the pleasure of being in California for the past 10 years, and involved with CWEA for the past 9 years. I’ve been an engineer on both the consulting and municipal sides – with 4 years at RMC/Woodard and Curran, followed by municipal posts at NapaSan and Delta Diablo. I have volunteered to help with CWEA efforts – from the Student and Young Professionals CA state-wide board, to CWEA conference moderator, to reviewing CWEA conference abstracts/applications, to serving on the WEF mentor award committee. I’ve seen how much we get done as a volunteer-run organization and how important the volunteerism and collaborative professional network is both to the organization and the industry. I am a pragmatist and creative thinker. I hope to bring those attributes and my urge to build and create to help CWEA SFBS evolve and grow to meet the changing demands of our industry and workforce. In joining the SFBS Board and committing to the 5 year term, I hope to help encourage knowledge sharing and mentorship. I want to re-affirm the importance and utility of the Bay Section dinners and events particularly for younger members of our industry’s professions. I hope to learn from our Board and general members and find new ways or events to bring our membership together.

When not behind a computer, I can be found running, biking, or hiking outside, searching for or revisiting gems in the Bay Area.

Simon’s Contact Information:
Simon Kobayashi
East Bay Municipal Utility District
Associate Civil Engineer
[email protected]

Schedule for selecting new board member:
Voting: December 21, 2023 through December 28, 2023

Voting Process:

* All registered CWEA SFBS Member as of December 20, 2023 will receive an email through our newsletter software, Constant Contact.
* The election is open until December 28, 2023.
* Members will receive an email which contains a ballot for voting, it is tied to the address you have on file with us.
* You must vote from the email you receive, we will only send it once.
* Do not forward this email.
* Each “select” link is specially coded to link directly back to your email address.
* Results are tracked on a per-email address basis.

We thank you for taking part in our San Francisco Bay Section Board of Directors election. Results will be announced at our Annual Awards Banquet in 2024 (via email and posted on our website).

Nominations Open for New San Francisco Bay Section Board Member

By: Tyree Jackson (City of Oakland)

Greetings fellow San Francisco Bay Section members! We are seeking nominations for an open position on the SFBS Board of Directors starting in 2024. We welcome nominations from any member who has the desire to uphold CWEA’s mission: empowering, educating and connecting water professionals to protect public health and the environment.

The successful candidate will collaborate with other Board members and committees, and serve as a member of the Board through a five-year rotation – starting as Secretary and advancing yearly to Program Director, Vice President, President, and Past President. Board membership affords excellent opportunities for professional growth and networking while working to champion CWEA’s mission. Detailed descriptions of the leadership roles of the Board can be found in our SFBS Constitution and Bylaws document: cwea.org

Schedule for selecting new Board member:

Nominations open: November 16, 2023 Dinner Meeting
Nominations close: December 20, 2023
Voting (via email survey): opens December 21, 2023 – closes December 28, 2023

To submit a nomination, email the following to [email protected] by the nomination deadline:

  1.  Candidate’s statement: Describe your interest in joining the SFBS Board, what you hope to accomplish as a Board member, your history of participation in CWEA and WEF, including involvement at the local, state, and national levels if applicable, professional experience, and any other pertinent items. The statement should not exceed 250 words.
  2. Candidate’s contact information: Name, employer, job title, and email address.
  3. Photograph of candidate.

CWEA-SFBS Mourns the Passing of Shawn Redmond

San Francisco Bay Section Members,

It is with great sadness that we announce the recent passing of SFBS member, Shawn Redmond. He was an active volunteer of the O&M Committee for more than a decade, and served as Chaired of that committee from 2018-2021. Shawn’s easy and friendly nature made him well known and well liked within our regional circle of wastewater professionals – both through his work as a Mechanic with Delta Diablo and as owner/operator of BGE Solutions. He made lasting contribution to CWEA, and his interest and dedication to the wastewater industry will be greatly missed.

On behalf of the SFBS Board, our sincerest condolences to Shawn’s family, friends, colleagues, and other loved ones. You are all in our thoughts and prayers.

SFBS Board

Hello San Francisco Bay Section Members!

By: Tyree Jackson (City of Oakland)
October 9, 2023

Volunteerism is at the cornerstone of CWEA’s success as a wastewater industry professional organization. State and Local Section activities; technical certification; training; networking; and collaboration with peer-organizations, Regulators, and academia – these are areas where CWEA member-volunteers not only contribute, but excel. SFBS member-volunteers delivered some fantastic programming during the summer and early fall. September saw the (much anticipated) return of the Collection System Vendor Fair, as well as a tour of SFPUC’s Southeast WTP Biosolids Digesters Facilities and presentation of its $3B upgrade and modernization project. As part of our fundraising efforts for the Kirt Brooks Scholarship, member-volunteers organized a golf tourney at Franklin Canyon in Hercules; and as a thank you to our members, SFBS member-volunteers organized an outing to Oracle Park for baseball with the SF Giants. Engagement that is both fun AND serious has been the calling card of SFBS member-volunteer led efforts for more than a decade – and with continued interest and support, will continue into the distant future.

There are plenty of volunteer opportunities for members to participate in SFBS events and activities – all skills and abilities are welcome. In November, nominations will be open for the 1st year (Secretary) position on the SFBS Board – with elections to be held in December. Applicants need only be a current member in good standing to qualify. There are also lots of opportunities to get involved with any of the several committees that make up our local section. Visit the CWEA SFBS Committees page to find out more – or drop us an email at [email protected].

As a reminder: CWEA’s awards season is open, and applications for SFBS awards in categories recognizing innovation, excellence, safety, and training can be submitted now through October 31st, 2023. Members are encouraged to participate in this once-a-year (but always relevant) opportunity – and to reach out to your SFBS Board for any assistance needed with the application process. *Award nominators will be entered into a special door-prize drawing at the Annual Awards Banquet! Awards applications and additional info can be found here.

As always, thank you for your membership and interest – and be safe out there!

Find info on SFBS upcoming events here. Hope to see you soon!

2023 Board of Directors
President: Tyree Jackson (City of Oakland)
Vice President: Nick Steiner (Delta Diablo)
Program Chair: Claire O’Brien (Brown and Caldwell)
Secretary: Billy Wong (Stantec)
Treasurer: Amanda Roa (Delta Diablo)
Past President: Kaitie Gellerman (Black & Veatch)

Volunteering
The San Francisco Bay Section is always looking for volunteers! The Technical Certification Program (TCP) Committee, Students & Young Professionals (SYP), and Safety Committee are actively seeking leadership and project support. If you are interested, or have any questions, please reach out to any SFBS Board or Committee member – or email [email protected].

You can also use the following link to find additional volunteer opportunities within CWEA: Volunteering | California Water Environment Association (cwea.org)
We hope to see you at some of our events this year – and that you’re able to get involved! Let us know if you have any questions, comments, recommendations, or concerns. The San Francisco Bay Section is yours, and the SFBS Board is here to support you!

Hello San Francisco Bay Section Members!

By: Tyree Jackson (City of Oakland)
July 20, 2023

There’s nothing like a global heatwave to underscore how critically important continued efforts to effectively manage wastewater processes and infrastructure are to sustaining economic stability, health, and safety for millions of people across the region, state, and nation! Wastewater management technology is core to the mission and work of CWEA members and affiliates – and SFBS members are often at the vanguard of innovation and execution of this profoundly significant work. Through extensive hands-on training workshops for WCS operators and technicians, behind-the-scenes tours of world-class local WTPs, and lots of web-based presentations covering a broad spectrum of wastewater topics, SFBS members embody the day-in day-out action taking place to protect our water resources. CWEA offers two dynamic ways for SFBS members to showcase their action and accomplishments – the annual awards and social media.

CWEA awards are a great way to acknowledge, promote, and celebrate the projects and programs that meet our shared mission – and especially, the people that make it all happen! The 2023-24 CWEA Awards season is open, and applications for SFBS awards in categories recognizing innovation, excellence, safety, and training can be submitted now through October 31st, 2023. Members are encouraged to participate in this once-a-year (but always relevant) opportunity – and to reach out to your SFBS Board for any assistance needed with the application process. Awards applications and info can be found here.

The mycwea YouTube channel and @cweamembers IG also offers a place where members can post and share all things CWEA. The SFBS will be rolling out a pilot project ‘Members Forum’ on mycwea YouTube soon – with the hopes of providing SFBS members with a means to highlight their wastewater experience and involvement with CWEA, and elevate their professional profile. In the meantime, SFBS members can post photos and videos of CWEA-affiliated workshops, trainings, social, and business events by sending content to [email protected] or #cweamembers.

Lastly, a heartfelt ‘thank you’ to all of our member wastewater professionals. You are the 10% of prevention that really does make the world a safer and healthier place! As always, thank you for your membership and interest – and be safe out there!

Upcoming events:

  • Friday, August 11th, 2023: SFBS Member Appreciation Baseball Game (Oracle Park, San Francisco) SOLD OUT
  • Friday, August 18th, 2023: Linda County Advanced Treatment Pilot Study Tour/ SYP Happy Hour (LCWD WTP Olivehurst, CA – Drake’s: the Barn, Sacramento )
  • Wednesday, September 13th, 2023: Hello Out There… Can You Hear Me?? How to Build Curious Communication Skills (webinar)
  • Wednesday, September 13th, 2023: Collection Systems Vendor Fair (Antioch)
  • Thursday, September 21st, 2023: SFPUC Southeast WTP Digestor Tank Tour/SFBS Dinner Meeting (San Francisco)
  • Friday, September 22nd, 2023: Sausalito-Marin City Sanitary District WTP Tour/SYP Happy Hour (Sausalito)
  • Friday, September 22nd, 2023: SFBS 2023 Annual Golf Tournament

Coming soon:
Awards (2023-2024)!

2023 Board of Directors
President: Tyree Jackson (City of Oakland)
Vice President: Nick Steiner (Delta Diablo)
Program Chair: Claire O’Brien (Brown and Caldwell)
Secretary: Billy Wong (Stantec)
Treasurer: Amanda Roa (Delta Diablo)
Past President: Kaitie Gellerman (Black & Veatch)

Volunteering
The San Francisco Bay Section is always looking for volunteers! The Technical Certification Program (TCP) Committee, Students & Young Professionals (SYP), and Safety Committee are actively seeking leadership and project support. If you are interested, or have any questions, please reach out to any SFBS Board or Committee member – or email [email protected].

You can also use the following link to find additional volunteer opportunities within CWEA: Volunteering | California Water Environment Association (cwea.org)
We hope to see you at some of our events this year – and that you’re able to get involved! Let us know if you have any questions, comments, recommendations, or concerns. The San Francisco Bay Section is yours, and the SFBS Board is here to support you!

Congratulations to all our SFBS State Award Winners & 5S Inductees!

By: Tyree Jackson (City of Oakland)
May 4, 2023

As many of us attempt to dry out and re-group, after what has been a challenging wet-weather season, CWEA offered a nice reprieve at the One Community-One Purpose Annual Conference 2023 held in mid-April. AC23 took place in San Diego, and SFBS members were well represented as recipients of several awards and industry acknowledgements (see below).

In speaking with many CWEA members from across the state, it was eye-opening to hear of the great need for training, trainers, and affordable resources to help collection systems and WTPs keep up with the increasing demand for skill development and technical proficiency. It was also both humbling and comforting, to know that SFBS has maintained a resource-rich local section – primarily through a consistent and committed volunteer base. It also helps to be surrounded by well run and well-accomplished local sections like Redwood Empire and Santa Clara Valley. SFBS and its neighboring local sections have a strong history of mutual support and collaboration – and now is the time to expand that sense of community even further, in support of our fellow operators, technicians, inspectors and other industry peers outside of our immediate service areas and jurisdictions.

In addition to developing programs and initiatives to support leadership and professional development for our SFBS members, the Board submitted a budget that aims to support opportunities for members to provide training (or trainers) and other mutual aid, to some of CWEA’s smaller local sections. Be on the look-out for information on SFBS activities and events in support of CWEA’s one community-one purpose mission. We hope to see and hear from you soon!

Upcoming Events:

Coming Soon:

  • Mid-May/Early-June 2023: O&M Committee site tour of Oro Loma Sanitary District WTP for mid-May or early June

Awards:

2022 CWEA Award Winners from SFBS:

Category Winner(s)
WTP Operator of the Year Manuel Dos Santos (South San Francisco)
Community Engagement and Outreach: Film Festival Chris Goward & Joe Zumbo (CCCSD)
Community Engagement and Outreach: Photography Award Joe Zumbo (CCCSD)
Leadership: Outstanding Young Professional of the Year Jamie Johnson (SWRCB)
5S Award Tyree Jackson (City of Oakland)
Roya Yousefelahiyeh (Black & Veatch)
Cleveland Porter (City of Antioch-Retired)
Lydia Guerra (CWEA)
Norah Duffy (CWEA)
Quarter Century Award Frank Casey (Ironhouse SD)

 

Volunteering:

The San Francisco Bay Section is always looking for volunteers! The Technical Certification Program (TCP) Committee and Safety Committee are actively seeking leadership and project support, respectively. If you are interested, or have any questions, please reach out to any SFBS Board member – or email [email protected].

You can also use the following link to find additional volunteer opportunities within CWEA: Volunteering | California Water Environment Association (cwea.org)

We hope to see you at some of our events this year – and that you’re able to get involved! Let us know if you have any questions, comments, recommendations, or concerns. The San Francisco Bay Section is yours, and the SFBS Board is here to support you!

As always, thank you for your membership and interest – and stay safe out there!

Congratulations to all our SFBS Award Winners, State Award Winners and Outstanding Volunteers!

By: Tyree Jackson (City of Oakland)
February 24, 2023

On Friday, February 3rd, the SFBS Local Section had an opportunity to celebrate our members and member achievements at the Annual Awards Banquet, held at the gorgeous Oakhurst Country Club nestled in the foothills of central Contra Costa. It was great to see so many long-time members, industry peers, and old friends – and meet a few folks new to CWEA, as well!

Congratulations to all our SFBS award winners, State award nominees, and outstanding volunteers! We also swore in a new Board of Directors, and are pleased to welcome and announce our newest members, Amanda Roa (Treasurer) and Billy Wong (Secretary). Together, we look forward to continuing SFBS programming that promotes professional development, technical certification through CWEA, and that showcases regional ingenuity and achievement in all aspects of water/wastewater utility. Most importantly, we’re excited to ensure that SFBS continues to provide its members with good value and opportunity, in every way that it can. Be on the look-out for information on SFBS activities and events – some of which are highlighted below. We hope to see you again soon!

Upcoming Events:

Coming Soon:

  • Mid-May/Early-June 2023: O&M Committee site tour of Oro Loma Sanitary District WTP for mid-May or early June

Awards:

SFBS 2022 Award Winners

2022 SFBS Local Section Award Winners

2022 Local Section Winners for SFBS:

Category Winner(s)
Community Engagement and Outreach: Project of the Year – Small Ironhouse Sanitary
Collection System of the Year – Small Oro Loma Sanitary District
WTP Operator of the Year Manuel Dos Santos (South San Francisco)
Wastewater Treatment Plant of the Year – Medium South San Francisco-San Bruno Water Quality Control Plant
Leadership: Supervisor of the Year Steven Aguiar
Leadership: Outstanding Young Professional of the Year Jamie Johnson

 

2022 SFBS Local Section nominees for State awards:

Category Nominee(s)
Community Engagement and Outreach: Film Festival Chris Goward
Collection Systems > Gimmicks and Gadgets Loren Reimer/Tifton Gantt/CCCSD
Community Engagement and Outreach: Photography Award Joe Zumbo
2023 SFBS Board Members

Left to right: Billy Wong, Nick Steiner, Amanda Roa, Tyree Jackson, Claire O’brien, Kaitie Gellerman

2023 Board of Directors:

President: Tyree Jackson (City of Oakland)
Vice President: Nick Steiner (Delta Diablo)
Program Chair: Claire O’Brien (Brown and Caldwell)
Secretary: Billy Wong (Stantec)
Treasurer: Amanda Roa (Delta Diablo)
Past President: Kaitie Gellerman (Black & Veatch)

Volunteering:

The San Francisco Bay Section is always looking for volunteers! The Technical Certification Program (TCP) Committee and Safety Committee are actively seeking leadership and project support, respectively. If you are interested, or have any questions, please reach out to any SFBS Board member – or email [email protected].

You can also use the following link to find additional volunteer opportunities within CWEA: Volunteering | California Water Environment Association (cwea.org)

We hope to see you at some of our events this year – and that you’re able to get involved! Let us know if you have any questions, comments, recommendations, or concerns. The San Francisco Bay Section is yours, and the SFBS Board is here to support you!

As always, thank you for your membership and interest – and stay safe out there!

Online Voting for 2023 CWEA SFBS Board of Director Open

By: Kaitie Gellerman, P.E.
December 16, 2022

Man (Billy) Wong, Stantec Consulting Inc

Greetings fellow San Francisco Bay Section members! Thank you for participating in our call for Board of Director nominees. We would like you to vote for the position. A picture and biography of our candidate is below. This year we had one submission for Secretary. On the voting form, there will be two options. One to vote for a listed candidate and another space for a write-in candidate (should you write in, please respond to the email you receive with your candidate of choice).

Candidate’s Statement:

It is my privilege to be seeking candidacy as a new member for CWEA San Francisco Bay Section (SFBS) Board of Directors starting in 2023. Since 2017, I have been actively participating as volunteer, moderator and presenter for various SFBS events and CWEA annual conferences. I have also recently served as the Vice Chair (2020 to 2021) and Chair (2021 to 2022) of the SFBS Professional Development Committee (PDC). I am licensed Civil Engineer in California with 21+ years of experience in environmental engineering in the areas of wastewater, reuse and water treatment. Throughout my career, my increasing responsibilities starting as staff and project engineers to design management, project/business development and staff resources integration and management afford me the opportunity to be uniquely qualified to support CWEA’s mission to “empowering, educating and connecting water professionals to protect public health and the environment” and to further the mission of the organization specifically in expanding its role to bridge the gap that exists between the water and wastewater professionals. I believe I share CWEA’s vision and have the skills to make a contribution as a member on the SFBS of directors and represent those interests at local and regional level.

Candidate’s Contact Information:

Man (Billy) Wong
Stantec Consulting Inc
Principal Engineer
[email protected]

Schedule for selecting new Board member:

Voting: December 16 through December 22, 2022

Voting Process:

  • All registered CWEA SFBS Member as of December 16, 2022 will receive an email through our newsletter software, Constant Contact.
  • The election is open until December 22, 2022.
  • Members will receive an email which contains a ballot for voting, it is tied to the address you have on file with us.
  • You must vote from the email you receive, we will only send it once.
  • Do not forward this email.
  • Each “select” link is specially coded to link directly back to your email address.
  • Results are tracked on a per-email address basis.

We thank you for taking part in our San Francisco Bay Section Board of Directors election. Results will be announced at our Annual Awards Banquet in 2023 (via email and posted on our website).

Nominations Open for New San Francisco Bay Section Board Member

By: Kaitie Gellerman, P.E.

Greetings fellow San Francisco Bay Section members! Following our tradition, we are seeking nominations for a new member to join the SFBS Board of Directors starting in 2023. We welcome nominations from any member who has the desire to uphold CWEA’s mission: empowering, educating and connecting water professionals to protect public health and the environment.

The successful candidate will collaborate with other Board members and committees and remain a member of the Board through a five-year rotation, starting as Secretary and advancing yearly to Program Director, Vice President, President, and Past President. Board membership affords excellent opportunities to champion CWEA’s mission while supporting professional growth and networking with other water professionals. Detailed descriptions of the position are in our SFBS Constitution and Bylaws: Documents | California Water Environment Association (cwea.org)

Schedule for selecting new Board member:

  • Nomination opening: November 16, 2022 Dinner Meeting
  • Deadline for nominations: December 14, 2022 – all nominees will be announced at the dinner meeting prior to voting opening
  • Voting via email survey starts: December 15, 2022 Dinner Meeting and closes on December 22, 2022

How to submit a nomination: email the following to [email protected] by the nomination deadline:

  • Candidate’s statement: Describe your interest in joining the SFBS Board, what you hope to accomplish as a Board member, your history of participation in CWEA and WEF, including involvement at the local, state, and national levels if applicable, professional experience, and any other pertinent items. The statement should not exceed 200 words.
  • Photograph of candidate
  • Candidate’s contact information: Name, employer, job title, phone number, and email address.
  • Attend the dinner meeting in-person on Thursday, December 15th so we can introduce each nominee prior to opening voting. RSVP here: Event Info (mycwea.org)

Date: October 20, 2022

By: Kaitie Gellerman, P.E.

Hello San Francisco Bay Section Members!

Over these past few months, the San Francisco Bay Section Board and its committees have had some exciting events. In June, the O&M committee had a plant tour of the South San Francisco – San Bruno Water Quality Control Plant. The Collections System Committee hosted its first back in-person TCP training event in August and had excellent attendance. We had a dinner meeting and the Members Appreciation Baseball Game in August. In September, we hosted the SFBS Golf Tournament.

SFBS Member Appreciation Baseball Game – August 2022


SFBS Golf Tournament at Franklin Canyon Golf Course – September 2022


SFBS Golf Tournament at Franklin Canyon Golf Course – September 2022

Now that we are in the full swing of fall and summer vacations are wrapping up, the SF Bay Section has a jam-packed schedule to provide you with educational and networking events and we hope to see you there!

Upcoming Events:

Awards:
The Awards for 2022 are now open: Awards | California Water Environment Association (cwea.org)
Applications are due on November 18th.

Volunteering:
The San Francisco Bay Section is always looking for volunteers. In November and December, we will be looking for candidates to join the SFBS Board as the secretary. Voting will take place in December. The position is a 5 year commitment. The first year you serve as secretary, then program chair, vice president, president, and past-president. If you are interested or have any questions, feel free to reach out to me or anyone on the SFBS Board.

If you are tight on time, there are still opportunities to help out. Reach out to any SFBS Board member if you are interested. There is also a section on the CWEA website that can link you to additional volunteer opportunities: Volunteering | California Water Environment Association (cwea.org)

I hope to see you at some of our events through the remainder of the year. If you have any questions, recommendations, comments or concerns, feel free to reach out to me or any SFBS Board member directly. The San Francisco Bay Section is your section, and we want your voice to be heard!

Award Nomination Applications open July 1st!

By: Kaitie Gellerman, President for 2022
July 1st, 2022

Hello San Francisco Bay Members!

I can’t believe we are already halfway through the year! In the past six months, members of our section have successfully attended conferences, dinner meetings, Professional Development Committee events, O&M Committee Events, Students and Young Professional events, Safety Committee meetings, and much more. I wanted to provide you with some updates for our section and for CWEA.

Upcoming SF Bay Section Events:
SYP Happy Hour – Thursday, July 14th
Collections TCP – August 10th
Member Appreciation Baseball Game and Tailgate – Friday, August 19th (flyer)
Northern Safety Day – September 14th

Note: All CWEA events can be found on the CWEA Website.

Awards Nominations:
Awards applications open on July 1st. The application process requires a bit of effort to nominate individuals, agencies and others, so please start the process early! You can read about the awards here: Awards | California Water Environment Association (cwea.org)

New SFBS Treasurer:
The SFBS Board would like to welcome Amanda Roa, the Environmental Programs Manager with Delta Diablo, as our newly appointed treasurer.

Volunteering:
The San Francisco Bay Section is always looking for volunteers. If you are tight on time, there are still opportunities to help out. Reach out to any SFBS Board member if you are interested. There is also a section on the CWEA website that can link you to additional volunteer opportunities: Volunteering | California Water Environment Association (cwea.org)

JEDI:
CWEA has implemented a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Task Force to encourage diversity in the water sector. An outcome of this task force is something called JEDI openers. JEDI Openers are stories shared by CWEA members that can help raise awareness of Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (JEDI) topics. Any CWEA member can submit stories and use others’ stories on the site to share at CWEA events. CWEA JEDI-Openers | California Water Environment Association (cwea.org)

If you have any questions, recommendations, comments or concerns, feel free to reach out to me or any SFBS Board members directly. The San Francisco Bay Section is your section, and we want your voice to be heard!

Kaitie Gellerman 

Announcing 2021 CWEA SFBS Award Winners!

By: Michael Walkowiak, President for 2021
February 15, 2022

Join me in congratulating the San Francisco Bay Section’s award winners for 2021! The diligence and pride demonstrated by the winners are keys to keeping our section strong. Thank you for your efforts and contributions toward achieving CWEA’s mission in the Bay Area.

Except for the winners of awards that are specific to the San Francisco Bay Section (Andy Stamatelos Special Service Award and Al Ditman Professional Development Award), the winners will go on to compete against winners from other sections at CWEA’s 2022 Annual Conference and Expo schedule for April 11-14 in Sacramento. I hope to see you there.

It is never too early to think about nominating your agency or colleagues for 2022 awards. The window for submitting nominations will open this summer. Watch for notifications soon.

— Mike Walkowiak, President for 2021

2021 Award Winners:

(Click hyperlink to jump to location of awardee with their photo on this page.)

Ironhouse Sanitary District, Strategic Plan 2021
Community Engagement and Outreach: Project of the Year – Large

 

Central Contra Costa Sanitary District, 75th Anniversary Experience
Community Engagement and Outreach: Project of the Year – Small

 

John Springer, City of Burlingame
Collection System Person of the Year

 

Rodeo Sanitary District, Headworks Fine Screening Facility Addition
Engineering Achievement

 

Janice Chapman, City of South San Francisco
Laboratory Person of the Year

 

South San Francisco – San Bruno Water Quality Control Plant
Plant of the Year – Medium

 

Ironhouse Sanitary District, Water Recycling Facility
Plant of the Year – Small

 

City of Brentwood
Tertiary Recycled Water Plant of the Year

 

Irene Lui-Wong, East Bay Municipal Utility District
Supervisor of the Year

 

Chathura Abeyrathna, Central Contra Costa Sanitary District
Outstanding Young Professional of the Year

 

Jamie Johnson, California State Water Resources Control Board
Andy Stamatelos Special Service Award

 

Kevin Jim, East Bay Municipal Utility District
Al Ditman Professional Development Award

Hello San Francisco Bay Section Members!

By: Kaitie Gellerman
January 25, 2022

On Friday, January 14, the new SFBS Board was sworn in, and I am officially your SFBS President for 2022. I am so excited to follow in our past presidents’ footsteps along with our new board members to bring you this year’s events. We are looking forward to the year ahead and are carefully planning out events to support you in your educational and networking needs while keeping health and safety top of mind. In February, we will continue to host our shelter-in-place lunchtime presentations with the hopes of returning to Thursday night dinner meetings in the near future. In addition, the Students and Young Professionals Committee will be hosting another virtual career fair. I invite each of you to get involved and engage with these events and our others over the course of the year.

Please do not hesitate to reach out to me with any suggestions or questions you might have.

Happy New Year!

— Kaitie Gellerman

2022 Board Members:

President: Kaitie Gellerman, Black & Veatch
Vice President: Tyree Jackson, City of Oakland
Program Chair: Nick Steiner, Delta Diablo Sanitary District
Secretary: Claire O’Brien, Brown and Caldwell
Treasurer: Laurie Brenner, Union Sanitary District
Past President: Mike Walkowiak, Brown and Caldwell

Top left clockwise: Mike Walkowiak (Past President, Brown and Caldwell), Kaitie Gellerman (President, Black & Veatch), Claire O’Brien (Secretary, Brown and Caldwell), Nick Steiner (Program Chair, Delta Diablo Sanitary District), Tyree Jackson (Vice President, City of Oakland), Laurie Brenner (Treasurer, Union Sanitary District), Inset: Arvind Akela (CWEA President, Silicon Valley Clean Water)

Online Voting for 2022 CWEA SFBS Board of Director Open

By: Michael Walkowiak
December 9, 2021

Greetings fellow San Francisco Bay Section members! Thank you for participating in our call for Board of Director nominees. We would like you to vote for the position. A picture and biography of our candidate is below. This year we had one submission for Secretary.

Candidate’s Statement:

The CWEA SFBS is a vibrant section, and I am fortunate to have served the Section for 4 years through committee participation and leadership. I am a civil engineer with 8 years of water/wastewater experience and a previous member of NYWEA and IWEA and am now seeking your vote as the next member of the SFBS Board in continuation of my service. I have been active in the Section through the Professional Development Committee where I served as chair and vice chair. That experience helped me continue my ongoing education in the water/wastewater industry, learn about innovative topics, stay up to date on Bay Area permit regulations and projects, and most importantly form meaningful professional connections in the Bay Area. This section is full of committed members organizing many exciting events each year. As the newest board member, I would request your ideas and input to ensure our Section is fulfilling the needs of its committees and members. I would be honored to serve on the CWEA SFBS Board to continue to grow connections in our industry and participation in our committees, dinner meetings, career fairs, seminars, and lunch time webinars.

Candidate’s Contact Information:

Claire O’Brien
Brown and Caldwell
Associate Environmental Engineer
[email protected]

Schedule for selecting new Board member:

  • Voting: December 9 through December 31, 2021

Voting Process:

  • All registered CWEA SFBS Member as of December 9, 2021 will receive an email through our newsletter software, Constant Contact.
  • The election is open until December 31, 2020.
  • Members will receive an email which contains a ballot for voting, it is tied to the address you have on file with us.
  • You must vote from the email you receive, we will only send it once.
  • Do not forward this email.
  • Each “select” link is specially coded to link directly back to your email address.
  • Results are tracked on a per-email address basis.

We thank you for taking part in our San Francisco Bay Section Board of Directors election. Results will be announced at our Annual Awards Banquet in 2022 (via email and posted on our website).

Nominations Open for New San Francisco Bay Section Board Member

By: Michael Walkowiak
November 15, 2021

Greetings fellow San Francisco Bay Section members! Following our tradition, we are seeking nominations for a new member to join the SFBS Board of Directors starting in 2022. We welcome nominations from any member who has the desire to uphold CWEA’s mission: empowering, educating and connecting water professionals to protect public health and the environment.

The successful candidate will collaborate with other Board members and committees and remain a member of the Board through a five-year rotation, starting as Secretary and advancing yearly to Program Director, Vice President, President, and Past President. Board membership affords excellent opportunities to champion CWEA’s mission while supporting professional growth and networking with other water professionals.

Schedule for selecting new Board member:

  • Deadline for nominations: December 8, 2021
  • Voting: December 9 through December 31, 2021

How to submit a nomination: email the following to [email protected] by the nomination deadline:

  • Candidate’s statement: Describe your interest in joining the SFBS Board, what you hope to accomplish as a Board member, your history of participation in CWEA and WEF, including involvement at the local, state, and national levels if applicable, professional experience, and any other pertinent items. The statement should not exceed 200 words.
  • Photograph of candidate
  • Candidate’s contact information: Name, employer, job title, phone number, and email address.

August President’s Update

By: Michael Walkowiak
August 1, 2021

Greetings fellow San Francisco Bay Section members! It’s again time to recognize the outstanding efforts your colleagues, coworkers, team members, and/or organization by submitting nominations for CWEA awards in the categories listed below. The awards nomination period is now open, and you can access it here: awards.cwea.org

Individual Awards

  • Collection Systems Person of the Year
  • Community Outreach Person of the Year
  • Electrical/Instrumentation Person of the Year
  • Laboratory Person of the Year
  • Mechanical Technician Person of the Year
  • Operator of the Year
  • Outstanding Young Professional of the Year
  • Pretreatment Pollution Prevention & Stormwater Person of the Year
  • Supervisor of the Year

Agency and Project Awards

  • Collection System of the Year (Small, Medium, Large)
  • Plant of the Year (Small, Medium, Large)
  • Tertiary Recycled Water Plant of the Year (New Category!)
  • Community Engagement & Outreach – Project of the Year (Small & Large)
  • Community Engagement & Outreach – Best Use of Social Media
  • Engineering Achievement of the Year
  • Research Achievement of the Year
  • Safety Plant of the Year (Small, Medium, Large)

New CWEA Award Category

By: Michael Walkowiak
July 30, 2021

CWEA’S Plant of the Year award recognizes accomplishments in compliance, innovative practices, cost effectiveness, and superior plant performance in small, medium and large categories.

New for 2021 the Leadership Committee is proud to introduce a new category “Tertiary Recycled Water Plant of the Year.” For purposes of the statewide Plant of the Year competition, applicants applying under the “Tertiary Recycled Water” category above will not compete in the small, medium or large categories.

For this year, the new award will use the same treatment plant of the year online application, simply select the fourth category “Tertiary Recycled Water (w/o solids handling).”

Will your recycled water plant win CWEA’s inaugural award?

President’s Message

By: Michael Walkowiak
May 18, 2021

Greetings fellow San Francisco Bay Section members!

I want to take a moment to acknowledge the tremendous contributions from volunteers (i.e., your colleagues) who make the San Francisco Bay Section so successful. Our section is one of the largest and most active in CWEA due largely to efforts from members just like you. Our volunteers continually plan and implement outstanding training, educational, and networking events that build the skills of our members now and enhance the sustainability of the clean water profession over the long term. Kudos!

The committees that make up our section are always looking for new volunteers to provide fresh perspectives and carry the baton through the coming era. Are you curious about joining and contributing to one of our committees? If so, please reach out to me, other board members, or the leaders of the committee that interests you by clicking these links:

Collection Systems Committee
Communications Committee
Laboratory Committee
Operations and Maintenance Committee
Professional Development Committee
Safety Committee
Student and Young Professionals Committee
Technical Certification Program Committee

Thanks for your support,

Mike Walkowiak
President, CWEA San Francisco Bay Section

2021 Presidents Letter

By: Michael Walkowiak
Februrary 16, 2021

Greetings fellow San Francisco Bay Section members! I’m excited to serve you as President of the SFBS for 2021. The Board of Directors and committees have already started planning a full year of educational, training, and networking events that we will roll out throughout the coming months. Our aim is to continue the proud legacy of CWEA while maintaining safety during the COVID pandemic. We will continue conducting near-term events virtually, but we hope to return to face-to-face group events later this year.

To kick things off, the Student and Young Professionals Committee will host a virtual career fair on Tuesday March 30th. This virtual format is something new we are trying to connect prospective employers and employees. Based on what I’ve seen so far, I’m optimistic that this will be a great event for all involved. We hope you can join us.

Please feel free to reach out to me, other board members, or committee chairs if you have any ideas for making this year even more successful.

Mike Walkowiak

From the President’s Desk

By: Dennis Lambert
January 11, 2021

As we turn the page on the most challenging year that was 2020 and my tenure as President comes to a close, I am very pleased to give you the good news that the people have spoken. By that I mean the people of the San Francisco Bay Section. We have elected our newest board members, Nick Steiner from Delta Diablo Sanitary District as our incoming secretary and Laurie Brenner of Union Sanitary District as our new Treasurer.


Laurie Brenner – Treasurer
Union Sanitary District


Nick Steiner – Secretary
Delta Diablo Sanitary District

Please join me in welcoming the future leaders of the SFBS!

Best wishes for a healthy New year, take care, stay safe, protect yourselves, your loved ones and our communities.

Dennis Lambert
SFBS – President