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we are looking at a you know 30 40% of
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uh the water workforce which is at or
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near retirement. Now they may stay
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longer because of the economy or
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whatever reasons uh might be driving
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them but it's but it's a real issue and
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I think as an industry our biggest issue
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is that people don't think about water.
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They don't have to think about water.
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They turn on the tap, they flush the
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toilet there, you know, there's stuff
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that happens but they don't have to
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think about it. So they don't even think
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about careers being in that space.
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Welcome to the Make Water Work podcast,
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where we dive into the people, ideas,
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and innovation shaping the future of
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water. I'm your host, Isaac Pellerin,
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and alongside my co-host, Megan Glover,
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the founder of 120 Water, we bring you
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insights from hundreds of incredible
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conversations we've had over the past 9
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years with inspiring and energizing
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leaders in the water industry. Each
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week, we share those stories and
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conversations with entrepreneurs,
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community champions, and innovators who
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are making water work for everyone.
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Whether you're a water professional, a
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curious innovator, or simply passionate
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about our most precious resource, this
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podcast is for you. Let's get started.
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All right. Welcome to the Make Water
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Work podcast. um where we love
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celebrating the um entrepreneurs and the
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innovators and the people who are
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creating the ecosystem that make water
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work. Um Megan, this is such a great
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episode that we have. We have Melissa
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Mer and I would love for you to um kind
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of tee this up. Tell us uh what was one
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of the first memories you have of
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Melissa. Yeah. So Melissa um is CEO of
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the Water Tower and um I I have this
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memory of meeting you in person and I
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think Melissa, you're you're kind of a
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celebrity in water and handing you the
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very first bow sticker I ever delivered
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in person. I think
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>> fact check me on that. that I remember
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and because I remember it was so
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important. I took a picture of you and I
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have that actually still today flagged
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in kind of my 120 water archive of of
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memories that um that I I want to
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>> reflect back on. So, welcome to the
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podcast.
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>> Thank you so much. I'm actually if I
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could show you the cover of my laptop,
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you'd see that sticker.
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>> Yes. Yes.
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>> But I can't because I'm looking at my
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>> Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. So, yes. OG Bow. And I
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and I remember that time because the
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water tower hadn't yet like it was still
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being developed.
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>> Oh yeah.
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>> And I was in awe. I was like, "Tell me
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all about this." And then I had the
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incredible opportunity about a year ago
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to actually spend some time at the water
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tower. And I'm telling you, I I can't
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wait to dive in and have you explain,
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Melissa, how special this place is uh
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for not only the water community, but um
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you know, your local community as well.
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Absolutely.
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>> So, welcome to the podcast.
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>> Yeah.
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>> Thank you.
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>> Um, so we like to kick off with a story
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that we ask all of our guests. Um,
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because everyone in water has a story.
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How did water find you?
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>> Oh, and it did. Um, I was uh this is I
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go way back in water. I know some people
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are like, "Oh, it just found me, you
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know, a couple years ago." No, I go back
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as old as I am. Um my I was raised by a
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single mom and um that was the only
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thing we could afford to do is to go to
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the beach and walk the beach. So we
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spent hours and hours and even even now
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today we'll go and if we can plan a
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vacation around the beach and walk the
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beach that's that's what we love to do.
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So water's always been a a place of
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peace and uh connection with mom and she
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lives with me now. So, um, we probably
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have a little more connection than we
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really want, but you know, it's all
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good. But yeah, water. And ever since
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then, I wanted to be a marine biologist.
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See my
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>> um,
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>> yeah, it's just always been part of what
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I wanted to do.
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>> Do you have a favorite beach? Favorite
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beach that you like to revisit?
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>> Well, I was born and raised in Tampa.
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Um, and then we lived, so I was on that
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coast of Florida for 20 some odd years
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and then moved to the east coast of
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Florida. And I'll tell you, West Coast
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beaches are so much better, but I won't
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name one.
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>> Yes. West Coast Florida.
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>> West Coast Florida. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yeah.
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So, um, for those that may not be
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familiar with the water tower, can you,
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um, explain what it is, um, uh, to maybe
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the newbies who aren't familiar with
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what what the water tower is?
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>> Sure. Absolutely. So, the water tower um
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is a physical space. It's a nonprofit,
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but we have a fantastic campus. Um, it's
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a water innovation center. So I think um
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it was started really to focus on
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innovative technologies and exposing the
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industry to those innovative
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technologies. We've as we've grown up I
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mean we're only the the nonprofit was
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established in 2019. The building didn't
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open until 2022.
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>> So not that old at all.
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>> Yeah. Um, and things have, you know,
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progressed as we've gone along and we've
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shifted course a little bit, but for the
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most part, um, I think we're we're
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meeting our our original vision and
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dream. Um, some pieces have just risen
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to the top.
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>> Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. And to double click on
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that, I think um, you know, we talk a
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lot about with regards to innovation and
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water, the pace and the pace being so
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slow. And one of the things I really
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admired about the water tower being
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there is I it is a place that can help
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innovation move faster. That that was
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one of my just the the type of programs
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and I know we're going to get into it
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and then the work that you're doing
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there I think really is going to have a
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tangible impact and being able to bring
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innovation and commercialization and
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research faster um in the market. Are
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you are you seeing that or and or how is
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that playing in kind of your vision,
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Melissa? Yeah, I mean again I think
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that's that was part of the original um
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desire was to help that happen. Um and
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we're doing that in some pretty unique
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ways. Of course we have a living
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laboratory where people can come and
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demonstrate their treatment technologies
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or their um uh technologies that are
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based off uh data and those kinds of
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things. We have an actual control room
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that shows um visualizations of of data
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in different ways. Um and uh we couple
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that with uh programming throughout the
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year that brings in utilities really
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from around the world um to to get
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firsthand view of that. They may come
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here for another reason, but they're
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immediately immersed in a campus that's
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just highlighting innovation across it.
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So, um I think I think that exposure um
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where somebody doesn't have to go to
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every utility because there's so many.
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Um if we can if we're pulling in, you
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know, 300 utility workers for an event
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and they're able to hit utilities from
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across the country really quickly,
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>> we've heard some really good um followup
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and feedback and actual, you know,
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projects being done based on people that
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met here on the campus.
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>> Yeah. Yeah. And on like real life data.
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So the control room you keep me honest
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but I mean it is a exact replica of the
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SCADA system for Gwynette County. Is
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that correct? So you're actually playing
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with
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>> so it's actually it's actually their
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system.
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>> It's actually their system.
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>> Yeah it is. We have a view only piece.
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Um and then when a technology comes to
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us and they say we really would like to
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do a process optimment uh process
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optimization on um this part of a
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treatment plant. We're able to go to our
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utility partners which again go across
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the country and ask them for data live
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data over a certain amount of time for
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that process unit. We take out where it
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is and you know take out all the
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location data but then we can share
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that. So they are um fine-tuning their
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technologies if you will on real data
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which is very important.
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>> Yeah. Yeah.
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>> AI could do a lot of things but
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>> it needs a real data data source to
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actually um you know learn from.
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>> Yeah. Yeah. Exactly. So many of the
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things that people create
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>> um are initial they have an initial
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hypothesis about how it's going to work
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but being able to actually test it and
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say hey here's some real world
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application um of it. Um so much of the
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barrier at least that we see with the
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adoption of technology
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um or innovation is just derisking that.
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>> Oh, absolutely. And so I think that's a
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lot of that's a lot of what you end up
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bringing is um helping those
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entrepreneurs and those innovators um
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find a path to derisking a a decision to
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invest in innovation.
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>> Yep. Absolutely.
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>> Yeah. No, it's it's pretty remarkable.
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It's pretty remarkable uh you know
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space. Have you been there? I would just
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>> I I have not had the privilege of of
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going there. I would love to make a case
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that that we hold some sort of a
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>> Yes.
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>> I'm saying now for when our when our CEO
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listens to this, but we should hold a
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company event
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>> at the water tower.
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>> Awesome. I think that would that would
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be a great way to connect um our team of
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80 plus folks here at 120 water. um not
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everyone gets exposure at conferences or
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in the in the field where not not
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everyone works directly
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um with water and so what better way to
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get exposure. So
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>> yeah. Oh I love this saying here now
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>> Casey if you're listening to this uh Q1
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offsite here we go
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>> when you listen to it
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>> when you listen to this you listen to
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this. So, uh,
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>> and you know, actually, if I could just
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comment on that, I mean, that is
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probably the the largest, uh, or the the
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type of event that we host the most is,
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>> you know, people flying their reps in
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that are are spread across the country
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and flying them to this one location.
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You can go and meet at a hotel, but it's
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not as cool as this place is.
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>> Yeah.
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>> No, it's Yeah. And and the grounds are
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just gorgeous as well. I mean,
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>> yes, absolutely. Uh, so can you I I
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didn't expect to like talk about this,
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but I think the interesting I think
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maybe folks might find the interest the
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partnership between the county and the
00:10:25.680 --> 00:10:27.670
water tower interesting. What is that?
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What is that like?
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>> A very tight relationship with the
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county. Um, the county actually hired
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me, brought me down here to do this and
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they had an idea and I, after being here
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for a little while and listening to what
00:10:41.519 --> 00:10:43.750
they wanted to accomplish, turned it
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back on them and said, "If you really
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want this to succeed, it needs to be a
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nonprofit." Um, and these are the
00:10:49.920 --> 00:10:51.910
resources that we kind of need to make
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that work so that eventually the
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nonprofit is self- sustaining. Um, but
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we are on county property. The county
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built the building. Um, if you look out
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the window, you'll see the F Wayne Hill
00:11:03.200 --> 00:11:04.790
Water Resources Center, which is an
00:11:04.800 --> 00:11:07.030
amazing treatment facility um that
00:11:07.040 --> 00:11:09.750
practices um portable reuse. Goes back
00:11:09.760 --> 00:11:11.430
to the lake. We pull out of the lake to
00:11:11.440 --> 00:11:12.949
drink and then goes back to the lake
00:11:12.959 --> 00:11:15.910
after it's very highly treated. Um, but
00:11:15.920 --> 00:11:17.670
our relationship with the county is is
00:11:17.680 --> 00:11:21.110
tight for sure. Um, so that's uh it's
00:11:21.120 --> 00:11:23.509
it's just a really cool part. They've
00:11:23.519 --> 00:11:27.430
given us the ability to market um about
00:11:27.440 --> 00:11:30.069
200 acres. Um and really what that gets
00:11:30.079 --> 00:11:32.069
down to when you take out preserve lands
00:11:32.079 --> 00:11:35.110
and creeks and things like that is 310
00:11:35.120 --> 00:11:37.829
to 12 acre parcels. We're we're trying
00:11:37.839 --> 00:11:40.150
to get a manufacturer all water related
00:11:40.160 --> 00:11:43.269
businesses to move onto our campus to be
00:11:43.279 --> 00:11:45.350
to be part of that campus. We're doing
00:11:45.360 --> 00:11:46.949
workforce stuff. We're doing some really
00:11:46.959 --> 00:11:48.470
cool things. So you have that workforce
00:11:48.480 --> 00:11:50.949
pipeline here. We already have on the
00:11:50.959 --> 00:11:53.030
second and third floor of this building
00:11:53.040 --> 00:11:55.750
private tenants. So, we've got uh I
00:11:55.760 --> 00:11:57.190
think it's seven engineering and
00:11:57.200 --> 00:11:58.870
consulting firms that are located right
00:11:58.880 --> 00:12:02.710
here. Um and they they hire our interns.
00:12:02.720 --> 00:12:04.550
It's a it's they hire people out of the
00:12:04.560 --> 00:12:06.550
lab. It's it's very very cool. It's a
00:12:06.560 --> 00:12:07.670
very cool environment.
00:12:07.680 --> 00:12:07.910
>> Yeah,
00:12:07.920 --> 00:12:11.110
>> I love that for so many reasons. Um, the
00:12:11.120 --> 00:12:15.590
one that sticks out to me is that um,
00:12:15.600 --> 00:12:18.949
water is so place-based and so when the
00:12:18.959 --> 00:12:21.190
local water utility can take advantage
00:12:21.200 --> 00:12:23.990
of telling their own story in that
00:12:24.000 --> 00:12:27.190
place, um, it's just that reminder. I
00:12:27.200 --> 00:12:28.550
feel like every technology that we
00:12:28.560 --> 00:12:31.670
create abstracts everything to like how
00:12:31.680 --> 00:12:34.069
is this relevant to everyone? But we
00:12:34.079 --> 00:12:36.150
need to we need to remember that water
00:12:36.160 --> 00:12:38.069
doesn't erase place. And when we think
00:12:38.079 --> 00:12:39.910
about the place that exists, it creates
00:12:39.920 --> 00:12:43.110
the economy that we um have and um what
00:12:43.120 --> 00:12:46.069
an incredible relationship to have with
00:12:46.079 --> 00:12:49.990
um that's a very uh forwardthinking and
00:12:50.000 --> 00:12:52.870
innovative structure for that um for
00:12:52.880 --> 00:12:54.310
that county.
00:12:54.320 --> 00:12:56.069
>> Absolutely. Absolutely.
00:12:56.079 --> 00:12:57.990
>> I always love it on this podcast and in
00:12:58.000 --> 00:12:59.670
general when we can connect water to
00:12:59.680 --> 00:13:01.829
being an economic development driver.
00:13:01.839 --> 00:13:02.150
Mhm.
00:13:02.160 --> 00:13:03.990
>> It just, you know, so I think this is
00:13:04.000 --> 00:13:06.949
such a good example of good, you know.
00:13:06.959 --> 00:13:07.829
So,
00:13:07.839 --> 00:13:11.590
>> absolutely at its core. I mean, I open
00:13:11.600 --> 00:13:13.350
every speech with that. There's not a
00:13:13.360 --> 00:13:16.150
thing, including us, in this room,
00:13:16.160 --> 00:13:17.829
>> you know, that that didn't need water to
00:13:17.839 --> 00:13:18.550
get here. So,
00:13:18.560 --> 00:13:21.509
>> yeah. So, so you touched on it a bit. I
00:13:21.519 --> 00:13:24.069
want to kind of double click on on some
00:13:24.079 --> 00:13:25.990
of your expertise around workforce
00:13:26.000 --> 00:13:30.389
development because it is such a um
00:13:30.399 --> 00:13:33.670
issue facing the water sector. We hear a
00:13:33.680 --> 00:13:36.710
lot about the the gray tsunami. So folks
00:13:36.720 --> 00:13:40.230
leaving the sector and not enough um
00:13:40.240 --> 00:13:42.150
folks in the pipeline to not only
00:13:42.160 --> 00:13:44.710
replace those jobs but also achieve get
00:13:44.720 --> 00:13:46.790
the skills that they need to replace
00:13:46.800 --> 00:13:49.829
those jobs. So you know Melissa in your
00:13:49.839 --> 00:13:52.870
words you know how um
00:13:52.880 --> 00:13:55.110
what is your outlook on workforce uh in
00:13:55.120 --> 00:13:58.710
this sector and why is it so important?
00:13:58.720 --> 00:14:00.870
Um you said expertise. I don't know if
00:14:00.880 --> 00:14:03.590
it's a expertise or just a passion. Um
00:14:03.600 --> 00:14:06.310
but certainly workforce um when I think
00:14:06.320 --> 00:14:08.150
back on my career is is really
00:14:08.160 --> 00:14:11.110
culminated here at the water tower. Um
00:14:11.120 --> 00:14:13.110
and it and it is a challenge, right? So
00:14:13.120 --> 00:14:16.389
if you look at um across the industry
00:14:16.399 --> 00:14:18.949
the the numbers that people use and then
00:14:18.959 --> 00:14:20.310
they go back to the Brookings Institute
00:14:20.320 --> 00:14:22.550
report which is kind of old if you think
00:14:22.560 --> 00:14:24.310
about age- wise what workforce is
00:14:24.320 --> 00:14:26.310
talking about but we are looking at a
00:14:26.320 --> 00:14:29.509
you know 30 40% of uh the water
00:14:29.519 --> 00:14:31.269
workforce which is at or near
00:14:31.279 --> 00:14:32.389
retirement.
00:14:32.399 --> 00:14:34.870
>> Um now they may stay longer because of
00:14:34.880 --> 00:14:37.430
the economy or whatever reasons uh might
00:14:37.440 --> 00:14:39.910
be driving them. Um, but it's but it's a
00:14:39.920 --> 00:14:42.310
real issue. And I think as an industry,
00:14:42.320 --> 00:14:44.150
our biggest issue is that people don't
00:14:44.160 --> 00:14:45.750
think about water. They don't have to
00:14:45.760 --> 00:14:47.269
think about water. They turn on the tap,
00:14:47.279 --> 00:14:48.790
they flush the toilet, there, you know,
00:14:48.800 --> 00:14:49.990
there's stuff that happens, but they
00:14:50.000 --> 00:14:51.590
don't have to think about it. Um, so
00:14:51.600 --> 00:14:52.949
they don't even think about careers
00:14:52.959 --> 00:14:55.509
being in that space. So we have an early
00:14:55.519 --> 00:14:58.230
education problem. Um, not necessarily
00:14:58.240 --> 00:15:00.949
where we focus. Um, the water tower that
00:15:00.959 --> 00:15:03.829
is. Um, and then you have this sort of
00:15:03.839 --> 00:15:06.389
okay, I don't want to go to college.
00:15:06.399 --> 00:15:08.230
What are my other options? So there's a
00:15:08.240 --> 00:15:10.470
there's an endpoint there that we can
00:15:10.480 --> 00:15:12.870
really target. Um or I want to go to
00:15:12.880 --> 00:15:15.030
college and you know what are my options
00:15:15.040 --> 00:15:16.949
in engineering? Well, this is a great
00:15:16.959 --> 00:15:19.350
option for that. Um and then there's
00:15:19.360 --> 00:15:22.230
people who are transitioning, right? Um
00:15:22.240 --> 00:15:24.629
after co we saw a number of women who
00:15:24.639 --> 00:15:26.550
stayed home and now they're looking at
00:15:26.560 --> 00:15:29.269
you know I was in retail or I was in um
00:15:29.279 --> 00:15:30.949
service industry. Is there something
00:15:30.959 --> 00:15:33.189
else I can do with my time that maybe
00:15:33.199 --> 00:15:37.269
maybe a better work life balance? Um so
00:15:37.279 --> 00:15:39.829
we've we've also looked at that group.
00:15:39.839 --> 00:15:43.829
Um so I think as we think about um the
00:15:43.839 --> 00:15:45.430
workforce and where we're drawing people
00:15:45.440 --> 00:15:47.670
from our traditional ways of thinking
00:15:47.680 --> 00:15:51.670
about um hiring posting something on
00:15:51.680 --> 00:15:55.189
some platform or on LinkedIn or
00:15:55.199 --> 00:15:57.749
something like that is getting us people
00:15:57.759 --> 00:16:00.710
but not as many as we could get.
00:16:00.720 --> 00:16:02.230
One of the things that we have really
00:16:02.240 --> 00:16:06.710
focused on is partnering with nonprofits
00:16:06.720 --> 00:16:09.189
in our region and now we've spread that
00:16:09.199 --> 00:16:13.030
under an EPA grant across several states
00:16:13.040 --> 00:16:16.470
um to be that grassroots group right to
00:16:16.480 --> 00:16:19.430
help us understand that there are there
00:16:19.440 --> 00:16:24.470
are um 18 to 22 year olds out there who
00:16:24.480 --> 00:16:26.710
are sort of lost in the system. So, they
00:16:26.720 --> 00:16:31.430
weren't they either fostered out or um
00:16:31.440 --> 00:16:34.230
you know they're for some reason um
00:16:34.240 --> 00:16:37.189
they're not on a traditional track. So,
00:16:37.199 --> 00:16:39.350
how do we get to them? Because they can
00:16:39.360 --> 00:16:42.629
be phenomenal contributors to society um
00:16:42.639 --> 00:16:43.990
and they've never really been given a
00:16:44.000 --> 00:16:46.710
chance. So, when you look at our cohorts
00:16:46.720 --> 00:16:49.110
and um the people that have graduated
00:16:49.120 --> 00:16:51.110
from our programs, they're not your
00:16:51.120 --> 00:16:53.350
traditional people, right?
00:16:53.360 --> 00:16:55.910
um their firsttime non-violent
00:16:55.920 --> 00:16:59.590
offenders, their their runaways, their
00:16:59.600 --> 00:17:01.430
again uh kids that fostered out and
00:17:01.440 --> 00:17:03.509
didn't know what the next step was. Um
00:17:03.519 --> 00:17:04.630
they're people that were homeschooled
00:17:04.640 --> 00:17:07.110
and weren't necessarily exposed to um
00:17:07.120 --> 00:17:08.789
different career opportunities. So
00:17:08.799 --> 00:17:12.230
that's really where we're targeting. Um
00:17:12.240 --> 00:17:14.870
it's it's it's amazing. It's amazing to
00:17:14.880 --> 00:17:17.029
have someone walk into a class or finish
00:17:17.039 --> 00:17:19.590
a class and look at you and say, "This
00:17:19.600 --> 00:17:21.829
changed my life. I never saw myself in a
00:17:21.839 --> 00:17:24.150
career. And to know now they're going to
00:17:24.160 --> 00:17:26.150
go and they're going to be incredible
00:17:26.160 --> 00:17:29.350
community servants, right? It's amazing.
00:17:29.360 --> 00:17:30.549
>> Yeah,
00:17:30.559 --> 00:17:33.270
>> that is so interesting and encouraging.
00:17:33.280 --> 00:17:36.870
I um served on uh our state, so state of
00:17:36.880 --> 00:17:39.270
Indiana's uh governor's workforce
00:17:39.280 --> 00:17:40.789
development council for about four
00:17:40.799 --> 00:17:42.950
years. And this whole knowledge of
00:17:42.960 --> 00:17:45.430
identifying the lost populations, right,
00:17:45.440 --> 00:17:47.990
the underserved populations and then um
00:17:48.000 --> 00:17:50.310
exposing them to free or affordable
00:17:50.320 --> 00:17:53.110
apprenticeships is a wonderful model of
00:17:53.120 --> 00:17:55.350
good. But o over my four years, I was
00:17:55.360 --> 00:17:57.510
like, why isn't water represented here?
00:17:57.520 --> 00:17:59.029
>> I, you know, I'm sitting there and I'm
00:17:59.039 --> 00:18:00.789
representing the technology association,
00:18:00.799 --> 00:18:02.789
not not necessarily water, but I I'm
00:18:02.799 --> 00:18:05.190
looking like there's manufacturing,
00:18:05.200 --> 00:18:08.630
there's healthcare and IT, uh there's,
00:18:08.640 --> 00:18:10.230
you know, pharmaceuticals. Where's
00:18:10.240 --> 00:18:12.390
water? Where's water at this table?
00:18:12.400 --> 00:18:13.990
Because I just it just seems like a
00:18:14.000 --> 00:18:16.390
no-brainer to me, right?
00:18:16.400 --> 00:18:19.029
>> Yeah. Yeah. And we are I mean, at the
00:18:19.039 --> 00:18:21.350
water tower, we're pursuing um both a
00:18:21.360 --> 00:18:22.870
pre-apprentice and apprenticeship
00:18:22.880 --> 00:18:25.350
program, but I push back on that, too.
00:18:25.360 --> 00:18:28.230
Um I love the apprentice model. Uh
00:18:28.240 --> 00:18:30.470
especially if you're looking at um you
00:18:30.480 --> 00:18:32.470
know, a career where there needs to be a
00:18:32.480 --> 00:18:35.110
journey, like a journeyman, electrician,
00:18:35.120 --> 00:18:37.830
plumber, those kinds of things. But in
00:18:37.840 --> 00:18:39.669
the state of Georgia, you can be
00:18:39.679 --> 00:18:41.510
operate. You can be an operator at a
00:18:41.520 --> 00:18:43.270
plant with three months of hands-on
00:18:43.280 --> 00:18:43.909
experience.
00:18:43.919 --> 00:18:45.110
>> That is wonderful.
00:18:45.120 --> 00:18:47.350
>> Pass the exam, take the class, pass
00:18:47.360 --> 00:18:49.190
three months. So, we've designed a
00:18:49.200 --> 00:18:51.750
program that's not 40hour death by
00:18:51.760 --> 00:18:52.870
PowerPoint
00:18:52.880 --> 00:18:55.270
>> because again, the target audience
00:18:55.280 --> 00:18:57.110
didn't like school, right? I don't want
00:18:57.120 --> 00:18:59.190
to go back to class and sit in class and
00:18:59.200 --> 00:19:01.190
try and learn. So, we stretch that over
00:19:01.200 --> 00:19:03.350
four months and get them out in the
00:19:03.360 --> 00:19:06.710
plant each week, each day working in the
00:19:06.720 --> 00:19:08.470
plant while they're learning the
00:19:08.480 --> 00:19:10.390
material in a classroom setting and
00:19:10.400 --> 00:19:11.510
online.
00:19:11.520 --> 00:19:14.549
>> Um, and prepare them to actually run the
00:19:14.559 --> 00:19:16.230
plant, not just pass the exam. So, it's
00:19:16.240 --> 00:19:18.310
a it's a really cool system.
00:19:18.320 --> 00:19:21.350
>> Such a cool And how much was um was that
00:19:21.360 --> 00:19:23.350
always the case with Georgia or did you
00:19:23.360 --> 00:19:25.669
have to change some of the policy
00:19:25.679 --> 00:19:27.190
around?
00:19:27.200 --> 00:19:28.630
No, that's that's always been the case
00:19:28.640 --> 00:19:30.630
with Georgia. And you look at other like
00:19:30.640 --> 00:19:32.630
Florida's one year, you know, each
00:19:32.640 --> 00:19:34.710
state's kind of different. Um, so we've
00:19:34.720 --> 00:19:36.950
been able to work through those systems
00:19:36.960 --> 00:19:40.870
with our utility partners. Um,
00:19:40.880 --> 00:19:42.310
you know, to to meet whatever their
00:19:42.320 --> 00:19:44.549
state requirements are, but I I think
00:19:44.559 --> 00:19:47.430
the the point is that it's not it's it
00:19:47.440 --> 00:19:48.470
we're trying to do it in a
00:19:48.480 --> 00:19:50.150
non-traditional way, targeting
00:19:50.160 --> 00:19:52.230
non-traditional people, teaching them in
00:19:52.240 --> 00:19:54.789
a non-traditional way, hands-on, really.
00:19:54.799 --> 00:19:57.430
Um, you know, I I'm sure Megan, when you
00:19:57.440 --> 00:19:59.270
were here, you saw the the lab out back,
00:19:59.280 --> 00:20:01.590
which is, you know, hands-on station, so
00:20:01.600 --> 00:20:03.110
they can take a pump apart, they can put
00:20:03.120 --> 00:20:04.549
it back together, they can, you know,
00:20:04.559 --> 00:20:07.029
see how these things work, um, and
00:20:07.039 --> 00:20:08.870
understand them. And then again, the
00:20:08.880 --> 00:20:11.190
live experience at the plant, which is,
00:20:11.200 --> 00:20:13.029
um, you know, can't beat it.
00:20:13.039 --> 00:20:15.430
>> And that addresses so much the the
00:20:15.440 --> 00:20:19.029
learning. We we need different models of
00:20:19.039 --> 00:20:21.029
teaching and learning that are both
00:20:21.039 --> 00:20:21.909
>> very much
00:20:21.919 --> 00:20:25.190
>> hands-on, experiential. Um and that's
00:20:25.200 --> 00:20:27.590
yeah that's incredible.
00:20:27.600 --> 00:20:30.390
>> Yeah. And on that teaching piece um a
00:20:30.400 --> 00:20:32.710
cool thing that's come out of our EPA
00:20:32.720 --> 00:20:35.350
workforce grant um is a train the
00:20:35.360 --> 00:20:38.149
trainer program. So building off our
00:20:38.159 --> 00:20:41.590
model which is more hands-on
00:20:41.600 --> 00:20:44.710
um and understanding that the audience
00:20:44.720 --> 00:20:46.630
from what we taught 20 years ago is
00:20:46.640 --> 00:20:49.430
different perhaps. Um what kinds of
00:20:49.440 --> 00:20:52.390
things how can we teach better? how can
00:20:52.400 --> 00:20:54.390
we listen better and how can we make
00:20:54.400 --> 00:20:56.789
sure that they're getting um the lessons
00:20:56.799 --> 00:20:59.029
that we need them to learn, right? Um so
00:20:59.039 --> 00:21:00.549
we're going through that process right
00:21:00.559 --> 00:21:03.190
now and we're working with the WPI which
00:21:03.200 --> 00:21:05.350
sets all the state exams for
00:21:05.360 --> 00:21:06.070
certifications.
00:21:06.080 --> 00:21:06.789
>> Okay. Yep.
00:21:06.799 --> 00:21:09.190
>> Um yeah, so it's a it'll be a very
00:21:09.200 --> 00:21:11.590
formal program um that we're really
00:21:11.600 --> 00:21:14.390
excited to to kick off and lead.
00:21:14.400 --> 00:21:16.230
>> Yeah, that is incredible. And and for
00:21:16.240 --> 00:21:20.390
those that may not be um uh familiar
00:21:20.400 --> 00:21:23.510
with the process to become an operator,
00:21:23.520 --> 00:21:25.909
that certification, I mean, can you talk
00:21:25.919 --> 00:21:27.830
a bit about, you know, some of the
00:21:27.840 --> 00:21:29.830
non-traditional things that you're doing
00:21:29.840 --> 00:21:32.070
compared to like how it is how it's been
00:21:32.080 --> 00:21:34.710
traditionally? just a
00:21:34.720 --> 00:21:36.470
>> Yeah. I mean, typically someone will
00:21:36.480 --> 00:21:38.310
will go and work for a utility and
00:21:38.320 --> 00:21:40.789
they'll come in at, you know, an entry-
00:21:40.799 --> 00:21:43.270
level position and then they'll have a
00:21:43.280 --> 00:21:45.909
certain amount of time to that the
00:21:45.919 --> 00:21:49.350
utility allows them to learn on the job,
00:21:49.360 --> 00:21:51.190
take a class, and get the certification
00:21:51.200 --> 00:21:53.270
exam. So, you're coming in at a lower
00:21:53.280 --> 00:21:54.630
level because you don't have that
00:21:54.640 --> 00:21:58.470
certification yet. Um, and um, again,
00:21:58.480 --> 00:22:01.190
you got to know about the job. So, by us
00:22:01.200 --> 00:22:03.110
pushing it out the way we do, they know
00:22:03.120 --> 00:22:04.630
about the job and they're coming here to
00:22:04.640 --> 00:22:07.909
get that training. Um, and then over
00:22:07.919 --> 00:22:09.909
time, as you get more work experience,
00:22:09.919 --> 00:22:11.270
you can go for the next certification
00:22:11.280 --> 00:22:13.029
level and on and on and on. So, there's
00:22:13.039 --> 00:22:15.029
like usually three to four certification
00:22:15.039 --> 00:22:16.310
levels depending on which state you're
00:22:16.320 --> 00:22:18.950
in. Um, so again, we're trying to get
00:22:18.960 --> 00:22:21.350
them all of that beforehand. So, we're
00:22:21.360 --> 00:22:23.430
targeting high school seniors so that
00:22:23.440 --> 00:22:25.510
when they graduate, they can sit for
00:22:25.520 --> 00:22:27.350
their certification exam. they will have
00:22:27.360 --> 00:22:29.029
had their hands-on experience over that
00:22:29.039 --> 00:22:31.669
eight months. Um because we get them,
00:22:31.679 --> 00:22:33.510
you know, half half a day every day
00:22:33.520 --> 00:22:34.870
during the week. So, we can get them
00:22:34.880 --> 00:22:37.830
that experience they need. Um and then
00:22:37.840 --> 00:22:41.350
say for the exam, they can go in at 18
00:22:41.360 --> 00:22:44.549
making, you know, $45 $50,000 a year
00:22:44.559 --> 00:22:48.710
more with overtime. Um which is amazing.
00:22:48.720 --> 00:22:50.470
Yeah. You think about it. Yeah. They
00:22:50.480 --> 00:22:51.830
don't have to go to college and have a
00:22:51.840 --> 00:22:53.750
debt following them around. They can
00:22:53.760 --> 00:22:55.350
actually do this. And the great thing,
00:22:55.360 --> 00:22:56.630
which I pitch all the time, someone
00:22:56.640 --> 00:22:57.590
says, "Oh, well, I'm going to go to
00:22:57.600 --> 00:22:59.190
college." I'm like, "But if you get in
00:22:59.200 --> 00:23:01.750
the utility, they'll pay for you to go
00:23:01.760 --> 00:23:02.950
and get your degree."
00:23:02.960 --> 00:23:03.750
>> Yes.
00:23:03.760 --> 00:23:05.350
>> So, you don't have to get that, you
00:23:05.360 --> 00:23:07.590
know, it's it's just a unique way to
00:23:07.600 --> 00:23:08.230
think about it.
00:23:08.240 --> 00:23:08.470
>> Yeah.
00:23:08.480 --> 00:23:11.029
>> Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I And just I mean,
00:23:11.039 --> 00:23:13.430
again, it's such a it's such a wonderful
00:23:13.440 --> 00:23:15.830
industry to be a part of and we have a
00:23:15.840 --> 00:23:17.350
marketing problem because people don't
00:23:17.360 --> 00:23:19.750
know how wonderful the industry we talk
00:23:19.760 --> 00:23:21.750
to Kelly Darian Smith about this all the
00:23:21.760 --> 00:23:23.669
time. It's just we we don't tell our
00:23:23.679 --> 00:23:26.630
story enough um to make people know that
00:23:26.640 --> 00:23:28.870
this is an industry, you know, just like
00:23:28.880 --> 00:23:30.789
any others, right? Worth joining and and
00:23:30.799 --> 00:23:32.070
you can actually build an incredible
00:23:32.080 --> 00:23:34.470
life working in water, you know.
00:23:34.480 --> 00:23:35.510
>> Absolutely.
00:23:35.520 --> 00:23:38.630
>> So, Melissa, are there any um specific
00:23:38.640 --> 00:23:40.870
stories like success stories that you'd
00:23:40.880 --> 00:23:42.870
like to share like highlight either
00:23:42.880 --> 00:23:44.470
individuals that have joined the program
00:23:44.480 --> 00:23:46.630
and how that's changed their life or a
00:23:46.640 --> 00:23:48.470
particular program that that's been
00:23:48.480 --> 00:23:51.909
really impactful for you? Uh we had a
00:23:51.919 --> 00:23:56.470
student who joined us over the summer um
00:23:56.480 --> 00:23:59.510
a trainee. He's not a student. Um and
00:23:59.520 --> 00:24:02.149
when he joined the program, you know, in
00:24:02.159 --> 00:24:03.350
order to sit for your certification
00:24:03.360 --> 00:24:04.630
exam, no matter where you are, you have
00:24:04.640 --> 00:24:06.549
to have your GED or high school degree.
00:24:06.559 --> 00:24:07.430
>> Okay.
00:24:07.440 --> 00:24:10.710
>> Um and um frankly, I thought I think he
00:24:10.720 --> 00:24:13.750
thought he had his high school diploma.
00:24:13.760 --> 00:24:16.470
Um but as we got halfway through the
00:24:16.480 --> 00:24:19.029
summer, we realized that he he didn't.
00:24:19.039 --> 00:24:21.990
He had a certificate of completion.
00:24:22.000 --> 00:24:27.669
Um, so I mean I I helped him get his
00:24:27.679 --> 00:24:29.990
Georgia GED and by the time he and he
00:24:30.000 --> 00:24:31.269
didn't have a driver's license, so by
00:24:31.279 --> 00:24:33.830
the time he left here, he had everything
00:24:33.840 --> 00:24:38.149
he needed, including the operator course
00:24:38.159 --> 00:24:40.149
to start and go where he needed to go.
00:24:40.159 --> 00:24:42.310
And he's he's just like I mean, this is
00:24:42.320 --> 00:24:44.070
a a kid that's,
00:24:44.080 --> 00:24:46.390
>> you know, he felt he was beaten down and
00:24:46.400 --> 00:24:48.310
didn't know what he was going to do. and
00:24:48.320 --> 00:24:51.190
he walked out with his head h high so
00:24:51.200 --> 00:24:53.909
just excited to get back and and get a
00:24:53.919 --> 00:24:57.350
job and get going. Um so yeah, there's
00:24:57.360 --> 00:24:59.110
lots of there's lots of those stories
00:24:59.120 --> 00:25:00.710
actually. It's uh but that one in
00:25:00.720 --> 00:25:02.630
particular I was just like wait what do
00:25:02.640 --> 00:25:04.630
you mean you don't have a diploma? Oh we
00:25:04.640 --> 00:25:06.230
got to get on this because this isn't
00:25:06.240 --> 00:25:06.870
good.
00:25:06.880 --> 00:25:07.669
>> Yeah.
00:25:07.679 --> 00:25:08.310
>> So
00:25:08.320 --> 00:25:09.669
>> yeah that gave me chills.
00:25:09.679 --> 00:25:12.230
>> Yeah. Yeah. And and I I do think that
00:25:12.240 --> 00:25:14.470
that's uh again as we go after these
00:25:14.480 --> 00:25:17.510
non-traditional
00:25:17.520 --> 00:25:19.750
groups,
00:25:19.760 --> 00:25:22.230
Courtney, who's our workforce director,
00:25:22.240 --> 00:25:24.630
um she spends a lot of her time, it's
00:25:24.640 --> 00:25:27.110
not babysitting, it's coaching, it's
00:25:27.120 --> 00:25:29.590
mentoring, it's helping, you know, hey,
00:25:29.600 --> 00:25:31.590
how was class today? Did you did you get
00:25:31.600 --> 00:25:33.350
everything? There's a there's this
00:25:33.360 --> 00:25:34.950
online course that can help reiterate
00:25:34.960 --> 00:25:37.190
that stuff. So, she's constantly working
00:25:37.200 --> 00:25:38.870
with that. She helps them do resumeumés.
00:25:38.880 --> 00:25:40.950
she, you know, helps them do all kinds
00:25:40.960 --> 00:25:42.789
of things. Are you dressed appropriately
00:25:42.799 --> 00:25:44.230
for work? No, you need to go home and
00:25:44.240 --> 00:25:46.549
change. You know, those kinds of things.
00:25:46.559 --> 00:25:49.669
>> So, uh, it's that it's that wraparound
00:25:49.679 --> 00:25:51.110
service that we're trying to provide,
00:25:51.120 --> 00:25:52.789
too, which is hard because we're water
00:25:52.799 --> 00:25:55.830
people. Um, but we also, you know, know
00:25:55.840 --> 00:25:57.430
what it takes to succeed and we want to
00:25:57.440 --> 00:25:59.430
see these see these trainees succeed.
00:25:59.440 --> 00:26:00.710
>> Yeah. Yeah.
00:26:00.720 --> 00:26:02.390
>> Yeah. You're water you're water people,
00:26:02.400 --> 00:26:03.750
but you're also professionals, right?
00:26:03.760 --> 00:26:06.630
and you know um you know the soft skills
00:26:06.640 --> 00:26:09.590
that it takes to you know advance in
00:26:09.600 --> 00:26:12.470
your career. So can we I want to talk a
00:26:12.480 --> 00:26:14.470
little bit about like later stage you
00:26:14.480 --> 00:26:17.029
know career in in water and you know
00:26:17.039 --> 00:26:20.950
what do you see as um you know we're in
00:26:20.960 --> 00:26:22.870
resolve together and so a lot of what we
00:26:22.880 --> 00:26:24.230
talk about I'm kind of going off script
00:26:24.240 --> 00:26:25.590
but I think it's you know important when
00:26:25.600 --> 00:26:29.190
we think about h how do we support
00:26:29.200 --> 00:26:32.230
>> women leaders in water or diversity in
00:26:32.240 --> 00:26:34.470
in water and helping kind of understand
00:26:34.480 --> 00:26:37.350
how um we put more diversity around the
00:26:37.360 --> 00:26:40.549
table in water in your experience?
00:26:40.559 --> 00:26:42.390
Yeah. Um, you know, it's it's
00:26:42.400 --> 00:26:46.390
interesting for me as I, um, as I think
00:26:46.400 --> 00:26:49.190
about this journey that I've had, and I
00:26:49.200 --> 00:26:51.669
am quite a bit older than you, Megan.
00:26:51.679 --> 00:26:54.549
Um, but you know, when I interacted with
00:26:54.559 --> 00:26:56.789
women early in my career, it wasn't
00:26:56.799 --> 00:26:59.750
about camaraderie or supporting each
00:26:59.760 --> 00:27:01.830
other. It was about how do I get this
00:27:01.840 --> 00:27:04.070
woman out of my way because they're only
00:27:04.080 --> 00:27:05.830
going to give one woman an opportunity
00:27:05.840 --> 00:27:07.029
and certainly not going to get two of
00:27:07.039 --> 00:27:09.110
us. and I need this person gone so that
00:27:09.120 --> 00:27:10.870
I get that opportunity. You know, it's a
00:27:10.880 --> 00:27:14.390
very different um
00:27:14.400 --> 00:27:16.950
uh just the way we interacted together.
00:27:16.960 --> 00:27:19.029
Now, as the industry has shifted and
00:27:19.039 --> 00:27:22.470
more women are in the industry, um I
00:27:22.480 --> 00:27:24.390
think we're beginning to realize that we
00:27:24.400 --> 00:27:27.830
really can support each other. Um, and I
00:27:27.840 --> 00:27:29.750
think it's important as women leaders
00:27:29.760 --> 00:27:32.549
that we look behind us and make sure
00:27:32.559 --> 00:27:35.350
that there are not more opportunities
00:27:35.360 --> 00:27:37.909
for women, but equal opportunities. And
00:27:37.919 --> 00:27:39.830
not just women. I think as an industry,
00:27:39.840 --> 00:27:41.110
we've seen
00:27:41.120 --> 00:27:44.950
>> a lack in um,
00:27:44.960 --> 00:27:49.029
uh, black women moving up um, uh, you
00:27:49.039 --> 00:27:51.510
know, other minorities that sort of get
00:27:51.520 --> 00:27:53.909
tapped out at a certain level or you
00:27:53.919 --> 00:27:56.230
don't you just don't see them as much.
00:27:56.240 --> 00:27:58.789
We've seen if you look at the well I'm
00:27:58.799 --> 00:28:00.149
going to get myself in trouble here but
00:28:00.159 --> 00:28:01.350
that's okay. If you look at the
00:28:01.360 --> 00:28:03.909
associations which were run by women
00:28:03.919 --> 00:28:07.590
they're now run by men. Um so we got to
00:28:07.600 --> 00:28:10.710
watch this right because as a as an
00:28:10.720 --> 00:28:12.310
industry we bring different things to
00:28:12.320 --> 00:28:15.029
the table and water has to meet
00:28:15.039 --> 00:28:17.750
everyone's needs not just a certain
00:28:17.760 --> 00:28:20.470
segment or a certain population. So, the
00:28:20.480 --> 00:28:22.070
more diverse people that are talking
00:28:22.080 --> 00:28:24.630
about policy issues and being involved
00:28:24.640 --> 00:28:26.710
in those conversations, the better off
00:28:26.720 --> 00:28:28.149
our communities are going to be.
00:28:28.159 --> 00:28:29.110
>> Yeah. Yeah.
00:28:29.120 --> 00:28:30.470
>> Yeah. Couldn't agree more.
00:28:30.480 --> 00:28:32.149
>> No, I love it. And you're just you're
00:28:32.159 --> 00:28:34.230
just such a I I you're not giving
00:28:34.240 --> 00:28:35.750
yourself enough credit. You are an
00:28:35.760 --> 00:28:38.149
expert at at this subject, at this
00:28:38.159 --> 00:28:40.149
workforce subject. You are the like
00:28:40.159 --> 00:28:42.149
probably the most knowledgeable person I
00:28:42.159 --> 00:28:43.590
I've had the pleasure of interacting
00:28:43.600 --> 00:28:46.149
with. outside of work, you know,
00:28:46.159 --> 00:28:48.389
workforce and and those issues, what do
00:28:48.399 --> 00:28:50.230
you think are the some of the other
00:28:50.240 --> 00:28:53.190
major issues facing the water sector um
00:28:53.200 --> 00:28:55.669
at this point in time?
00:28:55.679 --> 00:28:58.789
>> Well, I mean, we have the issue deour,
00:28:58.799 --> 00:28:59.909
right?
00:28:59.919 --> 00:29:02.070
>> Whatever that may be. Just wait tomorrow
00:29:02.080 --> 00:29:03.350
there'll be another one that we'll be
00:29:03.360 --> 00:29:05.669
trying to figure out. Um, no, I think
00:29:05.679 --> 00:29:08.549
it's uh water affordability, so rates.
00:29:08.559 --> 00:29:11.669
Um I think you've got POS obviously uh
00:29:11.679 --> 00:29:14.389
emerging contaminants um lead service
00:29:14.399 --> 00:29:16.549
lines which you guys know way too much
00:29:16.559 --> 00:29:18.230
about or not way too much but just
00:29:18.240 --> 00:29:20.470
enough um you know what how are we
00:29:20.480 --> 00:29:22.389
dealing with this? These are these are
00:29:22.399 --> 00:29:24.149
major issues that the indust aging
00:29:24.159 --> 00:29:26.549
infrastructure um that the industry is
00:29:26.559 --> 00:29:29.669
dealing with and again what can we do
00:29:29.679 --> 00:29:32.710
collectively to focus on these issues
00:29:32.720 --> 00:29:35.669
and and help solve them. Um, we spent a
00:29:35.679 --> 00:29:37.669
lot of time too with small and medium
00:29:37.679 --> 00:29:39.510
utilities trying to help them have the
00:29:39.520 --> 00:29:42.230
same access to the same cool resources
00:29:42.240 --> 00:29:44.310
that some of the larger ones do. So,
00:29:44.320 --> 00:29:47.190
telling those stories and sharing those
00:29:47.200 --> 00:29:50.230
lessons learned is important. Um,
00:29:50.240 --> 00:29:52.230
there's so many issues, Megan, we this
00:29:52.240 --> 00:29:53.269
is job security.
00:29:53.279 --> 00:29:53.750
>> I know.
00:29:53.760 --> 00:29:55.990
>> Yeah.
00:29:56.000 --> 00:29:57.990
>> Yeah. Exactly. Job security. Yeah,
00:29:58.000 --> 00:30:00.710
that's uh Yeah, but I don't know. I just
00:30:00.720 --> 00:30:03.269
uh I think it's really neat in terms of
00:30:03.279 --> 00:30:04.870
a lot of the programs that you're doing
00:30:04.880 --> 00:30:06.230
and all that you're doing to to
00:30:06.240 --> 00:30:07.830
reimagine how we need to be training
00:30:07.840 --> 00:30:10.310
this next generation and workforce. And
00:30:10.320 --> 00:30:12.470
um I hope uh remind me how many states
00:30:12.480 --> 00:30:13.750
you're you're doing this in at this
00:30:13.760 --> 00:30:17.430
point through this EPA grant.
00:30:17.440 --> 00:30:18.149
>> Five.
00:30:18.159 --> 00:30:19.990
>> How do we make it 50?
00:30:20.000 --> 00:30:21.350
>> How can we make it 50?
00:30:21.360 --> 00:30:21.909
>> Awesome.
00:30:21.919 --> 00:30:25.110
>> Yeah. Like what do you need?
00:30:25.120 --> 00:30:26.630
Uh
00:30:26.640 --> 00:30:30.470
kind.
00:30:30.480 --> 00:30:32.230
>> Oh, I think it's I think every time we
00:30:32.240 --> 00:30:33.669
talk to somebody and they're like, "Oh,
00:30:33.679 --> 00:30:35.269
wow. You're doing that?" I You know, the
00:30:35.279 --> 00:30:37.269
utilities often don't have Look, I am a
00:30:37.279 --> 00:30:38.789
nonprofit and I have to keep the doors
00:30:38.799 --> 00:30:40.549
open. So, there's that.
00:30:40.559 --> 00:30:41.510
>> Yes. Yeah. True.
00:30:41.520 --> 00:30:43.110
>> So, there has to be some resources there
00:30:43.120 --> 00:30:45.029
somewhere. Um but it's really not that
00:30:45.039 --> 00:30:46.630
much in terms of resources.
00:30:46.640 --> 00:30:49.750
>> Yeah. Uh we got um just a if I have two
00:30:49.760 --> 00:30:51.990
seconds uh interesting aside, we did a
00:30:52.000 --> 00:30:56.149
EPA webinar on our programming and the
00:30:56.159 --> 00:30:58.630
certification office at the state of
00:30:58.640 --> 00:31:00.389
Louisiana reached out and said, "Hey,
00:31:00.399 --> 00:31:01.669
you guys are doing some cool stuff. Can
00:31:01.679 --> 00:31:03.190
you send us your curriculum so we can
00:31:03.200 --> 00:31:05.990
take a look?" They took a look. Um they
00:31:06.000 --> 00:31:09.590
said, "Do you mind if we just have some
00:31:09.600 --> 00:31:11.350
people call into your class so that they
00:31:11.360 --> 00:31:13.830
can use it as exam prep?" So we're not
00:31:13.840 --> 00:31:15.669
teaching them per se. They're using it
00:31:15.679 --> 00:31:17.830
to prepare for their exam, which is
00:31:17.840 --> 00:31:19.669
super cool process. So now we have 15 of
00:31:19.679 --> 00:31:21.909
them on our, you know, two day a week
00:31:21.919 --> 00:31:22.789
classes.
00:31:22.799 --> 00:31:25.029
>> It's like it filled up in in less than
00:31:25.039 --> 00:31:26.870
24 hours. There is a need.
00:31:26.880 --> 00:31:28.630
>> There's a absolute need.
00:31:28.640 --> 00:31:29.029
>> Yeah.
00:31:30.720 --> 00:31:32.470
>> Well, let us know how we can help
00:31:32.480 --> 00:31:34.149
because um big fan of the work that
00:31:34.159 --> 00:31:35.990
you're doing for sure, Melissa.
00:31:36.000 --> 00:31:37.110
>> Thank you so much.
00:31:37.120 --> 00:31:39.509
>> Yeah. Yeah. Seriously, thank you for the
00:31:39.519 --> 00:31:41.430
way that you're making not just water
00:31:41.440 --> 00:31:44.230
work, but making it work for um for
00:31:44.240 --> 00:31:46.230
everyone you come in contact with for
00:31:46.240 --> 00:31:48.149
building up the new workforce. It's
00:31:48.159 --> 00:31:49.350
incredible.
00:31:49.360 --> 00:31:51.430
>> Yeah. Yeah. I think this podcast it got
00:31:51.440 --> 00:31:53.190
real like you know the title of it is
00:31:53.200 --> 00:31:55.669
make water work and I I think you've
00:31:55.679 --> 00:31:58.310
given us just some incredible examples
00:31:58.320 --> 00:32:01.750
and and models that uh just you're
00:32:01.760 --> 00:32:03.269
you're making it work, girl.
00:32:03.279 --> 00:32:03.750
>> Yeah.
00:32:03.760 --> 00:32:05.029
>> Thank you so much. Well, you guys are
00:32:05.039 --> 00:32:06.470
doing an amazing job at amplifying
00:32:06.480 --> 00:32:07.990
messaging that needs to get out there,
00:32:08.000 --> 00:32:09.590
so we appreciate that, too.
00:32:09.600 --> 00:32:11.110
>> Um, any anyone else you think we should
00:32:11.120 --> 00:32:12.630
have on the podcast?
00:32:12.640 --> 00:32:15.190
>> Oh, have you talked to Kathy Bailey or
00:32:15.200 --> 00:32:16.149
Nicole Brown?
00:32:16.159 --> 00:32:17.750
>> Kathy, if you're listening, which you're
00:32:17.760 --> 00:32:19.269
probably not, we'd love to have you on
00:32:19.279 --> 00:32:22.310
the podcast.
00:32:22.320 --> 00:32:23.190
>> Awesome.
00:32:23.200 --> 00:32:24.470
>> So, thanks Melissa.
00:32:24.480 --> 00:32:24.950
>> Thank you.
00:32:24.960 --> 00:32:26.470
>> Thank you. Have a great day.
00:32:26.480 --> 00:32:26.789
>> You, too.
00:32:30.000 --> 00:32:32.070
Well, Isaac, I can't think of an episode
00:32:32.080 --> 00:32:34.630
that we've had to date that just is so
00:32:34.640 --> 00:32:37.029
um rooted in making water work. She's
00:32:37.039 --> 00:32:40.710
literally making water work. And I, you
00:32:40.720 --> 00:32:43.110
know, I know Melissa um was aware of
00:32:43.120 --> 00:32:44.710
some of the stuff she was doing in
00:32:44.720 --> 00:32:46.389
workforce development, but to hear how
00:32:46.399 --> 00:32:49.110
they are approaching it in such a novel,
00:32:49.120 --> 00:32:51.669
innovative way is just so refreshing.
00:32:51.679 --> 00:32:53.750
And I'm I'm I'm genuinely serious. How
00:32:53.760 --> 00:32:55.990
do we turn that from five states to 50?
00:32:56.000 --> 00:32:57.509
because I think it's such an important
00:32:57.519 --> 00:32:59.509
programming uh it's such an important
00:32:59.519 --> 00:33:01.509
program that's delivering the results
00:33:01.519 --> 00:33:02.149
that we need.
00:33:02.159 --> 00:33:04.389
>> Yeah. How do we replicate that model?
00:33:04.399 --> 00:33:06.070
Because we talk a lot about the
00:33:06.080 --> 00:33:08.230
importance of accelerators in the
00:33:08.240 --> 00:33:09.830
industry helping entrepreneurs scale
00:33:09.840 --> 00:33:12.070
their businesses, but she's creating an
00:33:12.080 --> 00:33:14.310
accelerator for workforce development.
00:33:14.320 --> 00:33:15.830
And so, how do we
00:33:15.840 --> 00:33:19.430
>> um how do we get programs that actually
00:33:19.440 --> 00:33:22.950
connect the next generation in ways that
00:33:22.960 --> 00:33:24.870
keep them engaged and have opportunity
00:33:24.880 --> 00:33:28.149
for them? Um and just um
00:33:28.159 --> 00:33:30.789
>> um yeah, so so incredibly excited that
00:33:30.799 --> 00:33:33.430
she was able to make it um and be our
00:33:33.440 --> 00:33:33.909
guest.
00:33:33.919 --> 00:33:35.509
>> Yeah.
00:33:35.519 --> 00:33:37.990
>> And thank you so much to all of you for
00:33:38.000 --> 00:33:40.230
listening to the Make Waterwork podcast.
00:33:40.240 --> 00:33:42.870
Um we have so much fun uh doing this and
00:33:42.880 --> 00:33:45.830
we um love that you tune in and so
00:33:45.840 --> 00:33:49.110
please like, share, follow and let us
00:33:49.120 --> 00:33:50.549
know who else you would like to hear
00:33:50.559 --> 00:33:53.269
from who makes waterwork.
00:33:53.279 --> 00:33:55.190
Thanks for listening to the Make Water
00:33:55.200 --> 00:33:57.590
Work podcast. If you enjoyed today's
00:33:57.600 --> 00:34:00.070
episode, please take a moment to like,
00:34:00.080 --> 00:34:02.470
share, and subscribe so you never miss a
00:34:02.480 --> 00:34:04.789
conversation. We'd love to hear your
00:34:04.799 --> 00:34:06.950
thoughts and questions. Connect with us
00:34:06.960 --> 00:34:09.109
on LinkedIn or send us a message.
00:34:09.119 --> 00:34:11.190
Together, we can make water work for
00:34:11.200 --> 00:34:14.200
everyone.
Kind: captions
Language: en
00:00:00.080 --> 00:00:03.750
we are looking at a you know 30 40% of
00:00:03.760 --> 00:00:05.749
uh the water workforce which is at or
00:00:05.759 --> 00:00:07.749
near retirement. Now they may stay
00:00:07.759 --> 00:00:09.910
longer because of the economy or
00:00:09.920 --> 00:00:11.749
whatever reasons uh might be driving
00:00:11.759 --> 00:00:13.830
them but it's but it's a real issue and
00:00:13.840 --> 00:00:16.150
I think as an industry our biggest issue
00:00:16.160 --> 00:00:18.230
is that people don't think about water.
00:00:18.240 --> 00:00:19.510
They don't have to think about water.
00:00:19.520 --> 00:00:20.870
They turn on the tap, they flush the
00:00:20.880 --> 00:00:22.310
toilet there, you know, there's stuff
00:00:22.320 --> 00:00:23.429
that happens but they don't have to
00:00:23.439 --> 00:00:25.429
think about it. So they don't even think
00:00:25.439 --> 00:00:27.349
about careers being in that space.
00:00:27.359 --> 00:00:29.910
Welcome to the Make Water Work podcast,
00:00:29.920 --> 00:00:32.229
where we dive into the people, ideas,
00:00:32.239 --> 00:00:34.709
and innovation shaping the future of
00:00:34.719 --> 00:00:37.350
water. I'm your host, Isaac Pellerin,
00:00:37.360 --> 00:00:39.910
and alongside my co-host, Megan Glover,
00:00:39.920 --> 00:00:42.709
the founder of 120 Water, we bring you
00:00:42.719 --> 00:00:44.950
insights from hundreds of incredible
00:00:44.960 --> 00:00:47.350
conversations we've had over the past 9
00:00:47.360 --> 00:00:49.990
years with inspiring and energizing
00:00:50.000 --> 00:00:52.790
leaders in the water industry. Each
00:00:52.800 --> 00:00:54.790
week, we share those stories and
00:00:54.800 --> 00:00:56.790
conversations with entrepreneurs,
00:00:56.800 --> 00:00:58.950
community champions, and innovators who
00:00:58.960 --> 00:01:01.990
are making water work for everyone.
00:01:02.000 --> 00:01:03.830
Whether you're a water professional, a
00:01:03.840 --> 00:01:05.990
curious innovator, or simply passionate
00:01:06.000 --> 00:01:08.390
about our most precious resource, this
00:01:08.400 --> 00:01:11.990
podcast is for you. Let's get started.
00:01:12.000 --> 00:01:14.390
All right. Welcome to the Make Water
00:01:14.400 --> 00:01:17.030
Work podcast. um where we love
00:01:17.040 --> 00:01:20.230
celebrating the um entrepreneurs and the
00:01:20.240 --> 00:01:22.469
innovators and the people who are
00:01:22.479 --> 00:01:24.550
creating the ecosystem that make water
00:01:24.560 --> 00:01:27.109
work. Um Megan, this is such a great
00:01:27.119 --> 00:01:29.350
episode that we have. We have Melissa
00:01:29.360 --> 00:01:33.109
Mer and I would love for you to um kind
00:01:33.119 --> 00:01:35.670
of tee this up. Tell us uh what was one
00:01:35.680 --> 00:01:37.030
of the first memories you have of
00:01:37.040 --> 00:01:41.030
Melissa. Yeah. So Melissa um is CEO of
00:01:41.040 --> 00:01:45.670
the Water Tower and um I I have this
00:01:45.680 --> 00:01:47.429
memory of meeting you in person and I
00:01:47.439 --> 00:01:49.190
think Melissa, you're you're kind of a
00:01:49.200 --> 00:01:52.389
celebrity in water and handing you the
00:01:52.399 --> 00:01:55.590
very first bow sticker I ever delivered
00:01:55.600 --> 00:01:57.670
in person. I think
00:01:57.680 --> 00:01:59.109
>> fact check me on that. that I remember
00:01:59.119 --> 00:02:00.230
and because I remember it was so
00:02:00.240 --> 00:02:02.230
important. I took a picture of you and I
00:02:02.240 --> 00:02:04.149
have that actually still today flagged
00:02:04.159 --> 00:02:06.950
in kind of my 120 water archive of of
00:02:06.960 --> 00:02:10.309
memories that um that I I want to
00:02:10.319 --> 00:02:12.550
>> reflect back on. So, welcome to the
00:02:12.560 --> 00:02:13.910
podcast.
00:02:13.920 --> 00:02:15.910
>> Thank you so much. I'm actually if I
00:02:15.920 --> 00:02:18.710
could show you the cover of my laptop,
00:02:18.720 --> 00:02:19.750
you'd see that sticker.
00:02:19.760 --> 00:02:20.869
>> Yes. Yes.
00:02:20.879 --> 00:02:22.470
>> But I can't because I'm looking at my
00:02:22.480 --> 00:02:25.830
>> Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. So, yes. OG Bow. And I
00:02:25.840 --> 00:02:27.830
and I remember that time because the
00:02:27.840 --> 00:02:31.030
water tower hadn't yet like it was still
00:02:31.040 --> 00:02:32.150
being developed.
00:02:32.160 --> 00:02:32.869
>> Oh yeah.
00:02:32.879 --> 00:02:35.350
>> And I was in awe. I was like, "Tell me
00:02:35.360 --> 00:02:37.910
all about this." And then I had the
00:02:37.920 --> 00:02:40.710
incredible opportunity about a year ago
00:02:40.720 --> 00:02:42.470
to actually spend some time at the water
00:02:42.480 --> 00:02:44.790
tower. And I'm telling you, I I can't
00:02:44.800 --> 00:02:47.030
wait to dive in and have you explain,
00:02:47.040 --> 00:02:49.990
Melissa, how special this place is uh
00:02:50.000 --> 00:02:52.229
for not only the water community, but um
00:02:52.239 --> 00:02:54.470
you know, your local community as well.
00:02:54.480 --> 00:02:55.270
Absolutely.
00:02:55.280 --> 00:02:56.949
>> So, welcome to the podcast.
00:02:56.959 --> 00:02:57.350
>> Yeah.
00:02:57.360 --> 00:02:58.070
>> Thank you.
00:02:58.080 --> 00:03:00.390
>> Um, so we like to kick off with a story
00:03:00.400 --> 00:03:02.630
that we ask all of our guests. Um,
00:03:02.640 --> 00:03:04.710
because everyone in water has a story.
00:03:04.720 --> 00:03:07.589
How did water find you?
00:03:07.599 --> 00:03:11.190
>> Oh, and it did. Um, I was uh this is I
00:03:11.200 --> 00:03:13.270
go way back in water. I know some people
00:03:13.280 --> 00:03:14.550
are like, "Oh, it just found me, you
00:03:14.560 --> 00:03:16.550
know, a couple years ago." No, I go back
00:03:16.560 --> 00:03:20.070
as old as I am. Um my I was raised by a
00:03:20.080 --> 00:03:23.190
single mom and um that was the only
00:03:23.200 --> 00:03:24.630
thing we could afford to do is to go to
00:03:24.640 --> 00:03:26.790
the beach and walk the beach. So we
00:03:26.800 --> 00:03:30.229
spent hours and hours and even even now
00:03:30.239 --> 00:03:32.789
today we'll go and if we can plan a
00:03:32.799 --> 00:03:34.710
vacation around the beach and walk the
00:03:34.720 --> 00:03:36.229
beach that's that's what we love to do.
00:03:36.239 --> 00:03:38.789
So water's always been a a place of
00:03:38.799 --> 00:03:42.630
peace and uh connection with mom and she
00:03:42.640 --> 00:03:44.710
lives with me now. So, um, we probably
00:03:44.720 --> 00:03:45.910
have a little more connection than we
00:03:45.920 --> 00:03:47.589
really want, but you know, it's all
00:03:47.599 --> 00:03:50.309
good. But yeah, water. And ever since
00:03:50.319 --> 00:03:52.789
then, I wanted to be a marine biologist.
00:03:52.799 --> 00:03:55.110
See my
00:03:55.120 --> 00:03:56.070
>> um,
00:03:56.080 --> 00:03:57.830
>> yeah, it's just always been part of what
00:03:57.840 --> 00:03:59.350
I wanted to do.
00:03:59.360 --> 00:04:01.429
>> Do you have a favorite beach? Favorite
00:04:01.439 --> 00:04:05.030
beach that you like to revisit?
00:04:05.040 --> 00:04:07.030
>> Well, I was born and raised in Tampa.
00:04:07.040 --> 00:04:09.830
Um, and then we lived, so I was on that
00:04:09.840 --> 00:04:12.789
coast of Florida for 20 some odd years
00:04:12.799 --> 00:04:14.550
and then moved to the east coast of
00:04:14.560 --> 00:04:15.990
Florida. And I'll tell you, West Coast
00:04:16.000 --> 00:04:17.909
beaches are so much better, but I won't
00:04:17.919 --> 00:04:22.310
name one.
00:04:22.320 --> 00:04:24.390
>> Yes. West Coast Florida.
00:04:24.400 --> 00:04:27.430
>> West Coast Florida. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yeah.
00:04:27.440 --> 00:04:29.590
So, um, for those that may not be
00:04:29.600 --> 00:04:33.189
familiar with the water tower, can you,
00:04:33.199 --> 00:04:37.110
um, explain what it is, um, uh, to maybe
00:04:37.120 --> 00:04:38.550
the newbies who aren't familiar with
00:04:38.560 --> 00:04:40.550
what what the water tower is?
00:04:40.560 --> 00:04:43.430
>> Sure. Absolutely. So, the water tower um
00:04:43.440 --> 00:04:46.390
is a physical space. It's a nonprofit,
00:04:46.400 --> 00:04:48.950
but we have a fantastic campus. Um, it's
00:04:48.960 --> 00:04:52.790
a water innovation center. So I think um
00:04:52.800 --> 00:04:55.110
it was started really to focus on
00:04:55.120 --> 00:04:58.390
innovative technologies and exposing the
00:04:58.400 --> 00:04:59.749
industry to those innovative
00:04:59.759 --> 00:05:02.950
technologies. We've as we've grown up I
00:05:02.960 --> 00:05:05.189
mean we're only the the nonprofit was
00:05:05.199 --> 00:05:07.110
established in 2019. The building didn't
00:05:07.120 --> 00:05:09.749
open until 2022.
00:05:09.759 --> 00:05:11.350
>> So not that old at all.
00:05:11.360 --> 00:05:13.990
>> Yeah. Um, and things have, you know,
00:05:14.000 --> 00:05:15.990
progressed as we've gone along and we've
00:05:16.000 --> 00:05:17.909
shifted course a little bit, but for the
00:05:17.919 --> 00:05:19.909
most part, um, I think we're we're
00:05:19.919 --> 00:05:23.350
meeting our our original vision and
00:05:23.360 --> 00:05:25.990
dream. Um, some pieces have just risen
00:05:26.000 --> 00:05:26.629
to the top.
00:05:26.639 --> 00:05:29.510
>> Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. And to double click on
00:05:29.520 --> 00:05:31.990
that, I think um, you know, we talk a
00:05:32.000 --> 00:05:34.310
lot about with regards to innovation and
00:05:34.320 --> 00:05:36.870
water, the pace and the pace being so
00:05:36.880 --> 00:05:39.350
slow. And one of the things I really
00:05:39.360 --> 00:05:41.189
admired about the water tower being
00:05:41.199 --> 00:05:45.430
there is I it is a place that can help
00:05:45.440 --> 00:05:48.310
innovation move faster. That that was
00:05:48.320 --> 00:05:50.550
one of my just the the type of programs
00:05:50.560 --> 00:05:51.590
and I know we're going to get into it
00:05:51.600 --> 00:05:52.950
and then the work that you're doing
00:05:52.960 --> 00:05:55.029
there I think really is going to have a
00:05:55.039 --> 00:05:57.510
tangible impact and being able to bring
00:05:57.520 --> 00:05:59.510
innovation and commercialization and
00:05:59.520 --> 00:06:01.909
research faster um in the market. Are
00:06:01.919 --> 00:06:03.909
you are you seeing that or and or how is
00:06:03.919 --> 00:06:05.670
that playing in kind of your vision,
00:06:05.680 --> 00:06:08.309
Melissa? Yeah, I mean again I think
00:06:08.319 --> 00:06:11.670
that's that was part of the original um
00:06:11.680 --> 00:06:14.710
desire was to help that happen. Um and
00:06:14.720 --> 00:06:16.150
we're doing that in some pretty unique
00:06:16.160 --> 00:06:17.350
ways. Of course we have a living
00:06:17.360 --> 00:06:18.790
laboratory where people can come and
00:06:18.800 --> 00:06:20.550
demonstrate their treatment technologies
00:06:20.560 --> 00:06:23.749
or their um uh technologies that are
00:06:23.759 --> 00:06:25.990
based off uh data and those kinds of
00:06:26.000 --> 00:06:27.590
things. We have an actual control room
00:06:27.600 --> 00:06:30.870
that shows um visualizations of of data
00:06:30.880 --> 00:06:34.950
in different ways. Um and uh we couple
00:06:34.960 --> 00:06:37.350
that with uh programming throughout the
00:06:37.360 --> 00:06:39.270
year that brings in utilities really
00:06:39.280 --> 00:06:43.189
from around the world um to to get
00:06:43.199 --> 00:06:45.029
firsthand view of that. They may come
00:06:45.039 --> 00:06:46.870
here for another reason, but they're
00:06:46.880 --> 00:06:49.189
immediately immersed in a campus that's
00:06:49.199 --> 00:06:51.990
just highlighting innovation across it.
00:06:52.000 --> 00:06:56.790
So, um I think I think that exposure um
00:06:56.800 --> 00:06:58.150
where somebody doesn't have to go to
00:06:58.160 --> 00:07:00.390
every utility because there's so many.
00:07:00.400 --> 00:07:02.870
Um if we can if we're pulling in, you
00:07:02.880 --> 00:07:05.189
know, 300 utility workers for an event
00:07:05.199 --> 00:07:07.029
and they're able to hit utilities from
00:07:07.039 --> 00:07:08.870
across the country really quickly,
00:07:08.880 --> 00:07:11.189
>> we've heard some really good um followup
00:07:11.199 --> 00:07:13.430
and feedback and actual, you know,
00:07:13.440 --> 00:07:15.350
projects being done based on people that
00:07:15.360 --> 00:07:17.110
met here on the campus.
00:07:17.120 --> 00:07:19.909
>> Yeah. Yeah. And on like real life data.
00:07:19.919 --> 00:07:22.230
So the control room you keep me honest
00:07:22.240 --> 00:07:25.670
but I mean it is a exact replica of the
00:07:25.680 --> 00:07:27.510
SCADA system for Gwynette County. Is
00:07:27.520 --> 00:07:30.309
that correct? So you're actually playing
00:07:30.319 --> 00:07:30.710
with
00:07:30.720 --> 00:07:32.390
>> so it's actually it's actually their
00:07:32.400 --> 00:07:32.870
system.
00:07:32.880 --> 00:07:34.070
>> It's actually their system.
00:07:34.080 --> 00:07:37.029
>> Yeah it is. We have a view only piece.
00:07:37.039 --> 00:07:40.150
Um and then when a technology comes to
00:07:40.160 --> 00:07:42.230
us and they say we really would like to
00:07:42.240 --> 00:07:45.430
do a process optimment uh process
00:07:45.440 --> 00:07:48.710
optimization on um this part of a
00:07:48.720 --> 00:07:50.870
treatment plant. We're able to go to our
00:07:50.880 --> 00:07:53.350
utility partners which again go across
00:07:53.360 --> 00:07:56.390
the country and ask them for data live
00:07:56.400 --> 00:07:58.230
data over a certain amount of time for
00:07:58.240 --> 00:08:00.950
that process unit. We take out where it
00:08:00.960 --> 00:08:02.550
is and you know take out all the
00:08:02.560 --> 00:08:04.469
location data but then we can share
00:08:04.479 --> 00:08:07.589
that. So they are um fine-tuning their
00:08:07.599 --> 00:08:09.350
technologies if you will on real data
00:08:09.360 --> 00:08:10.869
which is very important.
00:08:10.879 --> 00:08:11.589
>> Yeah. Yeah.
00:08:11.599 --> 00:08:13.670
>> AI could do a lot of things but
00:08:13.680 --> 00:08:15.990
>> it needs a real data data source to
00:08:16.000 --> 00:08:18.629
actually um you know learn from.
00:08:18.639 --> 00:08:20.710
>> Yeah. Yeah. Exactly. So many of the
00:08:20.720 --> 00:08:23.110
things that people create
00:08:23.120 --> 00:08:25.990
>> um are initial they have an initial
00:08:26.000 --> 00:08:27.670
hypothesis about how it's going to work
00:08:27.680 --> 00:08:29.510
but being able to actually test it and
00:08:29.520 --> 00:08:31.749
say hey here's some real world
00:08:31.759 --> 00:08:36.070
application um of it. Um so much of the
00:08:36.080 --> 00:08:38.389
barrier at least that we see with the
00:08:38.399 --> 00:08:40.550
adoption of technology
00:08:40.560 --> 00:08:43.829
um or innovation is just derisking that.
00:08:43.839 --> 00:08:45.750
>> Oh, absolutely. And so I think that's a
00:08:45.760 --> 00:08:47.430
lot of that's a lot of what you end up
00:08:47.440 --> 00:08:49.829
bringing is um helping those
00:08:49.839 --> 00:08:52.470
entrepreneurs and those innovators um
00:08:52.480 --> 00:08:55.670
find a path to derisking a a decision to
00:08:55.680 --> 00:08:57.910
invest in innovation.
00:08:57.920 --> 00:08:58.949
>> Yep. Absolutely.
00:08:58.959 --> 00:09:00.630
>> Yeah. No, it's it's pretty remarkable.
00:09:00.640 --> 00:09:02.710
It's pretty remarkable uh you know
00:09:02.720 --> 00:09:04.070
space. Have you been there? I would just
00:09:04.080 --> 00:09:06.389
>> I I have not had the privilege of of
00:09:06.399 --> 00:09:08.389
going there. I would love to make a case
00:09:08.399 --> 00:09:12.070
that that we hold some sort of a
00:09:12.080 --> 00:09:13.030
>> Yes.
00:09:13.040 --> 00:09:16.550
>> I'm saying now for when our when our CEO
00:09:16.560 --> 00:09:18.470
listens to this, but we should hold a
00:09:18.480 --> 00:09:19.910
company event
00:09:19.920 --> 00:09:21.110
>> at the water tower.
00:09:21.120 --> 00:09:23.910
>> Awesome. I think that would that would
00:09:23.920 --> 00:09:27.030
be a great way to connect um our team of
00:09:27.040 --> 00:09:30.470
80 plus folks here at 120 water. um not
00:09:30.480 --> 00:09:33.110
everyone gets exposure at conferences or
00:09:33.120 --> 00:09:35.190
in the in the field where not not
00:09:35.200 --> 00:09:37.590
everyone works directly
00:09:37.600 --> 00:09:39.670
um with water and so what better way to
00:09:39.680 --> 00:09:41.030
get exposure. So
00:09:41.040 --> 00:09:43.030
>> yeah. Oh I love this saying here now
00:09:43.040 --> 00:09:45.350
>> Casey if you're listening to this uh Q1
00:09:45.360 --> 00:09:46.310
offsite here we go
00:09:46.320 --> 00:09:47.350
>> when you listen to it
00:09:47.360 --> 00:09:49.509
>> when you listen to this you listen to
00:09:49.519 --> 00:09:50.870
this. So, uh,
00:09:50.880 --> 00:09:52.710
>> and you know, actually, if I could just
00:09:52.720 --> 00:09:54.230
comment on that, I mean, that is
00:09:54.240 --> 00:09:59.350
probably the the largest, uh, or the the
00:09:59.360 --> 00:10:01.910
type of event that we host the most is,
00:10:01.920 --> 00:10:03.590
>> you know, people flying their reps in
00:10:03.600 --> 00:10:05.430
that are are spread across the country
00:10:05.440 --> 00:10:07.350
and flying them to this one location.
00:10:07.360 --> 00:10:09.110
You can go and meet at a hotel, but it's
00:10:09.120 --> 00:10:10.630
not as cool as this place is.
00:10:10.640 --> 00:10:11.190
>> Yeah.
00:10:11.200 --> 00:10:13.750
>> No, it's Yeah. And and the grounds are
00:10:13.760 --> 00:10:15.670
just gorgeous as well. I mean,
00:10:15.680 --> 00:10:18.870
>> yes, absolutely. Uh, so can you I I
00:10:18.880 --> 00:10:20.150
didn't expect to like talk about this,
00:10:20.160 --> 00:10:21.829
but I think the interesting I think
00:10:21.839 --> 00:10:23.910
maybe folks might find the interest the
00:10:23.920 --> 00:10:25.670
partnership between the county and the
00:10:25.680 --> 00:10:27.670
water tower interesting. What is that?
00:10:27.680 --> 00:10:30.069
What is that like?
00:10:30.079 --> 00:10:31.670
>> A very tight relationship with the
00:10:31.680 --> 00:10:34.389
county. Um, the county actually hired
00:10:34.399 --> 00:10:37.190
me, brought me down here to do this and
00:10:37.200 --> 00:10:40.150
they had an idea and I, after being here
00:10:40.160 --> 00:10:41.509
for a little while and listening to what
00:10:41.519 --> 00:10:43.750
they wanted to accomplish, turned it
00:10:43.760 --> 00:10:45.990
back on them and said, "If you really
00:10:46.000 --> 00:10:47.509
want this to succeed, it needs to be a
00:10:47.519 --> 00:10:49.910
nonprofit." Um, and these are the
00:10:49.920 --> 00:10:51.910
resources that we kind of need to make
00:10:51.920 --> 00:10:53.910
that work so that eventually the
00:10:53.920 --> 00:10:56.550
nonprofit is self- sustaining. Um, but
00:10:56.560 --> 00:10:58.389
we are on county property. The county
00:10:58.399 --> 00:11:00.949
built the building. Um, if you look out
00:11:00.959 --> 00:11:03.190
the window, you'll see the F Wayne Hill
00:11:03.200 --> 00:11:04.790
Water Resources Center, which is an
00:11:04.800 --> 00:11:07.030
amazing treatment facility um that
00:11:07.040 --> 00:11:09.750
practices um portable reuse. Goes back
00:11:09.760 --> 00:11:11.430
to the lake. We pull out of the lake to
00:11:11.440 --> 00:11:12.949
drink and then goes back to the lake
00:11:12.959 --> 00:11:15.910
after it's very highly treated. Um, but
00:11:15.920 --> 00:11:17.670
our relationship with the county is is
00:11:17.680 --> 00:11:21.110
tight for sure. Um, so that's uh it's
00:11:21.120 --> 00:11:23.509
it's just a really cool part. They've
00:11:23.519 --> 00:11:27.430
given us the ability to market um about
00:11:27.440 --> 00:11:30.069
200 acres. Um and really what that gets
00:11:30.079 --> 00:11:32.069
down to when you take out preserve lands
00:11:32.079 --> 00:11:35.110
and creeks and things like that is 310
00:11:35.120 --> 00:11:37.829
to 12 acre parcels. We're we're trying
00:11:37.839 --> 00:11:40.150
to get a manufacturer all water related
00:11:40.160 --> 00:11:43.269
businesses to move onto our campus to be
00:11:43.279 --> 00:11:45.350
to be part of that campus. We're doing
00:11:45.360 --> 00:11:46.949
workforce stuff. We're doing some really
00:11:46.959 --> 00:11:48.470
cool things. So you have that workforce
00:11:48.480 --> 00:11:50.949
pipeline here. We already have on the
00:11:50.959 --> 00:11:53.030
second and third floor of this building
00:11:53.040 --> 00:11:55.750
private tenants. So, we've got uh I
00:11:55.760 --> 00:11:57.190
think it's seven engineering and
00:11:57.200 --> 00:11:58.870
consulting firms that are located right
00:11:58.880 --> 00:12:02.710
here. Um and they they hire our interns.
00:12:02.720 --> 00:12:04.550
It's a it's they hire people out of the
00:12:04.560 --> 00:12:06.550
lab. It's it's very very cool. It's a
00:12:06.560 --> 00:12:07.670
very cool environment.
00:12:07.680 --> 00:12:07.910
>> Yeah,
00:12:07.920 --> 00:12:11.110
>> I love that for so many reasons. Um, the
00:12:11.120 --> 00:12:15.590
one that sticks out to me is that um,
00:12:15.600 --> 00:12:18.949
water is so place-based and so when the
00:12:18.959 --> 00:12:21.190
local water utility can take advantage
00:12:21.200 --> 00:12:23.990
of telling their own story in that
00:12:24.000 --> 00:12:27.190
place, um, it's just that reminder. I
00:12:27.200 --> 00:12:28.550
feel like every technology that we
00:12:28.560 --> 00:12:31.670
create abstracts everything to like how
00:12:31.680 --> 00:12:34.069
is this relevant to everyone? But we
00:12:34.079 --> 00:12:36.150
need to we need to remember that water
00:12:36.160 --> 00:12:38.069
doesn't erase place. And when we think
00:12:38.079 --> 00:12:39.910
about the place that exists, it creates
00:12:39.920 --> 00:12:43.110
the economy that we um have and um what
00:12:43.120 --> 00:12:46.069
an incredible relationship to have with
00:12:46.079 --> 00:12:49.990
um that's a very uh forwardthinking and
00:12:50.000 --> 00:12:52.870
innovative structure for that um for
00:12:52.880 --> 00:12:54.310
that county.
00:12:54.320 --> 00:12:56.069
>> Absolutely. Absolutely.
00:12:56.079 --> 00:12:57.990
>> I always love it on this podcast and in
00:12:58.000 --> 00:12:59.670
general when we can connect water to
00:12:59.680 --> 00:13:01.829
being an economic development driver.
00:13:01.839 --> 00:13:02.150
Mhm.
00:13:02.160 --> 00:13:03.990
>> It just, you know, so I think this is
00:13:04.000 --> 00:13:06.949
such a good example of good, you know.
00:13:06.959 --> 00:13:07.829
So,
00:13:07.839 --> 00:13:11.590
>> absolutely at its core. I mean, I open
00:13:11.600 --> 00:13:13.350
every speech with that. There's not a
00:13:13.360 --> 00:13:16.150
thing, including us, in this room,
00:13:16.160 --> 00:13:17.829
>> you know, that that didn't need water to
00:13:17.839 --> 00:13:18.550
get here. So,
00:13:18.560 --> 00:13:21.509
>> yeah. So, so you touched on it a bit. I
00:13:21.519 --> 00:13:24.069
want to kind of double click on on some
00:13:24.079 --> 00:13:25.990
of your expertise around workforce
00:13:26.000 --> 00:13:30.389
development because it is such a um
00:13:30.399 --> 00:13:33.670
issue facing the water sector. We hear a
00:13:33.680 --> 00:13:36.710
lot about the the gray tsunami. So folks
00:13:36.720 --> 00:13:40.230
leaving the sector and not enough um
00:13:40.240 --> 00:13:42.150
folks in the pipeline to not only
00:13:42.160 --> 00:13:44.710
replace those jobs but also achieve get
00:13:44.720 --> 00:13:46.790
the skills that they need to replace
00:13:46.800 --> 00:13:49.829
those jobs. So you know Melissa in your
00:13:49.839 --> 00:13:52.870
words you know how um
00:13:52.880 --> 00:13:55.110
what is your outlook on workforce uh in
00:13:55.120 --> 00:13:58.710
this sector and why is it so important?
00:13:58.720 --> 00:14:00.870
Um you said expertise. I don't know if
00:14:00.880 --> 00:14:03.590
it's a expertise or just a passion. Um
00:14:03.600 --> 00:14:06.310
but certainly workforce um when I think
00:14:06.320 --> 00:14:08.150
back on my career is is really
00:14:08.160 --> 00:14:11.110
culminated here at the water tower. Um
00:14:11.120 --> 00:14:13.110
and it and it is a challenge, right? So
00:14:13.120 --> 00:14:16.389
if you look at um across the industry
00:14:16.399 --> 00:14:18.949
the the numbers that people use and then
00:14:18.959 --> 00:14:20.310
they go back to the Brookings Institute
00:14:20.320 --> 00:14:22.550
report which is kind of old if you think
00:14:22.560 --> 00:14:24.310
about age- wise what workforce is
00:14:24.320 --> 00:14:26.310
talking about but we are looking at a
00:14:26.320 --> 00:14:29.509
you know 30 40% of uh the water
00:14:29.519 --> 00:14:31.269
workforce which is at or near
00:14:31.279 --> 00:14:32.389
retirement.
00:14:32.399 --> 00:14:34.870
>> Um now they may stay longer because of
00:14:34.880 --> 00:14:37.430
the economy or whatever reasons uh might
00:14:37.440 --> 00:14:39.910
be driving them. Um, but it's but it's a
00:14:39.920 --> 00:14:42.310
real issue. And I think as an industry,
00:14:42.320 --> 00:14:44.150
our biggest issue is that people don't
00:14:44.160 --> 00:14:45.750
think about water. They don't have to
00:14:45.760 --> 00:14:47.269
think about water. They turn on the tap,
00:14:47.279 --> 00:14:48.790
they flush the toilet, there, you know,
00:14:48.800 --> 00:14:49.990
there's stuff that happens, but they
00:14:50.000 --> 00:14:51.590
don't have to think about it. Um, so
00:14:51.600 --> 00:14:52.949
they don't even think about careers
00:14:52.959 --> 00:14:55.509
being in that space. So we have an early
00:14:55.519 --> 00:14:58.230
education problem. Um, not necessarily
00:14:58.240 --> 00:15:00.949
where we focus. Um, the water tower that
00:15:00.959 --> 00:15:03.829
is. Um, and then you have this sort of
00:15:03.839 --> 00:15:06.389
okay, I don't want to go to college.
00:15:06.399 --> 00:15:08.230
What are my other options? So there's a
00:15:08.240 --> 00:15:10.470
there's an endpoint there that we can
00:15:10.480 --> 00:15:12.870
really target. Um or I want to go to
00:15:12.880 --> 00:15:15.030
college and you know what are my options
00:15:15.040 --> 00:15:16.949
in engineering? Well, this is a great
00:15:16.959 --> 00:15:19.350
option for that. Um and then there's
00:15:19.360 --> 00:15:22.230
people who are transitioning, right? Um
00:15:22.240 --> 00:15:24.629
after co we saw a number of women who
00:15:24.639 --> 00:15:26.550
stayed home and now they're looking at
00:15:26.560 --> 00:15:29.269
you know I was in retail or I was in um
00:15:29.279 --> 00:15:30.949
service industry. Is there something
00:15:30.959 --> 00:15:33.189
else I can do with my time that maybe
00:15:33.199 --> 00:15:37.269
maybe a better work life balance? Um so
00:15:37.279 --> 00:15:39.829
we've we've also looked at that group.
00:15:39.839 --> 00:15:43.829
Um so I think as we think about um the
00:15:43.839 --> 00:15:45.430
workforce and where we're drawing people
00:15:45.440 --> 00:15:47.670
from our traditional ways of thinking
00:15:47.680 --> 00:15:51.670
about um hiring posting something on
00:15:51.680 --> 00:15:55.189
some platform or on LinkedIn or
00:15:55.199 --> 00:15:57.749
something like that is getting us people
00:15:57.759 --> 00:16:00.710
but not as many as we could get.
00:16:00.720 --> 00:16:02.230
One of the things that we have really
00:16:02.240 --> 00:16:06.710
focused on is partnering with nonprofits
00:16:06.720 --> 00:16:09.189
in our region and now we've spread that
00:16:09.199 --> 00:16:13.030
under an EPA grant across several states
00:16:13.040 --> 00:16:16.470
um to be that grassroots group right to
00:16:16.480 --> 00:16:19.430
help us understand that there are there
00:16:19.440 --> 00:16:24.470
are um 18 to 22 year olds out there who
00:16:24.480 --> 00:16:26.710
are sort of lost in the system. So, they
00:16:26.720 --> 00:16:31.430
weren't they either fostered out or um
00:16:31.440 --> 00:16:34.230
you know they're for some reason um
00:16:34.240 --> 00:16:37.189
they're not on a traditional track. So,
00:16:37.199 --> 00:16:39.350
how do we get to them? Because they can
00:16:39.360 --> 00:16:42.629
be phenomenal contributors to society um
00:16:42.639 --> 00:16:43.990
and they've never really been given a
00:16:44.000 --> 00:16:46.710
chance. So, when you look at our cohorts
00:16:46.720 --> 00:16:49.110
and um the people that have graduated
00:16:49.120 --> 00:16:51.110
from our programs, they're not your
00:16:51.120 --> 00:16:53.350
traditional people, right?
00:16:53.360 --> 00:16:55.910
um their firsttime non-violent
00:16:55.920 --> 00:16:59.590
offenders, their their runaways, their
00:16:59.600 --> 00:17:01.430
again uh kids that fostered out and
00:17:01.440 --> 00:17:03.509
didn't know what the next step was. Um
00:17:03.519 --> 00:17:04.630
they're people that were homeschooled
00:17:04.640 --> 00:17:07.110
and weren't necessarily exposed to um
00:17:07.120 --> 00:17:08.789
different career opportunities. So
00:17:08.799 --> 00:17:12.230
that's really where we're targeting. Um
00:17:12.240 --> 00:17:14.870
it's it's it's amazing. It's amazing to
00:17:14.880 --> 00:17:17.029
have someone walk into a class or finish
00:17:17.039 --> 00:17:19.590
a class and look at you and say, "This
00:17:19.600 --> 00:17:21.829
changed my life. I never saw myself in a
00:17:21.839 --> 00:17:24.150
career. And to know now they're going to
00:17:24.160 --> 00:17:26.150
go and they're going to be incredible
00:17:26.160 --> 00:17:29.350
community servants, right? It's amazing.
00:17:29.360 --> 00:17:30.549
>> Yeah,
00:17:30.559 --> 00:17:33.270
>> that is so interesting and encouraging.
00:17:33.280 --> 00:17:36.870
I um served on uh our state, so state of
00:17:36.880 --> 00:17:39.270
Indiana's uh governor's workforce
00:17:39.280 --> 00:17:40.789
development council for about four
00:17:40.799 --> 00:17:42.950
years. And this whole knowledge of
00:17:42.960 --> 00:17:45.430
identifying the lost populations, right,
00:17:45.440 --> 00:17:47.990
the underserved populations and then um
00:17:48.000 --> 00:17:50.310
exposing them to free or affordable
00:17:50.320 --> 00:17:53.110
apprenticeships is a wonderful model of
00:17:53.120 --> 00:17:55.350
good. But o over my four years, I was
00:17:55.360 --> 00:17:57.510
like, why isn't water represented here?
00:17:57.520 --> 00:17:59.029
>> I, you know, I'm sitting there and I'm
00:17:59.039 --> 00:18:00.789
representing the technology association,
00:18:00.799 --> 00:18:02.789
not not necessarily water, but I I'm
00:18:02.799 --> 00:18:05.190
looking like there's manufacturing,
00:18:05.200 --> 00:18:08.630
there's healthcare and IT, uh there's,
00:18:08.640 --> 00:18:10.230
you know, pharmaceuticals. Where's
00:18:10.240 --> 00:18:12.390
water? Where's water at this table?
00:18:12.400 --> 00:18:13.990
Because I just it just seems like a
00:18:14.000 --> 00:18:16.390
no-brainer to me, right?
00:18:16.400 --> 00:18:19.029
>> Yeah. Yeah. And we are I mean, at the
00:18:19.039 --> 00:18:21.350
water tower, we're pursuing um both a
00:18:21.360 --> 00:18:22.870
pre-apprentice and apprenticeship
00:18:22.880 --> 00:18:25.350
program, but I push back on that, too.
00:18:25.360 --> 00:18:28.230
Um I love the apprentice model. Uh
00:18:28.240 --> 00:18:30.470
especially if you're looking at um you
00:18:30.480 --> 00:18:32.470
know, a career where there needs to be a
00:18:32.480 --> 00:18:35.110
journey, like a journeyman, electrician,
00:18:35.120 --> 00:18:37.830
plumber, those kinds of things. But in
00:18:37.840 --> 00:18:39.669
the state of Georgia, you can be
00:18:39.679 --> 00:18:41.510
operate. You can be an operator at a
00:18:41.520 --> 00:18:43.270
plant with three months of hands-on
00:18:43.280 --> 00:18:43.909
experience.
00:18:43.919 --> 00:18:45.110
>> That is wonderful.
00:18:45.120 --> 00:18:47.350
>> Pass the exam, take the class, pass
00:18:47.360 --> 00:18:49.190
three months. So, we've designed a
00:18:49.200 --> 00:18:51.750
program that's not 40hour death by
00:18:51.760 --> 00:18:52.870
PowerPoint
00:18:52.880 --> 00:18:55.270
>> because again, the target audience
00:18:55.280 --> 00:18:57.110
didn't like school, right? I don't want
00:18:57.120 --> 00:18:59.190
to go back to class and sit in class and
00:18:59.200 --> 00:19:01.190
try and learn. So, we stretch that over
00:19:01.200 --> 00:19:03.350
four months and get them out in the
00:19:03.360 --> 00:19:06.710
plant each week, each day working in the
00:19:06.720 --> 00:19:08.470
plant while they're learning the
00:19:08.480 --> 00:19:10.390
material in a classroom setting and
00:19:10.400 --> 00:19:11.510
online.
00:19:11.520 --> 00:19:14.549
>> Um, and prepare them to actually run the
00:19:14.559 --> 00:19:16.230
plant, not just pass the exam. So, it's
00:19:16.240 --> 00:19:18.310
a it's a really cool system.
00:19:18.320 --> 00:19:21.350
>> Such a cool And how much was um was that
00:19:21.360 --> 00:19:23.350
always the case with Georgia or did you
00:19:23.360 --> 00:19:25.669
have to change some of the policy
00:19:25.679 --> 00:19:27.190
around?
00:19:27.200 --> 00:19:28.630
No, that's that's always been the case
00:19:28.640 --> 00:19:30.630
with Georgia. And you look at other like
00:19:30.640 --> 00:19:32.630
Florida's one year, you know, each
00:19:32.640 --> 00:19:34.710
state's kind of different. Um, so we've
00:19:34.720 --> 00:19:36.950
been able to work through those systems
00:19:36.960 --> 00:19:40.870
with our utility partners. Um,
00:19:40.880 --> 00:19:42.310
you know, to to meet whatever their
00:19:42.320 --> 00:19:44.549
state requirements are, but I I think
00:19:44.559 --> 00:19:47.430
the the point is that it's not it's it
00:19:47.440 --> 00:19:48.470
we're trying to do it in a
00:19:48.480 --> 00:19:50.150
non-traditional way, targeting
00:19:50.160 --> 00:19:52.230
non-traditional people, teaching them in
00:19:52.240 --> 00:19:54.789
a non-traditional way, hands-on, really.
00:19:54.799 --> 00:19:57.430
Um, you know, I I'm sure Megan, when you
00:19:57.440 --> 00:19:59.270
were here, you saw the the lab out back,
00:19:59.280 --> 00:20:01.590
which is, you know, hands-on station, so
00:20:01.600 --> 00:20:03.110
they can take a pump apart, they can put
00:20:03.120 --> 00:20:04.549
it back together, they can, you know,
00:20:04.559 --> 00:20:07.029
see how these things work, um, and
00:20:07.039 --> 00:20:08.870
understand them. And then again, the
00:20:08.880 --> 00:20:11.190
live experience at the plant, which is,
00:20:11.200 --> 00:20:13.029
um, you know, can't beat it.
00:20:13.039 --> 00:20:15.430
>> And that addresses so much the the
00:20:15.440 --> 00:20:19.029
learning. We we need different models of
00:20:19.039 --> 00:20:21.029
teaching and learning that are both
00:20:21.039 --> 00:20:21.909
>> very much
00:20:21.919 --> 00:20:25.190
>> hands-on, experiential. Um and that's
00:20:25.200 --> 00:20:27.590
yeah that's incredible.
00:20:27.600 --> 00:20:30.390
>> Yeah. And on that teaching piece um a
00:20:30.400 --> 00:20:32.710
cool thing that's come out of our EPA
00:20:32.720 --> 00:20:35.350
workforce grant um is a train the
00:20:35.360 --> 00:20:38.149
trainer program. So building off our
00:20:38.159 --> 00:20:41.590
model which is more hands-on
00:20:41.600 --> 00:20:44.710
um and understanding that the audience
00:20:44.720 --> 00:20:46.630
from what we taught 20 years ago is
00:20:46.640 --> 00:20:49.430
different perhaps. Um what kinds of
00:20:49.440 --> 00:20:52.390
things how can we teach better? how can
00:20:52.400 --> 00:20:54.390
we listen better and how can we make
00:20:54.400 --> 00:20:56.789
sure that they're getting um the lessons
00:20:56.799 --> 00:20:59.029
that we need them to learn, right? Um so
00:20:59.039 --> 00:21:00.549
we're going through that process right
00:21:00.559 --> 00:21:03.190
now and we're working with the WPI which
00:21:03.200 --> 00:21:05.350
sets all the state exams for
00:21:05.360 --> 00:21:06.070
certifications.
00:21:06.080 --> 00:21:06.789
>> Okay. Yep.
00:21:06.799 --> 00:21:09.190
>> Um yeah, so it's a it'll be a very
00:21:09.200 --> 00:21:11.590
formal program um that we're really
00:21:11.600 --> 00:21:14.390
excited to to kick off and lead.
00:21:14.400 --> 00:21:16.230
>> Yeah, that is incredible. And and for
00:21:16.240 --> 00:21:20.390
those that may not be um uh familiar
00:21:20.400 --> 00:21:23.510
with the process to become an operator,
00:21:23.520 --> 00:21:25.909
that certification, I mean, can you talk
00:21:25.919 --> 00:21:27.830
a bit about, you know, some of the
00:21:27.840 --> 00:21:29.830
non-traditional things that you're doing
00:21:29.840 --> 00:21:32.070
compared to like how it is how it's been
00:21:32.080 --> 00:21:34.710
traditionally? just a
00:21:34.720 --> 00:21:36.470
>> Yeah. I mean, typically someone will
00:21:36.480 --> 00:21:38.310
will go and work for a utility and
00:21:38.320 --> 00:21:40.789
they'll come in at, you know, an entry-
00:21:40.799 --> 00:21:43.270
level position and then they'll have a
00:21:43.280 --> 00:21:45.909
certain amount of time to that the
00:21:45.919 --> 00:21:49.350
utility allows them to learn on the job,
00:21:49.360 --> 00:21:51.190
take a class, and get the certification
00:21:51.200 --> 00:21:53.270
exam. So, you're coming in at a lower
00:21:53.280 --> 00:21:54.630
level because you don't have that
00:21:54.640 --> 00:21:58.470
certification yet. Um, and um, again,
00:21:58.480 --> 00:22:01.190
you got to know about the job. So, by us
00:22:01.200 --> 00:22:03.110
pushing it out the way we do, they know
00:22:03.120 --> 00:22:04.630
about the job and they're coming here to
00:22:04.640 --> 00:22:07.909
get that training. Um, and then over
00:22:07.919 --> 00:22:09.909
time, as you get more work experience,
00:22:09.919 --> 00:22:11.270
you can go for the next certification
00:22:11.280 --> 00:22:13.029
level and on and on and on. So, there's
00:22:13.039 --> 00:22:15.029
like usually three to four certification
00:22:15.039 --> 00:22:16.310
levels depending on which state you're
00:22:16.320 --> 00:22:18.950
in. Um, so again, we're trying to get
00:22:18.960 --> 00:22:21.350
them all of that beforehand. So, we're
00:22:21.360 --> 00:22:23.430
targeting high school seniors so that
00:22:23.440 --> 00:22:25.510
when they graduate, they can sit for
00:22:25.520 --> 00:22:27.350
their certification exam. they will have
00:22:27.360 --> 00:22:29.029
had their hands-on experience over that
00:22:29.039 --> 00:22:31.669
eight months. Um because we get them,
00:22:31.679 --> 00:22:33.510
you know, half half a day every day
00:22:33.520 --> 00:22:34.870
during the week. So, we can get them
00:22:34.880 --> 00:22:37.830
that experience they need. Um and then
00:22:37.840 --> 00:22:41.350
say for the exam, they can go in at 18
00:22:41.360 --> 00:22:44.549
making, you know, $45 $50,000 a year
00:22:44.559 --> 00:22:48.710
more with overtime. Um which is amazing.
00:22:48.720 --> 00:22:50.470
Yeah. You think about it. Yeah. They
00:22:50.480 --> 00:22:51.830
don't have to go to college and have a
00:22:51.840 --> 00:22:53.750
debt following them around. They can
00:22:53.760 --> 00:22:55.350
actually do this. And the great thing,
00:22:55.360 --> 00:22:56.630
which I pitch all the time, someone
00:22:56.640 --> 00:22:57.590
says, "Oh, well, I'm going to go to
00:22:57.600 --> 00:22:59.190
college." I'm like, "But if you get in
00:22:59.200 --> 00:23:01.750
the utility, they'll pay for you to go
00:23:01.760 --> 00:23:02.950
and get your degree."
00:23:02.960 --> 00:23:03.750
>> Yes.
00:23:03.760 --> 00:23:05.350
>> So, you don't have to get that, you
00:23:05.360 --> 00:23:07.590
know, it's it's just a unique way to
00:23:07.600 --> 00:23:08.230
think about it.
00:23:08.240 --> 00:23:08.470
>> Yeah.
00:23:08.480 --> 00:23:11.029
>> Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I And just I mean,
00:23:11.039 --> 00:23:13.430
again, it's such a it's such a wonderful
00:23:13.440 --> 00:23:15.830
industry to be a part of and we have a
00:23:15.840 --> 00:23:17.350
marketing problem because people don't
00:23:17.360 --> 00:23:19.750
know how wonderful the industry we talk
00:23:19.760 --> 00:23:21.750
to Kelly Darian Smith about this all the
00:23:21.760 --> 00:23:23.669
time. It's just we we don't tell our
00:23:23.679 --> 00:23:26.630
story enough um to make people know that
00:23:26.640 --> 00:23:28.870
this is an industry, you know, just like
00:23:28.880 --> 00:23:30.789
any others, right? Worth joining and and
00:23:30.799 --> 00:23:32.070
you can actually build an incredible
00:23:32.080 --> 00:23:34.470
life working in water, you know.
00:23:34.480 --> 00:23:35.510
>> Absolutely.
00:23:35.520 --> 00:23:38.630
>> So, Melissa, are there any um specific
00:23:38.640 --> 00:23:40.870
stories like success stories that you'd
00:23:40.880 --> 00:23:42.870
like to share like highlight either
00:23:42.880 --> 00:23:44.470
individuals that have joined the program
00:23:44.480 --> 00:23:46.630
and how that's changed their life or a
00:23:46.640 --> 00:23:48.470
particular program that that's been
00:23:48.480 --> 00:23:51.909
really impactful for you? Uh we had a
00:23:51.919 --> 00:23:56.470
student who joined us over the summer um
00:23:56.480 --> 00:23:59.510
a trainee. He's not a student. Um and
00:23:59.520 --> 00:24:02.149
when he joined the program, you know, in
00:24:02.159 --> 00:24:03.350
order to sit for your certification
00:24:03.360 --> 00:24:04.630
exam, no matter where you are, you have
00:24:04.640 --> 00:24:06.549
to have your GED or high school degree.
00:24:06.559 --> 00:24:07.430
>> Okay.
00:24:07.440 --> 00:24:10.710
>> Um and um frankly, I thought I think he
00:24:10.720 --> 00:24:13.750
thought he had his high school diploma.
00:24:13.760 --> 00:24:16.470
Um but as we got halfway through the
00:24:16.480 --> 00:24:19.029
summer, we realized that he he didn't.
00:24:19.039 --> 00:24:21.990
He had a certificate of completion.
00:24:22.000 --> 00:24:27.669
Um, so I mean I I helped him get his
00:24:27.679 --> 00:24:29.990
Georgia GED and by the time he and he
00:24:30.000 --> 00:24:31.269
didn't have a driver's license, so by
00:24:31.279 --> 00:24:33.830
the time he left here, he had everything
00:24:33.840 --> 00:24:38.149
he needed, including the operator course
00:24:38.159 --> 00:24:40.149
to start and go where he needed to go.
00:24:40.159 --> 00:24:42.310
And he's he's just like I mean, this is
00:24:42.320 --> 00:24:44.070
a a kid that's,
00:24:44.080 --> 00:24:46.390
>> you know, he felt he was beaten down and
00:24:46.400 --> 00:24:48.310
didn't know what he was going to do. and
00:24:48.320 --> 00:24:51.190
he walked out with his head h high so
00:24:51.200 --> 00:24:53.909
just excited to get back and and get a
00:24:53.919 --> 00:24:57.350
job and get going. Um so yeah, there's
00:24:57.360 --> 00:24:59.110
lots of there's lots of those stories
00:24:59.120 --> 00:25:00.710
actually. It's uh but that one in
00:25:00.720 --> 00:25:02.630
particular I was just like wait what do
00:25:02.640 --> 00:25:04.630
you mean you don't have a diploma? Oh we
00:25:04.640 --> 00:25:06.230
got to get on this because this isn't
00:25:06.240 --> 00:25:06.870
good.
00:25:06.880 --> 00:25:07.669
>> Yeah.
00:25:07.679 --> 00:25:08.310
>> So
00:25:08.320 --> 00:25:09.669
>> yeah that gave me chills.
00:25:09.679 --> 00:25:12.230
>> Yeah. Yeah. And and I I do think that
00:25:12.240 --> 00:25:14.470
that's uh again as we go after these
00:25:14.480 --> 00:25:17.510
non-traditional
00:25:17.520 --> 00:25:19.750
groups,
00:25:19.760 --> 00:25:22.230
Courtney, who's our workforce director,
00:25:22.240 --> 00:25:24.630
um she spends a lot of her time, it's
00:25:24.640 --> 00:25:27.110
not babysitting, it's coaching, it's
00:25:27.120 --> 00:25:29.590
mentoring, it's helping, you know, hey,
00:25:29.600 --> 00:25:31.590
how was class today? Did you did you get
00:25:31.600 --> 00:25:33.350
everything? There's a there's this
00:25:33.360 --> 00:25:34.950
online course that can help reiterate
00:25:34.960 --> 00:25:37.190
that stuff. So, she's constantly working
00:25:37.200 --> 00:25:38.870
with that. She helps them do resumeumés.
00:25:38.880 --> 00:25:40.950
she, you know, helps them do all kinds
00:25:40.960 --> 00:25:42.789
of things. Are you dressed appropriately
00:25:42.799 --> 00:25:44.230
for work? No, you need to go home and
00:25:44.240 --> 00:25:46.549
change. You know, those kinds of things.
00:25:46.559 --> 00:25:49.669
>> So, uh, it's that it's that wraparound
00:25:49.679 --> 00:25:51.110
service that we're trying to provide,
00:25:51.120 --> 00:25:52.789
too, which is hard because we're water
00:25:52.799 --> 00:25:55.830
people. Um, but we also, you know, know
00:25:55.840 --> 00:25:57.430
what it takes to succeed and we want to
00:25:57.440 --> 00:25:59.430
see these see these trainees succeed.
00:25:59.440 --> 00:26:00.710
>> Yeah. Yeah.
00:26:00.720 --> 00:26:02.390
>> Yeah. You're water you're water people,
00:26:02.400 --> 00:26:03.750
but you're also professionals, right?
00:26:03.760 --> 00:26:06.630
and you know um you know the soft skills
00:26:06.640 --> 00:26:09.590
that it takes to you know advance in
00:26:09.600 --> 00:26:12.470
your career. So can we I want to talk a
00:26:12.480 --> 00:26:14.470
little bit about like later stage you
00:26:14.480 --> 00:26:17.029
know career in in water and you know
00:26:17.039 --> 00:26:20.950
what do you see as um you know we're in
00:26:20.960 --> 00:26:22.870
resolve together and so a lot of what we
00:26:22.880 --> 00:26:24.230
talk about I'm kind of going off script
00:26:24.240 --> 00:26:25.590
but I think it's you know important when
00:26:25.600 --> 00:26:29.190
we think about h how do we support
00:26:29.200 --> 00:26:32.230
>> women leaders in water or diversity in
00:26:32.240 --> 00:26:34.470
in water and helping kind of understand
00:26:34.480 --> 00:26:37.350
how um we put more diversity around the
00:26:37.360 --> 00:26:40.549
table in water in your experience?
00:26:40.559 --> 00:26:42.390
Yeah. Um, you know, it's it's
00:26:42.400 --> 00:26:46.390
interesting for me as I, um, as I think
00:26:46.400 --> 00:26:49.190
about this journey that I've had, and I
00:26:49.200 --> 00:26:51.669
am quite a bit older than you, Megan.
00:26:51.679 --> 00:26:54.549
Um, but you know, when I interacted with
00:26:54.559 --> 00:26:56.789
women early in my career, it wasn't
00:26:56.799 --> 00:26:59.750
about camaraderie or supporting each
00:26:59.760 --> 00:27:01.830
other. It was about how do I get this
00:27:01.840 --> 00:27:04.070
woman out of my way because they're only
00:27:04.080 --> 00:27:05.830
going to give one woman an opportunity
00:27:05.840 --> 00:27:07.029
and certainly not going to get two of
00:27:07.039 --> 00:27:09.110
us. and I need this person gone so that
00:27:09.120 --> 00:27:10.870
I get that opportunity. You know, it's a
00:27:10.880 --> 00:27:14.390
very different um
00:27:14.400 --> 00:27:16.950
uh just the way we interacted together.
00:27:16.960 --> 00:27:19.029
Now, as the industry has shifted and
00:27:19.039 --> 00:27:22.470
more women are in the industry, um I
00:27:22.480 --> 00:27:24.390
think we're beginning to realize that we
00:27:24.400 --> 00:27:27.830
really can support each other. Um, and I
00:27:27.840 --> 00:27:29.750
think it's important as women leaders
00:27:29.760 --> 00:27:32.549
that we look behind us and make sure
00:27:32.559 --> 00:27:35.350
that there are not more opportunities
00:27:35.360 --> 00:27:37.909
for women, but equal opportunities. And
00:27:37.919 --> 00:27:39.830
not just women. I think as an industry,
00:27:39.840 --> 00:27:41.110
we've seen
00:27:41.120 --> 00:27:44.950
>> a lack in um,
00:27:44.960 --> 00:27:49.029
uh, black women moving up um, uh, you
00:27:49.039 --> 00:27:51.510
know, other minorities that sort of get
00:27:51.520 --> 00:27:53.909
tapped out at a certain level or you
00:27:53.919 --> 00:27:56.230
don't you just don't see them as much.
00:27:56.240 --> 00:27:58.789
We've seen if you look at the well I'm
00:27:58.799 --> 00:28:00.149
going to get myself in trouble here but
00:28:00.159 --> 00:28:01.350
that's okay. If you look at the
00:28:01.360 --> 00:28:03.909
associations which were run by women
00:28:03.919 --> 00:28:07.590
they're now run by men. Um so we got to
00:28:07.600 --> 00:28:10.710
watch this right because as a as an
00:28:10.720 --> 00:28:12.310
industry we bring different things to
00:28:12.320 --> 00:28:15.029
the table and water has to meet
00:28:15.039 --> 00:28:17.750
everyone's needs not just a certain
00:28:17.760 --> 00:28:20.470
segment or a certain population. So, the
00:28:20.480 --> 00:28:22.070
more diverse people that are talking
00:28:22.080 --> 00:28:24.630
about policy issues and being involved
00:28:24.640 --> 00:28:26.710
in those conversations, the better off
00:28:26.720 --> 00:28:28.149
our communities are going to be.
00:28:28.159 --> 00:28:29.110
>> Yeah. Yeah.
00:28:29.120 --> 00:28:30.470
>> Yeah. Couldn't agree more.
00:28:30.480 --> 00:28:32.149
>> No, I love it. And you're just you're
00:28:32.159 --> 00:28:34.230
just such a I I you're not giving
00:28:34.240 --> 00:28:35.750
yourself enough credit. You are an
00:28:35.760 --> 00:28:38.149
expert at at this subject, at this
00:28:38.159 --> 00:28:40.149
workforce subject. You are the like
00:28:40.159 --> 00:28:42.149
probably the most knowledgeable person I
00:28:42.159 --> 00:28:43.590
I've had the pleasure of interacting
00:28:43.600 --> 00:28:46.149
with. outside of work, you know,
00:28:46.159 --> 00:28:48.389
workforce and and those issues, what do
00:28:48.399 --> 00:28:50.230
you think are the some of the other
00:28:50.240 --> 00:28:53.190
major issues facing the water sector um
00:28:53.200 --> 00:28:55.669
at this point in time?
00:28:55.679 --> 00:28:58.789
>> Well, I mean, we have the issue deour,
00:28:58.799 --> 00:28:59.909
right?
00:28:59.919 --> 00:29:02.070
>> Whatever that may be. Just wait tomorrow
00:29:02.080 --> 00:29:03.350
there'll be another one that we'll be
00:29:03.360 --> 00:29:05.669
trying to figure out. Um, no, I think
00:29:05.679 --> 00:29:08.549
it's uh water affordability, so rates.
00:29:08.559 --> 00:29:11.669
Um I think you've got POS obviously uh
00:29:11.679 --> 00:29:14.389
emerging contaminants um lead service
00:29:14.399 --> 00:29:16.549
lines which you guys know way too much
00:29:16.559 --> 00:29:18.230
about or not way too much but just
00:29:18.240 --> 00:29:20.470
enough um you know what how are we
00:29:20.480 --> 00:29:22.389
dealing with this? These are these are
00:29:22.399 --> 00:29:24.149
major issues that the indust aging
00:29:24.159 --> 00:29:26.549
infrastructure um that the industry is
00:29:26.559 --> 00:29:29.669
dealing with and again what can we do
00:29:29.679 --> 00:29:32.710
collectively to focus on these issues
00:29:32.720 --> 00:29:35.669
and and help solve them. Um, we spent a
00:29:35.679 --> 00:29:37.669
lot of time too with small and medium
00:29:37.679 --> 00:29:39.510
utilities trying to help them have the
00:29:39.520 --> 00:29:42.230
same access to the same cool resources
00:29:42.240 --> 00:29:44.310
that some of the larger ones do. So,
00:29:44.320 --> 00:29:47.190
telling those stories and sharing those
00:29:47.200 --> 00:29:50.230
lessons learned is important. Um,
00:29:50.240 --> 00:29:52.230
there's so many issues, Megan, we this
00:29:52.240 --> 00:29:53.269
is job security.
00:29:53.279 --> 00:29:53.750
>> I know.
00:29:53.760 --> 00:29:55.990
>> Yeah.
00:29:56.000 --> 00:29:57.990
>> Yeah. Exactly. Job security. Yeah,
00:29:58.000 --> 00:30:00.710
that's uh Yeah, but I don't know. I just
00:30:00.720 --> 00:30:03.269
uh I think it's really neat in terms of
00:30:03.279 --> 00:30:04.870
a lot of the programs that you're doing
00:30:04.880 --> 00:30:06.230
and all that you're doing to to
00:30:06.240 --> 00:30:07.830
reimagine how we need to be training
00:30:07.840 --> 00:30:10.310
this next generation and workforce. And
00:30:10.320 --> 00:30:12.470
um I hope uh remind me how many states
00:30:12.480 --> 00:30:13.750
you're you're doing this in at this
00:30:13.760 --> 00:30:17.430
point through this EPA grant.
00:30:17.440 --> 00:30:18.149
>> Five.
00:30:18.159 --> 00:30:19.990
>> How do we make it 50?
00:30:20.000 --> 00:30:21.350
>> How can we make it 50?
00:30:21.360 --> 00:30:21.909
>> Awesome.
00:30:21.919 --> 00:30:25.110
>> Yeah. Like what do you need?
00:30:25.120 --> 00:30:26.630
Uh
00:30:26.640 --> 00:30:30.470
kind.
00:30:30.480 --> 00:30:32.230
>> Oh, I think it's I think every time we
00:30:32.240 --> 00:30:33.669
talk to somebody and they're like, "Oh,
00:30:33.679 --> 00:30:35.269
wow. You're doing that?" I You know, the
00:30:35.279 --> 00:30:37.269
utilities often don't have Look, I am a
00:30:37.279 --> 00:30:38.789
nonprofit and I have to keep the doors
00:30:38.799 --> 00:30:40.549
open. So, there's that.
00:30:40.559 --> 00:30:41.510
>> Yes. Yeah. True.
00:30:41.520 --> 00:30:43.110
>> So, there has to be some resources there
00:30:43.120 --> 00:30:45.029
somewhere. Um but it's really not that
00:30:45.039 --> 00:30:46.630
much in terms of resources.
00:30:46.640 --> 00:30:49.750
>> Yeah. Uh we got um just a if I have two
00:30:49.760 --> 00:30:51.990
seconds uh interesting aside, we did a
00:30:52.000 --> 00:30:56.149
EPA webinar on our programming and the
00:30:56.159 --> 00:30:58.630
certification office at the state of
00:30:58.640 --> 00:31:00.389
Louisiana reached out and said, "Hey,
00:31:00.399 --> 00:31:01.669
you guys are doing some cool stuff. Can
00:31:01.679 --> 00:31:03.190
you send us your curriculum so we can
00:31:03.200 --> 00:31:05.990
take a look?" They took a look. Um they
00:31:06.000 --> 00:31:09.590
said, "Do you mind if we just have some
00:31:09.600 --> 00:31:11.350
people call into your class so that they
00:31:11.360 --> 00:31:13.830
can use it as exam prep?" So we're not
00:31:13.840 --> 00:31:15.669
teaching them per se. They're using it
00:31:15.679 --> 00:31:17.830
to prepare for their exam, which is
00:31:17.840 --> 00:31:19.669
super cool process. So now we have 15 of
00:31:19.679 --> 00:31:21.909
them on our, you know, two day a week
00:31:21.919 --> 00:31:22.789
classes.
00:31:22.799 --> 00:31:25.029
>> It's like it filled up in in less than
00:31:25.039 --> 00:31:26.870
24 hours. There is a need.
00:31:26.880 --> 00:31:28.630
>> There's a absolute need.
00:31:28.640 --> 00:31:29.029
>> Yeah.
00:31:30.720 --> 00:31:32.470
>> Well, let us know how we can help
00:31:32.480 --> 00:31:34.149
because um big fan of the work that
00:31:34.159 --> 00:31:35.990
you're doing for sure, Melissa.
00:31:36.000 --> 00:31:37.110
>> Thank you so much.
00:31:37.120 --> 00:31:39.509
>> Yeah. Yeah. Seriously, thank you for the
00:31:39.519 --> 00:31:41.430
way that you're making not just water
00:31:41.440 --> 00:31:44.230
work, but making it work for um for
00:31:44.240 --> 00:31:46.230
everyone you come in contact with for
00:31:46.240 --> 00:31:48.149
building up the new workforce. It's
00:31:48.159 --> 00:31:49.350
incredible.
00:31:49.360 --> 00:31:51.430
>> Yeah. Yeah. I think this podcast it got
00:31:51.440 --> 00:31:53.190
real like you know the title of it is
00:31:53.200 --> 00:31:55.669
make water work and I I think you've
00:31:55.679 --> 00:31:58.310
given us just some incredible examples
00:31:58.320 --> 00:32:01.750
and and models that uh just you're
00:32:01.760 --> 00:32:03.269
you're making it work, girl.
00:32:03.279 --> 00:32:03.750
>> Yeah.
00:32:03.760 --> 00:32:05.029
>> Thank you so much. Well, you guys are
00:32:05.039 --> 00:32:06.470
doing an amazing job at amplifying
00:32:06.480 --> 00:32:07.990
messaging that needs to get out there,
00:32:08.000 --> 00:32:09.590
so we appreciate that, too.
00:32:09.600 --> 00:32:11.110
>> Um, any anyone else you think we should
00:32:11.120 --> 00:32:12.630
have on the podcast?
00:32:12.640 --> 00:32:15.190
>> Oh, have you talked to Kathy Bailey or
00:32:15.200 --> 00:32:16.149
Nicole Brown?
00:32:16.159 --> 00:32:17.750
>> Kathy, if you're listening, which you're
00:32:17.760 --> 00:32:19.269
probably not, we'd love to have you on
00:32:19.279 --> 00:32:22.310
the podcast.
00:32:22.320 --> 00:32:23.190
>> Awesome.
00:32:23.200 --> 00:32:24.470
>> So, thanks Melissa.
00:32:24.480 --> 00:32:24.950
>> Thank you.
00:32:24.960 --> 00:32:26.470
>> Thank you. Have a great day.
00:32:26.480 --> 00:32:26.789
>> You, too.
00:32:30.000 --> 00:32:32.070
Well, Isaac, I can't think of an episode
00:32:32.080 --> 00:32:34.630
that we've had to date that just is so
00:32:34.640 --> 00:32:37.029
um rooted in making water work. She's
00:32:37.039 --> 00:32:40.710
literally making water work. And I, you
00:32:40.720 --> 00:32:43.110
know, I know Melissa um was aware of
00:32:43.120 --> 00:32:44.710
some of the stuff she was doing in
00:32:44.720 --> 00:32:46.389
workforce development, but to hear how
00:32:46.399 --> 00:32:49.110
they are approaching it in such a novel,
00:32:49.120 --> 00:32:51.669
innovative way is just so refreshing.
00:32:51.679 --> 00:32:53.750
And I'm I'm I'm genuinely serious. How
00:32:53.760 --> 00:32:55.990
do we turn that from five states to 50?
00:32:56.000 --> 00:32:57.509
because I think it's such an important
00:32:57.519 --> 00:32:59.509
programming uh it's such an important
00:32:59.519 --> 00:33:01.509
program that's delivering the results
00:33:01.519 --> 00:33:02.149
that we need.
00:33:02.159 --> 00:33:04.389
>> Yeah. How do we replicate that model?
00:33:04.399 --> 00:33:06.070
Because we talk a lot about the
00:33:06.080 --> 00:33:08.230
importance of accelerators in the
00:33:08.240 --> 00:33:09.830
industry helping entrepreneurs scale
00:33:09.840 --> 00:33:12.070
their businesses, but she's creating an
00:33:12.080 --> 00:33:14.310
accelerator for workforce development.
00:33:14.320 --> 00:33:15.830
And so, how do we
00:33:15.840 --> 00:33:19.430
>> um how do we get programs that actually
00:33:19.440 --> 00:33:22.950
connect the next generation in ways that
00:33:22.960 --> 00:33:24.870
keep them engaged and have opportunity
00:33:24.880 --> 00:33:28.149
for them? Um and just um
00:33:28.159 --> 00:33:30.789
>> um yeah, so so incredibly excited that
00:33:30.799 --> 00:33:33.430
she was able to make it um and be our
00:33:33.440 --> 00:33:33.909
guest.
00:33:33.919 --> 00:33:35.509
>> Yeah.
00:33:35.519 --> 00:33:37.990
>> And thank you so much to all of you for
00:33:38.000 --> 00:33:40.230
listening to the Make Waterwork podcast.
00:33:40.240 --> 00:33:42.870
Um we have so much fun uh doing this and
00:33:42.880 --> 00:33:45.830
we um love that you tune in and so
00:33:45.840 --> 00:33:49.110
please like, share, follow and let us
00:33:49.120 --> 00:33:50.549
know who else you would like to hear
00:33:50.559 --> 00:33:53.269
from who makes waterwork.
00:33:53.279 --> 00:33:55.190
Thanks for listening to the Make Water
00:33:55.200 --> 00:33:57.590
Work podcast. If you enjoyed today's
00:33:57.600 --> 00:34:00.070
episode, please take a moment to like,
00:34:00.080 --> 00:34:02.470
share, and subscribe so you never miss a
00:34:02.480 --> 00:34:04.789
conversation. We'd love to hear your
00:34:04.799 --> 00:34:06.950
thoughts and questions. Connect with us
00:34:06.960 --> 00:34:09.109
on LinkedIn or send us a message.
00:34:09.119 --> 00:34:11.190
Together, we can make water work for
00:34:11.200 --> 00:34:14.200
everyone.
