21st Century Tools for Water System Managers Workshop

Course Abstract:

The operations of a water system have evolved dramatically over the past two decades.  Technology has changed the way we manage our water systems (eg. reading meters, locating leaks, remotely monitoring facilities, etc.) and the landscape of new tech offerings is changing every day.  Identifying and implementing the right tool for each water system can be enough of a challenge for 21^st century water system managers.  However, adding to the challenge, we are facing a significant loss of institutional knowledge with each retirement, requiring staff to take on new roles and changing the dynamics of the organizational culture.

Learning Outcomes:

This course will be a half day of presentations on new technology such as Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) and remote security and where and how these tools have been implemented successfully so attendees decide whether or not to employ similar technologies to improve operational effectiveness of their system. This course will also touch on the human side of water system management with a presentation on building a reliable team, exploring how managers can help their employees develop a stronger sense of ownership over the tasks and duties they have been given.

CEU's: 0.3 (approved)

Click on the link below to register

Presenter Biographies

Matt Hubbard - Matt Hubbard is the Business Transformation and Change Workstream Lead for the Advanced Meter Program at Tacoma Public Utilities. He is responsible for AMI program benefits realization, business case strategy and performance, overseeing system and business changes, and developing policy decisions. He received his B.S. in Physics from Pacific Lutheran University and his M.S. in Civil Engineering from the University of Washington. He is a licensed Professional Engineer in California and Washington.

Corey Bedient - Corey Bedient is an Assistant Division Manager at Tacoma Water, leading technology projects throughout Tacoma’s distribution system. Corey is a project professional with eleven years of experience in cost control, estimating, scheduling and progress tracking. Before Tacoma, he spent over ten years with Tesoro and JV Industrial Companies, and earned his MBA from Western Washington University.

Jeremy Djajadi - Jeremy Djajadi with SYBIS LLC, specializing in access control for utilities especially in the water industry. Involvement in PNWS-AWWA about close to a decade now, serving the industry with securing their critical infrastructure particularly on remote sites.

Jeremy in SYBIS has handled projects from securing a large major utilities covering multiple states, to a small utility within a city limit. The water industry and the tech market is near and dear to his heart, and it's his passion to combine both in the effort to secure the infrastructure.

David Carnahan - It is my great honor to be serving as the Hartstene Pointe Water-Sewer District’s General Manager. I was hired by the District’s Board of Commissioners because of my background in organizational effectiveness and long-range strategic planning. Immediately upon my hire in June of 2018 I was tasked with leading the District in the transition from contracted management to regular employees. This included implementing everything from benefits administration to the establishment of employee policies and procedures. While transforming an organization like this from the ground up comes with its share of challenges, I can tell you honestly that it has been my pleasure to facilitate.

Over the past year I have worked extremely hard to build a cohesive team of individuals with various strengths and talents. Together we have accomplished more than I could have ever hoped or imagined under the previous organizational structure. It is my opinion that this is a direct result of the core belief that our employees are our greatest asset. They may be our greatest expense, but we as managers and leaders must recognize and remember that they are people first and foremost. They are not numbers and cogs that can simply be removed and replaced at will with no impact to the organization. Equipment can be replaced, but the loss of well trained and knowledgeable staff is something none of us can afford.

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Please feel free to reach out to us if you have questions, and hope to see you in our class.  Thank you!

Sincerely,

PNWS-AWWA South Sound Subsection