What is your role with Vallejo Water, and y? how long have you been with the City I’ve been with the City for nearly ten years. I was hired in April 2011 as a Senior Ad dministrative Clerk, for what was then the Public Works Water Division. I was promoted to Seccretary in 2015, and to Executive Secretary in 201 18, which is my current position. As Executive Se ecretary, I oversee and supervise the front office, act as a d provide liaison for the Water Department, and administrative support to the senior management team and other department staff. What is your educational and profe essional background? I graduated with a bachelor’s degree in liberal arts from the University of the Pacific. My work history has been service oriented, in the e capacity of an administrative professional. I first worked for a law firm representing injurred workers, then for the City of Concord in the City C Manager’s and Mayor’s Office, then for the e City of Benicia’s Public Works Department an nd finally, the City of Vallejo’s Water Department.
Why did you choose Vallejo? d, my job When working for the City of Concord was especially fulfilling because I live ed in the community as well. I left Concord to care for family, and when returning to the wo orkforce I
took a limited-term position with the City of Benicia, as my family and I had moved there. When that job ended, I knew I wanted to continue with a career in the public sector, and continue working either in my hometown or for a neighboring city. Fortunately, I heard that the City of Vallejo was hiring, and had an opening in Public Works. With my experience working for cities, and working for Benicia Public Works, the job with Vallejo Water was a good fit. Happily, I was hired! What does a typical day look like for you? When physically in the office, my day starts with a quick meeting with Water Director Mike Malone, to go over his calendar for the day, touch base on any pending items, execute signatures and approvals, and get direction on anything he might need support with. After that, each day varies depending on requests from managers and other staff, and what takes priority. Mostly, though, if you were to stop by my desk you’d find me reviewing and responding to emails, working on special projects, planning events, scheduling meetings, working with Human Resources on personnel-related matters, processing payroll, responding to Public Records Act Requests, preparing agendas and meeting notes, proofreading and finalizing documents, registering staff for trainings and conferences, updating records…and lots more.
What is your favorite part of your job? My favorite part of my job is connecting with people, knowing that I’m providing a service, and helping them in some way. It’s the dayto-day customer service, engaging with the community at outreach events, or just working side by side with coworkers that I value. I’ve been extremely fortunate to work with a great group of people who are very diverse in terms of the talents, skills and expertise they bring to their jobs. These connections keep me motivated and keep my job interesting and meaningful.
What advice do you have for women looking to enter the Water industry? I’d say...go for it! Do some research, take advantage of the available resources out there, and try to connect with someone already in the industry. Before working for the Water Department I, like most people, had no idea how complex the process is to get water that meets state and federal standards to the faucets in my home. If you have interests in administration, engineering, facilities maintenance, water quality, treatment operations or distribution, there are job opportunities available. In my experience, a career in water is challenging and most importantly, very rewarding.