FWRC 2022 – CONNECT AGAIN! WOMEN OF WATER FORUM
Forum Celebrates the Accomplishments of Women in the Industry Acknowledging the importance of, and contributions by, women in the water and wastewater industries, the fifth Women of Water (WOW) forum was presented at the conference on April 25. The facilitators for the session were: S Marjorie G. Craig, P.E., director, environmental utilities department, City of St, Cloud S A . Randolph Brown, utilities director, City of Pompano Beach The two-hour session attracted more than forty people (mostly women, with some men), and the interaction among the panelists, moderators, and audience members—students, those new to the industry, and seasoned professionals— produced a lively and informative discussion. The panelists for the program were: S M onica Autry Wallis, P.E., operations manager, Destin Water Users Inc. S R honda Harris, P.E., BCEE, PMP, senior owner/advisor, Brown and Caldwell S T erri Lowery, senior vice president, Jones Edmunds and Associates Inc. S S uzanne Mechler, P.E., BCEE, client service leader, CDM Smith S E milie Moore, P.E., PMP, ENV SP, senior program manager, Black & Veatch S L ynn Spivey, director of utilities, City of Plant City
Background Craig and Brown welcomed everyone to the session, which was held in a hollow-square format to help facilitate discussion with the audience. Craig stated that the purpose of the forum is to allow everyone to share their stories about their work experience and to support each other.
Monica Autry Wallis
Rhonda Harris
In the United States, less than one in five water workers is a woman, according to new research by the World Bank’s Water Global Practice. Women are also underrepresented in technical and managerial positions where, in sampled utilities, on average, only 23 percent of licensed engineers are women. The figure is the same for female managers. Some utilities have no women in technical and managerial positions at all—one in three (32 percent) utilities in the sample have no female engineers and 12 percent of utilities have no female managers. The industry has a long way to go, but great strides have been made over the last 20 years.
Their Start in the Industry Craig asked the panelists if they chose the water industry or if it chose them. S Autry Wallis said that she chose to work in water. S In college, Mechler didn’t like chemical engineering, so she switched to water. S Harris was in civil engineering for six years, earned an MBA, and then started in water. S Moore liked the environmental aspect of water and wanted to “save the world.” She first got involved by joining the Florida Section AWWA. S Lowery thought that engineers drove trains! She learned that she enjoyed doing things that engineers didn’t (securing project funding, public communication, going to board meetings) and proved herself useful to the industry. S Spivey fell into the work. She started in electrical engineering and switched to chemical engineering, which led her to water treatment.
Terri Lowery
26 July 2022 • Florida Water Resources Journal
Suzanne Mechler
Finding Success Craig posed this question to the panelists: What does a woman need to be successful in the industry? S W omen need to be encouraged to speak up about what they want. S M entors can give women advice and guidance about their experiences. S M any younger women enter the industry as consultants and should be encouraged to learn all aspects of the industry to open up new opportunities. S F ind a network, join an association, volunteer on committees. S C reate a viable work/life balance. People have different needs at different stages of their careers. S Never feel alone or that you have to succeed on your own. There are many people (women and men) who can help you navigate a workplace. S L ook beyond a job description and seek out other projects that might be of interest. This will help others to see your worth. Brown stated that workers should be willing to take on new tasks, but they should be allowed to fail, as that’s when you learn what to do (and not to do) the next time. When workers feel empowered to try new things, that’s when innovation occurs.
Addressing the Worker Shortage and Retirement Wave According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, more than half of water industry workers will be eligible to retire by the end of this decade. This massive wave of retirees will leave a large gap of experience and
Emilie Moore
Lynn Spivey
