Public Works Podcast

Episode Title: "Mentorship, Public Service, and Supporting the Next Generation" Episode Summary: Welcome to The Public Works Podcast! In this episode, host Shane Silsby sits down with Vic Bianes, President of the American Public Works Association, to discuss his decades-long career, leadership lessons, workforce development, and the future of public works. Timestamps : 00:00 – Introduction & M...

Episode Title: Road to Efficiency: Lessons from Lower Makefield Twp. & vialytics on Smarter Pavement Management  Episode Summary & Timestamps:  00:00 – Introduction & Episode Overview Meet your host, Shane Silsby, and get an overview of the challenges in modernizing pavement management for local governments. 02:20 – Meet the Guests Introduction of Derek Fuller (Public Works Director, L...

Episode Title:  “Securing Our Water Future: Management, Financing, and Affordability in the American West” Episode Summary: Join host Shane Silsby on The Public Works Podcast as he interviews Dr. Kathryn Sorensen, Director of Research at the Kyl Center for Water Policy at Arizona State University. Dr. Sorensen shares her expertise on water management, the challenges facing the Colorado River, grou...

Episode Title: Resilient Infrastructure & Public Service as "Opportunities" Episode Summary: Join host Shane Silsby as he interviews Marcia "Marsie" Geldert-Murphey, an accomplished civil engineer, former ASCE president, and Illinois State Senate candidate. Marsie shares her journey from environmental advocacy in South Dakota to leading major infrastructure projects and championing resilient,...

Episode Summary: In this episode of The Public Works Podcast, host Shane Silsby interviews Mary Joyce Ivers from the City of Ventura, a leader in public works with a distinguished career at both local and national levels, including serving as president of the American Public Works Association (APWA). The conversation covers Mary Joyce’s career journey, leadership insights, major projects, emergenc...

Episode Summary: In this episode of The Public Works Podcast, host Shane Silsby interviews Mark Toy, General Manager of the Yorba Linda Water District and former Major General in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Mark shares his journey from military service to local government leadership, discusses the challenges and innovations in water management, and offers insights on leadership, mentorship,...

Episode Title: Reimagining Public Works for a Growing City: Insights from Hye Jin Lee Episode Summary: Join host Shane Silsby for an inspiring conversation with Hye Jin Lee, Director of Public Works for the City of Chino, California. Hye Jin shares her journey from consulting engineer to municipal leader, and how she's building a culture of excellence in public service. In this episode, we explore...

Episode Title: “Thoughts from City Government: Infrastructure, Urbanism, and Civic Dialogue" Episode Theme: The role of conversation, transparency, and thoughtful questioning in shaping better cities and strengthening public service. Episode Summary: In this episode of The Public Works Podcast, host Shane Silsby sits down with Andy Boenau to explore his unconventional journey from punk rock drummi...

Episode Summary: Join us for a special episode of The Public Works Podcast featuring Dr. Naoki Takesue, recorded in Kyoto, Japan. Dr. Takesue shares his extensive experience in infrastructure asset management and the challenges facing both Japan and the United States as aging infrastructure demands innovative solutions. Key Topics & Timestamps: 0:00 - Introduction - Special Episode from Kyoto,...

Guest: Sunny Wescott, Former Air Force Meteorologist and current leader of the Geospatial Intelligence ISAC. On this episode, we dove deep into the high-stakes world of military weather forecasting, global solutions for extreme heat, and the critical work of threat intelligence. Military Weather Training Intensity: Sunny shared her experience as an Air Force meteorologist, detailing the rigorous,...

Join us as we talk with Jerry Hatfield, a 14-year veteran of the sewer equipment industry, about the critical need for specialized technician training. Jerry shares the story behind starting Hatfield Edge LLC and developing "factory trained mechanic schools" to combat inadequate tech support and maximize equipment repair efficiency. Key Discussion Points: The Problem: New equipment launches often...

In this episode, host Joseph Blackman interviews James Peters, a Water Reuse expert, about revolutionary solutions to the global water crisis. James discusses how his organization helps cities facing "water bankruptcy" by providing a product that allows residents to recycle water at home. This approach aims to move communities to a water-positive state by cutting residential consumption in half. J...

Joseph Blackman and David Jenkins, CEO of Infrastructure Public Works Engineers of Australia (IPWEA), discussed the challenges and value propositions of associations, including the difficulty in engaging young professionals and the necessity for associations to adapt and find new, sustainable revenue streams. He emphasized that for educational offerings to be effective and attractive, they must be...

Joseph Blackman introduced Gabby Zanzarella, a Stormwater Operations Analyst for High Point, North Carolina, whose role involves protecting water quality, maintaining infrastructure, and environmental stewardship, often in high-pressure situations, requiring adaptability and effective communication. Gabby shared her non-traditional career path, which included a degree in environmental management a...

Joseph Blackman welcomed Travis Kearney, Wastewater Collection Supervisor at Carpenteria Sanitary District, to the public works podcast, where Travis outlined his multi-faceted role, including managing 42 miles of pipe, overseeing maintenance and inspections, and maintaining 133 unique E1 grinder pumps in the small beach community. Travis emphasized the importance of a positive mindset and rotatin...

Joseph Blackman introduced Lucia Diaz, the Manager of Facilities and Water System Programs for Inland Empire Utilities Agency (IEUA), who provided an overview of IEUA's wholesale water services, wastewater treatment, and her extensive role overseeing facilities management, conveyance systems, and physical security. Lucia detailed her career progression from a construction background to being the f...

Joseph Blackman introduced Kristina Ramirez, the City Engineer at Harker Heights, Texas, to discuss her diverse responsibilities, which include managing capital improvement projects (CIP), ensuring compliance for development plans, and prioritizing public communication and transparency. Kristina highlighted that a city engineer's essential skill sets are communication, active listening, and bridgi...

Joseph Blackman welcomed Danielle Blacet, Executive Director at the California Municipal Utilities Association (CMUA), who explained that CMUA is a nonprofit trade association representing 86 water, wastewater, and publicly owned electric and gas utilities in California, primarily focusing on advocacy in legislative and regulatory arenas. Danielle highlighted CMUA’s advocacy win, securing $3 billi...

Joseph Blackman interviewed Sumant Patel, Manager of Operations Wastewater Services at the City of Guelph, about his professional role, which involves managing daily operations, planning strategic priorities, and ensuring resource support for staff, all while focusing on optimization to reliably deliver wastewater treatment services. Sumant shared his career path from software engineering to waste...

Joseph Blackman welcomed Elia Twigg, CEO of Lantic Solutions, to the public works podcast to discuss Elia Twigg's civil engineering career, ranging from discovering the field in 11th grade and joining UF's "step-up program," to progressing through city roles to become the Public Works Director, and eventually founding Lantic Solutions in 2022. Elia Twigg detailed their experience as a Jennings Ran...

Joseph Blackman and Max Herzog discussed the Cleveland Water Alliance (CWA), a nonprofit economic development organization focused on supporting water technology innovation in Ohio and the Great Lakes region. Max Herzog, Deputy Director of Programs and Partnerships at CWA, explained that the organization helps innovators and institutional stakeholders by acting as a market connector and validator,...

Joseph Blackman interviewed Aaron Kirkland, the Superintendent of Green Storm Water Operations at the Philadelphia Water Department (PWD), to discuss the department's "Green Cities Clean Waters" initiative, which aims to reduce combined sewer overflows using green storm water infrastructure (GSI) like rain gardens. Aaron Kirkland explained that GSI uses Storm Water Management Practices (SMPPs) to...

Joseph Blackman introduced Erinn DeJonge, the Fleet Business Operations Manager at Sarasota County, who manages over 1,700 assets with an annual budget that includes about $12 million for acquisitions and $3-5 million for fuel, while clarifying that a separate manager oversees the 40 technicians across three maintenance shops. Erinn DeJonge detailed their role in acquisition, fuel site management,...

Joseph Blackman welcomed Ron Romero, the assistant director of Austin Resource Recovery, to the podcast where Ron Romero described their operational role leading 250 employees responsible for all curbside services and the complexity of solid waste management, emphasizing the need for adaptability due to dynamic variables like weather. Ron Romero discussed the positive community feedback on the tra...

Joseph Blackman interviewed Paul Cornejo, the operations manager at AOS Utility Services, about his role, career path, and the state of the public works industry. Paul Cornejo detailed his multiple responsibilities at AOS Utility Services, which include consulting, contract operations, and drone inspections, and emphasized the need for small companies to network and attend conferences to keep up w...