Thank You Vendors for Your Support!tricounties.cwea.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/54/... · 2-Year...

July—August 2014

Volume 16, Issue 4

Board of Directors

President Thomas Welche City of Santa Barbara 520 East Yanonali Street Santa Barbara, CA 93103 P/ 805.568.1002 F/ 805.568.1021 [email protected] Vice-President Teresa Kistner Goleta Sanitary District 1 Wm Moffett Place Goleta, CA 93117 P/ 805.967.4519 F/ 805.964.3583 [email protected] Secretary Mark Greenfield Burbank Supply Company 3407 Wyoming Avenue Burbank, CA 91505 P/ 818-749-2839 F/ 818-954-8861 Treasurer John Pujol Advanced World.com 3055 Kashiwa St. Torrance, CA 90505 P/ 310-534-4000 F/ 310-534-4020 Member-at-Large Nick Steffen City of Simi Valley 2929 Tapo Canyon Road Simi Valley, CA93063 P/ 805-5836476 F/ 805-583-6497 Past President Kay Allen City of Simi Valley 2929 Tapo Canyon Road Simi Valley, CA 93065 P/ 805.583.6424 F/ 805.583.6402 [email protected] 2-Year Director Brett Offerman 465 Encino Dr. Oak View, CA 93022 P/ 805.444.4486 F/ 805.649.9630 [email protected] CWEA 7677 Oakport St., Suite 600 Oakland, CA 94621 P/ 510.382.7800 F/ 510.3827810 [email protected]/www.cwea.org

Are you interested in working with a dynamic group while honing your skills and enhancing your resume? If so, then the P3S or Lab Com-

mittee Chair volunteer position is for you!

Contact a Board Director for more infor-mation.

Thank You Vendors for Your Support!

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JulyJuly--August 2014August 2014

Volume 16 Issue 4Volume 16 Issue 4

Gravity FlowlineGravity Flowline

The Gravity Flowline is published bimonthly by the California Water Environment Association Tri-Counties Section

7677 Oakport Street, Suite 600, Oakland, CA 94621-1935

Send your comments, ideas and/or articles to [email protected]

CWEA Tri-Counties Section Members: Current members will automatically receive the Gravity Flowline Newsletter Renew your membership or update your mailing address: CWEA, 7677 Oakport Street, Suite 600 Oakland, CA 94621-1935

Phone: 510-382-7800 Fax: 510-382-7810 Email: [email protected] http://www.cwea.org/mlr_member_renewmem.html

Visit “http://www.cwea.org/TriCounties” for up-to-date information, event flyers, workshop

schedules/registration forms, and vendor registration forms for all TRIS events.

Inside This Issue:

President’s Message 2‐3

June Workshop Review 4‐5

June Workshop Photos 6‐7

September Workshop Registra on 8‐9

“Top 10 Reasons” for Nomina ons 10

“El Estero Receives Award” 11

“Simi Valley Open House” 11

Turkey of the Year Nomina on Form 12

CWEA Tri‐Coun es Meet and Greet 13

Supergroup News 14

June Workshop Thank You 15

A ending the Tri‐State Seminar 16

“Oil Pulling” 17

“21st Century Educa on” 18‐20

TCS Calendar and Adver ser’s Index 21

TCS Commi ee Chairs and Volunteers 22

President’s Message Thomas Welche

Summer has arrived. I am happy to report that our Tri

Coun es Sec on volunteers are in full swing imple‐

men ng another full schedule this year. The March

Workshop in Santa Barbara and the Plant of the Year

Workshop in Simi Valley were resounding successes and

I’m looking forward to our Golf Tournament at the River

Ridge Course in Oxnard on July 18th and the Past Presi‐

dent’s Picnic and Campout July 25‐27 at Lake Cachuma

in Santa Barbara.

I am proud to be the President of this sec on. It has

been quite a ride making it to this posi on on the board

and with every board mee ng and every event that we

put on, I appreciate my fellow board members, com‐

mi ee chairs, and other volunteers more and more. We

have an amazing group of professionals that donate

their me and energy to make our sec on successful. It

has been a very fulfilling process learning how our sec‐

on works and if you have any desire to par cipate more

in the CWEA, volunteering at the local sec on level is a

great way to start. We are always looking for new people

to bring into our team.

I’d also like to acknowledge our vendors who play a huge

part in suppor ng our sec on through their adver se‐

ments in the Flowline, displays at our events, dona ons

and sponsorships.

(Con nued on page 3)

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If you haven’t checked out mycwea.org, please do. It’s a great tool for you to check on your membership status, update

your informa on, renew cer fica ons, and sign up for state CWEA events. It helps us out too because that’s where we

get our mailing lists for the Flowline and other flyers from.

Since I didn’t get a chance to at the June Workshop, I would like to publicly congratulate Kay Allen for winning “P3S

Person of the Year” at the Annual Conference in April. I had the opportunity to present Kay her well‐deserved award at

a city council mee ng of her employer, the City of Simi Valley, in June. The mayor followed my presenta on with a

proclama on congratula ng Kay for her outstanding service. Please make sure to congratulate Kay the next me you

see her!

Speaking of awards, awards packets have been out on the CWEA’s website since July 1st! If you think you have an

outstanding coworker or facility, make sure to fill out an applica on! Don’t forget about our local sec on awards as

well. The Tri‐Coun es Sec on has three local sec on awards that are not at the state level: District Manager/Public

Works Director of the Year, Administra ve Staff Person of the Year, and Maintenance Worker/Laborer of the Year. In

addi on to those three local sec on awards we also have a “Gimmicks and Gadgets” award that you can apply for.

Don’t fret if you haven’t a ended any events this year. We s ll have opportuni es for you to earn contact hours,

network with other wastewater professionals and just have some plain old fun. We s ll have the September Workshop,

Turkey of the Year, TCP Training and Awards Banquet coming up. Make sure to check out our website at h p://

cwea.org/tricoun es for updates. Thank you all for your support and I look forward to seeing you soon.

President’s Message continued from page 2

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Congratulations City of Simi Valley WQCP!

June “Plant of the Year” Workshop & Vendor Exhibit Teresa Kistner, CWEA Vice President

June 12th proved to be another glorious day for our local TCS colleagues to gather, connect with each other and learn

more about the water protec on field from our cherished, well‐informed vendors and knowledgeable instructors.

When the City of Simi Valley hosts our TCS training events it feels more like a “mini conference” because there is

plenty of cer fica on training, relevant session topics and they offer four opportuni es to tour the Water Quality

Control Plant which ensures that all ques ons regarding their opera ons will get answered! Much GRATITUDE to this

year’s event chair: Nick Steffen, Simi’s Lead Wastewater Operator and TCS Member‐at‐Large. Also, KUDOS to our

veteran TCS event planner Barbara Langley, aka “Grace.” The famous cucumber salad was a dead giveaway that she

had much to do with the beau ful bounty of food enjoyed by all. Thank‐you Barbara and Nick for your hard work!

Besides having the pres ge of winning the TCS “Plant of the Year” for 2013, there was more to celebrate this year in

Simi Valley as four of the nine Tri‐Coun es Sec on recogni on awards went to their staff and facili es: “Collec on

System of the Year,” “Operator of the Year” (Nick Steffen), and, with a big win at the state level, congratula ons

“CWEA P3S Person of the Year” (Kay Allen)! Also, a shout out to the rest of the 2013 TCS Awards winners: “Collec on

System Person of the Year” (Ken Wilson, Camarillo Sanitary District); “Gimmicks and Gadgets” (Jus n Graves, Mark

Bumgarner and Morgan Lea, Goleta Sanitary District); “Mechanical Technician of the Year” (Roger Goodman,

Camarillo Sanitary District); “Laboratory Person of the Year” (David Harter, Ojai Valley Sanitary District); and

“Engineering Achievement Award” (City of Oxnard AWPF and Recycled Water Distribu on). Our June workshop is

also acknowledgment of your fine achievements — way to make our local sec on proud! (Con nued on page 5)

Dale Ducharme Project Manager

Veolia Water West Operating Services, Inc. PO Box 665, 2401 El Camino Real, Arvin, CA 93203

tel: 661 854 2421 - fax: 661 854 3869

cell: 661 632 6414 [email protected] www.veoliawaterna.com

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June Workshop Review continued from page 4

Recogni on to the TCS Commi ee Chairs/Session Moderators for scheduling fine lessons and ensuring presenters had

the necessary equipment: Mark Benne , Liz Moody, Keith Cox, Jus n Graves, Barbara Langley, Heather Billing, Lance

Lawhon and Thomas Welche. Highest regard and apprecia on to our June Training Workshop instructors: Casey Balch,

Carpinteria Sanitary District; Patrick Wiley, PERC Water; Jeff Baker, City of Simi Valley; Tim Berschauer, Crowley Com‐

pany; Dave Badgley, Badgley & Associates; Keith Cox, AMI Pipe & Supply; Chris Lopez, Rancho California Water District;

Sco Johnson, ABC Labs; Varouj Abkian, City of Los Angeles; Jim Langley, City of Simi Valley; Rick Bavetz, Society of

Financial Awareness; Gil Dichter, Idexx; Gilbert Rabago, City of Simi Valley; Herb Fancher, Xylem; Kay Allen, City of Simi

Valley; Joe Deakin, City of Simi Valley; Denis Pollak, V&A Engineering; Nick Steffen, City of Simi Valley; and the fine

group of panelists from City of Simi Valley answering SYP ques ons: Robert Wernke, Ron Matuszek and Shirley Bau‐

sta. Salute to the fine Simi Operators for sharing their knowledge during each of four plant tours: Sco Nakamura,

Jim Paredes, Nick Steffen and Jeff Baker.

Our TCS Training Events would not be this successful without the gracious par cipa on of our loyal vendors. They

show up bright and early wearing smiles, set‐up their space and then enthusias cally share their wares and knowledge

for a few hours. Thank‐you for keeping our members up‐to‐date on the latest and greatest industry tools: 3T Equip‐

ment, Advanced Infrastructure Technologies, AMI Pipe & Supply, Bakersfield Pipe & Supply, BPS – Ventura, Cortech

Engineering LLC, Crowley Company, D&D Engineering, D&H Water Systems Inc., Duke’s Root Control, Inc., Environ‐

mental Rental Services, Inc., FGL Environmental, Gold Coast Environmental, Haaker, Hopkins Technical Products, Inc.,

IPEX USA, Mid‐West Associates, Inc. Municipal Maintenance Equipment, MME, Nixon‐EGLI Equipment Company,

Plumbers Depot, Ponton Industries, Inc., Rain for Rent, Sancon Engineering, Southland Water Technologies, South‐

west Valve, LLC / Rotork, Spa al Wave, Spears, Wesco Distribu on, West Coast Safety Supply, XYLEM Analy cs / YSI,

Zebron. You are all amazing friends and colleagues — we appreciate our me with you!

Apprecia ons from the event chair, Nick Steffen: Thank‐you to Jim Paredes and Paul Gonzalez for a fabulous BBQ, you

two are definite masters of the grill. Hail to Bill Farrell — no one got lost trying to find classrooms thanks to your adept

ability to place direc on signs in just the right places. Charles Cooper, it was a great relief knowing you could be count‐

ed on to coordinate the tables and chairs set‐up and take down — thanks. John Pujol, always on me, cool, calm and

collected — thanks for the smooth registra on process. Teresa Kistner/Jus n Graves — great door prizes and fun distri‐

bu on. Teresa/Mark Bumgarner — fine photos that capture our me together during this workshop. Jim Langley,

thank you for approving and allowing the staff me and facility space to host this event and for ge ng the Contact

Hour cer fica ons distributed. My gra tude to the en re Simi Valley WQCP team who all came together the week pri‐

or to the workshop to get everything in order and set up — we can all be proud of the outcome!

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June Workshop photos

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June Workshop photos

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Kay Allen, CWEA Awards Chair

Top 10 Reasons to Nominate an Award Winner

Number Ten – CWEA awards are fun to get!

Number Nine – CWEA awards are great addi ons to office wall space.

Number Eight – CWEA awards come in many forms – from the illustrious Plant of the Year award to the pres gious

Collec ons System Person of the Year to the esteemed Administra ve Professional of the Year.

Number Seven – CWEA award winners will have their name and picture prominently displayed in the Gravity Flowline.

Number Six – CWEA awards are great mo va onal tools.

Number Five – A CWEA award looks great on your resume.

Number Four – CWEA awards are great for showing your staff how much you appreciate their work.

Number Three – Tri‐Coun es Sec on award winner’s nomina ons are forwarded to the state to compete for state‐

wide awards.

Number Two – CWEA awards show your agency’s governing body that your staff members are well respected

professionals in their field.

Number One – The recipient of a CWEA award can proudly point to their award to prove they really know their s**t!

All kidding aside, we work in a pre y thankless profession. It’s not too o en that the public thanks us for what we do

yet no one hesitates to point fingers at us when something goes wrong. Most people don’t know, and don’t want to

know, what we do or how we do it. As long as they have clean water at their finger ps and the drains are flowing

they’re happy.

That’s just one of the reasons it’s so important to recognize the hard working people at our agencies and let them

know we appreciate all that they do. We run our treatment plants and collec on systems efficiently, let’s let everyone

know just how good a job we do by nomina ng ourselves for the Plant of the Year or Collec on System of the Year

award. We have outstanding professionals working in our agencies; let’s let them know just how good they are while

showing them how much we appreciate the work they do.

It’s never too early to start thinking about nomina ng your plant, collec ons system, or one of your staff for one of the

many CWEA State and Local Awards. Nomina on forms are available on the CWEA website at www.cwea.org/awards.

The Awards Banquet will be held January 16, 2015 at the Wedgewood Banquet Center in Ventura.

Shout-outs to Jose Mendez, who passed the Grade I Operator exam and Nick Dieli, who passed the CWEA Mechanical Technologist Grade II exam.

Way to go you two!

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The El Estero Wastewater Treatment Plant received an "Honored Ins tu on Award" in recogni on of 50 years of weather observa ons in coopera on with the Na onal Weather Service. These observa ons provide meteorological data in near real‐ me to support forecast, warning and other public service programs. They are also used to define the climate of the United States and to help measure long‐term climate changes.

El Estero Receives Award

The City of Simi Valley held their first Public Works Week

Open House in conjunc on with the American Public

Works Associa on Na onal Public Works Week. The

Public Works Department staff provided exhibits and

displays to demonstrate the work performed for their

community. All the departments were represented from

Landscaping, Streets, Fleet Maintenance, Water,

Sanita on, Storm Water, and Engineering. With fair‐like

demonstra on booths, staff were able to interact and

answer ques ons from the public as well as describe the

various techniques and equipment used for certain jobs.

In the photo to the right, Robert Wernke, Maintenance

Technician for Simi Valley, is

showing visitors a gear box for

a secondary clarifier. The

event was well a ended by

residents and was a success in

showcasing the important

work that we all do every single day.

Thomas Welche, CWEA President Simi Valley Open House Nick Steffen, Member-at-Large

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CWEA Tri-Counties Meet and Greet Michael Flores, CWEA TCS Board Liaison

I wanted to introduce myself to Tri‐Coun es CWEA members. My name is Michael Flores and I have been assigned as

the CWEA Board Liaison for the Tri‐Coun es Sec on. I have been a member of CWEA since 1998 when I moved from

Houston, Texas to Orange County to work for a water/wastewater engineering firm. When I moved to San Diego in

2001, I became more involved in CWEA and ended up serving on the San Diego Sec on Board un l I moved back up

north to LA County. For the past five years, I have served as the Los Angeles Basin Sec on Collec on System Commi ee

Chair and have worked with the LABS Board, Alec Mackie and Southern Sec ons Collec on System Commi ee to

organize collec on system‐focused training events. I have had the pleasure of mee ng many Tri‐Coun es Sec on

members who par cipated in those events. Last year, I was nominated by Alec Mackie to serve on the CWEA Board. I

was voted in as the Director of the South in April at the CWEA Annual Conference in Santa Clara. I am on what is known

as the “Treasurer’s Track,” which is a three‐year commitment culmina ng in me becoming the CWEA Treasurer in the

third year. In the mean me, I par cipate in all Opera ons mee ngs where we review CWEA’s financial health on a

monthly basis. I am proud to be a part of CWEA and with suppor ng our mission of providing training and educa on. It

is refreshing to know that the training and cer fica on that CWEA provides is se ng the gold standard for our industry,

as evidenced by numerous member associa ons wan ng to u lize our cer fica on program. If you have any thoughts,

ques ons, or concerns that you would like to share with the CWEA Board, please feel free to give me a call at (858) 864‐

7370 or e‐mail me at [email protected].

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Barbara Langley, CWEA TCS Supergroup Chair

My sincere thanks go out to all the excellent speakers that did such a great job presen ng at the June Plant of the Year

Workshop Leadership Session in Simi Valley, namely: Varouj Abkian, Assistant Director for City of Los Angeles Bureau

of Sanita on, for his presenta on on Strategy Management and Planning Execu on; Jim Langley, Simi Valley Sanita on

Services Deputy Director, CWEA TCP Liaison and TRIS TCP Chair, for his topic on Communica on in the Workplace; Rick

Bavetz, Society of Financial Awareness, on PERS Confiden al, Making the Most of CAL PERS. These great speakers

presented excellent and very engaging topics. Thank you for all the useful informa on and innova ve ideas you shared

with our a endees.

The next workshop is scheduled for September 11, 2014 in the great city of San Luis Obispo. Be ready to hear two

great speakers for the Leadership Session. It is a comeback for two of our Tri‐Coun es Board of Directors, John Pujol,

Treasurer of the TRIS Sec on, and Nick Steffen, Member‐at‐Large.

John Pujol or “JP,” as he is widely known, is President of Advanced Infrastructure Technologies. Advanced

Infrastructure offers training in the use of sewer cleaning nozzles and precision underground u lity locators, among

many other types of service and equipment. JP earned an MBA from Pepperdine University and has been a very ac ve

supporter of the Tri‐Coun es Sec on for years. He carries the pres gious tle, “Honorary Turkey,” in the great hall of

Turkeys! JP will be presen ng the topic, “Ethics for the Real World, Why Good People Some mes Do Bad Things.”

This class offers a simple strategy on how to prevent this from happening to you. Listen to what he has to say, we are

all good people at heart, yet some mes bad habits can create a cascade of events which can lead good people to do

bad things.

Nick Steffen will be offering a class en tled, “CWEA, Your Path to Success.” Nick is the newest board member to the

CWEA Tri‐Coun es Sec on and is the interim opera ons supervisor for the City of Simi Valley. Nick holds a Master of

Science degree in Civil Engineering and a Grade 5 Operator cer fica on. He was a recipient of the Kirt Brooks

Scholarship Award. His class will showcase all of the benefits of being a CWEA member, especially for students and

young professionals. Nick will explain how CWEA has helped him advance his career in the wastewater industry and

how you can do the same. There will also be a discussion about the many networking events that are sponsored by the

Tri‐Coun es Sec on, as well as other local sec ons of CWEA. Thanks again to all of you for con nuing to make our

workshops successful and providing excellent training opportuni es for all of our members.

Supergroup/Leadership Committee News

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I would like to thank the June Workshop P3S/Laboratory Speakers for giving their me and sharing their exper se. Gil Dicher of Idexx Laboratories gave an overview of the Idexx coliform, E. coli and enterococci tests. The Idexx

methods are easy, cost effec ve and require no special training. The tests use enzyme‐specific nutrient indicators that

produce easy to read endpoints. Test results are available in 24 hours.

Gilbert Rabago gave an engaging class on Elementary Environmental Compliance Math. Gilbert did a great job

explaining how to set up and calculate mass emission rates. The class also had a great discussion regarding the

benefits, costs and environmental concerns of salt water pools.

Herb Fancher of Xylem presented Online Process Analysis. Herb’s excellent presenta on comparing and contras ng

online analyzers used to gather a variety of qualita ve and quan ta ve water quality data. This data is cri cal

informa on in evalua ng the efficiency of a wastewater treatment plants opera on. Herb then compared and

contrasted these methods with analyses that are required for environmental compliance.

Kay Allen from the City of Simi Valley gave an overview of the State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB) Storm

Water Industrial General Permit (IGP). The IGP is a statewide, general NPDES permit that regulates the discharge of

storm water associated with industrial ac vity as defined by the EPA. Stormwater and urban runoff are significant

sources of water pollu on and can threaten aqua c life and human health. The new permit may require previously

unregulated industries to be inspected, sampled and obtain coverage under the new IDP. The costs for industries to

comply with these new regula ons could be significant.

I hope these speakers return to future workshops to share their presenta ons to those that missed them. Thank you Gil, Gilbert, Herb and Kay! Be sure to join your CWEA Tri‐Coun es Sec on colleagues in San Luis Obispo on September 11th for addi onal P3S training relevant to your water protec on career. See you there!

June Workshop Thank You Lance Lawhon, CWEA TCS P3S Committee Chair

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Why Should I Attend the Tri-State Seminar? Rick Simpson, CWEA TCS Turkey of the Year

Just telling your supervisor and agency that the Tri‐State Seminar is an amazing conference is not going to be enough

in this day and age. So, here are a few ps to assist you in showing just how valuable the informa on you will receive

is:

1. You will discover ideas and tools to take back to your agency. These

ideas can help you deliver results and contribute to your agency

achieving its goals.

2. You will connect with other water and wastewater professionals to

share success stories, exchange ideas, and ask ques ons.

3. You will speak directly with exhibitors who offer the latest

technologies and advances in the industry.

4. You can offer to prepare and deliver a short presenta on to your

peers who are not able to a end. Take detailed notes and get

handouts to help you.

5. Be ready with a plan for covering your job du es while you are at

the conference.

6. Adhere to the conference deadlines to get the best rates possible!

7. There are more than 200 classes and 325 vendors all for $95.00. Also there are 5 extra cost workshops and 3

tours.

Remember Tri‐State Seminar has always been the best bang for the training buck and you will bring back a return

on your agency’s investment by a ending, networking and learning – so see you at Southpoint! For more

informa on, go to www.tristateseminar.com/.

“Happiness is a bu erfly, which when pursued, is always just beyond our grasp, but which,

if you will sit down quietly, may alight upon you.”

‐Nathaniel Hawthorne

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Oil, WHAT?

The prac ce of “oil pulling” is a new Hollywood health trend based on an ancient Indian prac ce and seems to be all

the rave these days. Like Acai, Pilates and hot yoga, this health trend might be here to stay. “Oil pulling” is touted as

being a highly beneficial prac ce when it comes to oral/gum health, as well as being

poten ally very healing for an array of other ailments such as hormonal imbalance,

arthri s, liver weakness, and more. How can this be?

Oil pulling prac oners claim that there seems to be a strong correla on between

bacteria in the mouth, and the root of infec on or weakness elsewhere in the body,

organs and/or systems. However, there are no known scien fic studies suppor ng these

health claims.

So what is it and how do you do it? Essen ally in the morning (before any food or water is

consumed) you take approximately one tablespoon of plant based oil, such as sesame,

coconut or avocado oil and swish it around in your mouth, pulling the oil through your

teeth for approximately 20 minutes. Spit the oil into a sealable jar or can. Throw the container in the trash once it is full.

Never spit the oil into the sink as it will FOG the sewer lateral and create maintenance and backup issues.

I have tried it. Personally, I pull oil about two mes a week and do no ce a benefit. My teeth seem whiter a er pulling

and it leaves a long‐las ng fresh feeling. I will be curious to see if my den st no ces any improvement.

Is Oil Pulling FOGGING your Agencies’ Sewers? Lance Lawhon, CWEA TCS P3S Committee Chair

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Teresa Kistner, CWEA TCS Past President

Have you ever read the Tri‐Coun es Sec on Mission Statement on the back cover of your Gravity Flowline? This

statement appeared for the first me in the Jan/Feb 2004 and has been on the back of every issue since. It’s

interes ng that defining our goal and purpose as wastewater professionals over a decade ago coincides with a trend

developing about the same me: “21st Century Educa on.”

What is it? “21st Century Educa on” is flexible, crea ve, challenging, complex and contemporary – it engages

par cipants, fosters innova on, encourages use of the digital world in which we now live and, when implemented

successfully, will increase comprehension of our “dissemina on of technical informa on” to improve our careers. Four

words that consistently show up when looking into “21st Century Skills” are: Communica on, Collabora on, Cri cal

Thinking and Crea vity.

A endees at the 2014 CWEA Annual Conference in Santa Clara most likely experienced evolved training approaches

during sessions. Were you asked to write things down, chat with your neighbor/group, or take some me to reflect on

topics? Did you no ce more humor, more personal experiences blended into informa on, more pictures than bullets

during presenta ons? The CWEA has been working with Jeff Hurt of Velvet Chainsaw Consul ng for some me to

accomplish be er ways to engage conference a endees for the purpose of increasing reten on of the informa on

shared in sessions.

This year at the CWEA Annual Conference, I a ended a pre‐conference Leadership Training Workshop W5 called,

“Sizzle and Substance: Crea ng Brain‐Friendly Presenta ons” presented by Jeff Hurt. He not only has knowledge of

“21st Century Educa on” he also knows how the brain works and why this modern style of educa on drama cally

increases comprehension and reten on. He shared this informa on by example throughout his six‐hour workshop

which, coincidently, zoomed by!

Jeff was at the door to greet us, set a mood with music and began his session by invi ng all of us to go ahead and

answer texts or calls, and feel free to check out or leave whenever we wanted. At the start he asked us, “If you could

have lunch today with anyone in the world, who would that be?” and directed us to write down our choices and

discuss this with the person si ng next to us. His point being that it is cri cal to create a safe space to learn —

especially for introverts and, as we soon learned, to fire up our brains and ready them to take in the informa on he

was about to share.

Jeff described a difference: “educa on” = learning a lesson, a new concept, crea ng ideas that perpetuate while

“informa on” = something you can seek or share. He taught us that the brain thinks based on chemical/electrical

impulses and releases dopamine on what we find interes ng. He emphasized that informa on ≠ educa on and

educa on ≠ learning, ci ng research that shows we are all visual learners. When we dream, it is in pictures; blind

people see and think in pictures — it is the biology of the brain. We cannot listen and think at the same me; telling

doesn’t lead to learning and if we are not thinking, we are not learning.

(Con nued on page 19)

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So presenters must shut‐up some mes and allow students a chance to think, however

thinking = work = the brain gets red BUT the brain LOVES to problem solve and be right

because that’s when dopamine is released. For this reason, speakers must allow the audi‐

ence me to learn and make sense of the informa on presented. Jeff says, “When infor‐

ma on is presented in brain‐friendly ways, listeners become par cipants, increase their

reten on, and spread contagious enthusiasm. Designing a presenta on that aligns with

how the brain naturally learns ensures success.”

His presenta on described the biology and func ons of the brain: neurons receive signals from our five senses via small

electrical pulses with no immediate meaning. Only when we give a en on to the informa on does the brain begin to

integrate, and learning occurs. Brain func ons are 1) Sensory (receive informa on through back brain), 2) Integra ve

(reflect/connect), 3) Integra ve (make sense), and 4) Motor (test ideas as we speak or write). No ce that the brain must

integrate the sensory informa on twice before it acts. Jeff described the billions of neurons and trillions of connectors,

reminding us that if the brain doesn’t fire and wire then we don’t learn, but when we do learn something new the

brain grows. If you want your brain to grow, change up your rou ne — take a different route to and from work, for ex‐

ample.

Next topic: we feel before we think so successful presenters appeal to the emo ons by showing empathy and poin ng

out what’s in it for the audience, making them the center of ac on. A PowerPoint report conveys informa on, but it is

the stories that produce an experience. When the stories are good, people laugh and cry as the speaker layers facts and

stories like a perfect cake, making an impression, facilita ng a learning experience to be remembered. As promised in

the AC program, Jeff went on to iden fy eight brain‐friendly strategies for presenta ons:

1. Safety trumps Learning — it takes 20‐40 minutes to get rid of adrenaline, so the audience must feel safe and not

threatened.

2. Talking trumps Listening — informa on must be repeated to move into working memory or it disappears

(remember — ‘integra ve’ two mes). Having the audience give feedback enhances their self‐worth and facilitates

learning and reten on of material presented.

3. Chunking Info trumps Info Dumps — an audience’s a en on span is 10 minutes – you must grab them, change

what you’re doing every 10 minutes then discuss for two minutes while the brain re‐sets. Anchor stories with rele‐

vant problems — there needs to be tension for problem solving. Wrestle with what you agree and do not agree

with to charge brains and keep everyone interested.

4. Meaning trumps Content — do facts, data and figures persuade? Facts fall short of emo onally connec ng; it’s not

the informa on that is important but the emo onal impact of the informa on. Use facts and accompany them with

emo onal appeal. People rarely act by reason alone, the presenter needs to tap into audience beliefs in order to

persuade.

5. Emo ons trumps Facts – give the audience the freedom to think and a chance to feel the informa on as you weave

content with stories and pictures. Silence is a speaker’s friend — leverage it (even though some are uncomfortable

with unfilled gaps of me.)

6. Pa erns trump New Informa on – for presenta ons use lots of VISUALS, fewer bullets. No light colored font on

dark slide background – it is too difficult for the brain to process. (Con nued on page 20)

Pre-Conference Workshop continued from page 18

20




7. Images trump Words – Vision trumps all other senses in reten on and learning (solely

listening is at the bo om of the way that the brain processes.) Recogni on doubles with

pictures — 80% of brain processing is devoted to visuals — it lives by images. Images are

most effec ve when different, unusual and striking. We see with our brains, not with our

eyes. Props create stories and important analogies. When given oral info we retain 10% of

presenta on, visual is 35%. When primary informa on is in oral and visual this increases to

65% content recollec on. Using visual with words helps alignment in the brain process.

8. Different trumps Same – “The enemy of persuasion is obscurity.” To learn what a racts, study the opposite. Your

idea must be different to grab a en on and make an impact when sharing informa on.

During this workshop Jeff shared two websites to assist in crea ng modern presenta ons: www.haikudeck.com and www.slideshare.com. He also noted two books for anyone interested in learning more: “Conversa onal Intelligence” by Judith E. Glaser about “How Great Leaders Build Trust and Get Extraordinary Results,” and “Socialized!” by Mark Fidelman about “How the Most Successful Businesses Harness the Power of Social.”

If this story has sparked your interest go to h p://velvetchainsaw.com/category/educa on‐adult‐learning/feed/ or Google Jeff Hurt and/or Velvet Chainsaw Consul ng – it will be worth the web surf. Watch for integra on of some 21st Century Learning styles during our CWEA TCS September Workshop in San Luis Obispo on September 11th. Your thoughts, comments and/or ques ons are always WELCOME!

Pre-Conference Workshop continued from page 19

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July 2014

18 TCS Golf Tournament– River Ridge, Oxnard

25‐27 Past President’s Picnic & Campout, Lake Cachuma

August 2014

28 BOD Mee ng‐Goleta Sanitary District

September 2014

5 GFL Ar cle Deadline

11 September Workshop— San Luis Obispo

23‐25 Tri‐State Conference

29‐30 MSA Conference

October 2014

1‐3 MSA Conference

November 2014

6 BOD Mee ng— Ojai Valley Sanitary District

7 GFL Ar cle Deadline

14 Turkey of the Year Banquet, Officer Nomina ons and

Safety Mee ng— Loca on TBD

December 2014

4 TCP Training Sessions— Oxnard PAC

Company Name Page

Burbank 5

Cannon 2, 15

Coombs‐Hopkins 5

Cortech Engineering 14

D & D Engineering 3

DN Tanks 4

Doherty Tech 17

Duke’s 3

Environmental Rental Services 11

Hasan Consultants 15

JBI 17

Mimiaga Engineering 17

MISCO Water 14

Penfield & Smith 4

Priority Safety 3

Roberson 4

Sancon 3

Veolia 4

3T 16

Brown & Caldwell 13

Advanced Infrastructure 17

Bay Area Process 16

Aqua c Bioassay 20

Aqualitec 21

Adver ser’s Index 2014 TCS Calendar of Events

22




AWARDS Kay Allen City of Simi Valley 2929 Tapo Canyon Road Simi Valley, CA 93065 P/ 805.583.6424 F/ 805.583.6402 [email protected] COLLECTION SYSTEMS Justin Graves (South TRIS) Goleta Sanitary District 1 William Moffett Place Goleta, CA 93117 P/ (805) 967-4519 F/ (805) 964-3583 [email protected] COLLECTION SYSTEMS Ben Marquart (North TRIS) City of San Luis Obispo 25 Prado Road San Luis Obispo, CA 93401 P/ (805) 781-7033 F/ (805) 542-9868 [email protected] FLOWLINE PHOTOGRAPHER Teresa Kistner Goleta Sanitary District 1 William Moffett Place Goleta, CA 93117 P/ (805) 967-4519 F/ (805) 964-3583 [email protected] PPP & GOLF TOURNAMENT Johnny Tarver 1920 Ashburn Dr N. Las Vegas, NV 89032 P/ (805) 453-4401 JTarver8@cox. net LOCAL SECTION HISTORIAN Harold “Mr. Bear” Reyes 2305 Maricopa Highway Ojai, CA 93023 P/ 805.421.8547 [email protected] LOCAL SECTION HISTORIAN Brett Offerman

465 Encino Dr. Oak View, CA 93022 P/ 805.444.4486 F/ 805.649.9630 [email protected]

MAINTENANCE Liz Moody Cannon Corporation 1050 Southwood Drive San Luis Obispo, CA 93401 P/ (805) 544-7407 F/ (805) 544-3863 [email protected] MAINTENANCE Michael Kielborn Cannon Corporation 1050 Southwood Drive San Luis Obispo, CA 93401 P/ (805) 544-7407 F/ (805) 544-3863 [email protected] OPERATIONS Mark Bennet Carpenteria Sanitary District 5300 Sixth Street Carpenteria, CA 93013 P/ (805) 684-7214 ext. 17 [email protected] OPERATOR’S CHALLENGE Co-Chair Justin Graves Goleta Sanitary District 1 William Moffett Place Goleta, CA 93117 P/ (805) 967-4519 F/ (805) 964-3583 [email protected] OPERATOR’S CHALLENGE Co-Chair Harold “Mr. Bear” Reyes 2305 Maricopa Highway Ojai, CA 93023 P/ 805.421.8547 [email protected] LABORATORY CHAIR Heather Billing Wallace Group 612 Clarion Court San Luis Obispo, CA 93401 P/ 805.544.4011 F/ 805.544.4294 [email protected]

P3S Lance Lawhon Carpinteria Sanitary District 5300 Sixth Street Carpinteria, California 93013 (805) 684-7214 x13 [email protected]

PROF. DEVELOPMENT Bradshaw Pruitt Ojai Valley Sanitary District 1072 Tico Road Ojai, CA 93023 P/ (805) 646-5548 F/ (805) 643-9212 [email protected] PUBLIC EDUCATION Louis Chiourn City of Santa Barbara 520 East Yanonali Street Santa Barbara, CA 93103 P/ (805) 568-1004 F/ (805) 568-1022 [email protected] SAFETY Keith Cox AMI Pipe & Supply 2125 Golden Hill Road Paso Robles, CA 93446 P/ (805) 331-9630 C/(805) 331-9630 F/ (805) 614-9294 Keith@amisupply SMALL COMMUNITIES Ben Marquart City of San Luis Obispo 25 Prado Road San Luis Obispo, CA 93401 P/ (805) 781-7033 F/ (805) 542-9868 [email protected] SUPERGROUP Barbara Langley City of Simi Valley 2929 Tapo Canyon Road Simi Valley, CA 93063 P/ 805.583.6446 F/ 805.583.6497 [email protected]

TCP & CONTACT POINTS Jim Langley City of Simi Valley 2929 Tapo Canyon Road Simi Valley, CA 93063 P/ (805) 583-6443 F/ (805) 583-6497 [email protected] TURKEY-OF-THE-YEAR Rick Simpson Ojai Valley Sanitary District 1072 Tico Road Ojai, CA 93023 P/ (805) 646-5548 F/ (805) 643-9212 [email protected] MEMBERSHIP Teresa Kistner Goleta Sanitary District 1 William Moffett Place Goleta, CA 93117 P/ (805) 967-4519 F/ (805) 964-3583 [email protected] CWEA LIAISON Michael Flores HDR Inc. 3230 El Camino Real Irvine, CA 92602 P/ (714) 730-2300 [email protected] STUDENTS & YOUNG PROFESSIONALS

Thomas Welche City of Santa Barbara 520 East Yanonali Street Santa Barbara, CA 93103 P/ (805) 568-1002 F/ (805) 568-1021 [email protected] Website Thomas Welche [email protected] Louis Chiourn [email protected]

COMMITTEE CHAIRS & OTHER VOLUNTEERS

23




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