Women In Water, Women In Membranes

By Jessica Boynton, PhD, Director of Sales and Marketing, King Lee Technologies

Looking around the room at the Southwest Membrane Operators Association (SWMOA) board meeting, it was brought to my attention that this was the first time SWMOA has had two women on the board of directors — myself and Christiana Daisy, Operations Manager at West Basin Municipal Water District. Pretty impressive, considering that female representation in SWMOA has only been ~10 percent since its inception in 2006.

To gain more perspective on their motivations, challenges, and outlook, I reached out to four women with distinct industry positions and asked them about their experiences working in water. A selection of the questions and responses from the interviews are found below. The subjects were: Meghan Yeghert, a young Water Treatment Operator in La Junta, CO; Jill M. Miller, an Assistant Superintendent in Bozeman, MT; Judy K. Adams, an Area Manager-Operational Support Services in Brownsville, TX; and Lynne Gulizia, a Sales Director-Americas at Toray Membrane USA in San Diego, CA. Each has a unique story to tell.

Meghan Yeghert – Water Treatment Operator, La Junta Water Treatment

Why did you choose the water industry? 

I was basically thrown into the water industry. I started working for the City of La Junta as a part-time employee in their purchasing department; from there I transferred as a temporary warehouse keeper. Throughout my time in both departments, the head of our water department, Thomas Seaba, helped me a lot. Eventually, when a job came open in the water department, he encouraged me to apply and go in for an interview. I wasn't quite sure what I was getting myself into, but I decided to go anyway. I was given the job as a water treatment plant operating intern/apprentice. 

What do you love most about a job in water?

It’s hard for me to say just one thing I love about this job because there are so many. I love that I never ever do the same thing every day. Some days we go work in the wellfields, some days we work on coming up with new and better ways to do simple things in the plant, some days we are working on mechanical issues, and so much more. It never gets boring and keeps me on my toes! Another thing I love about this job are my coworkers. From the very beginning, when they first heard I got the job, every single one of them have been extremely supportive. I work with four men: Keith Manweiler, Jan Fisher, Ken Tanner, and our supervisor Steve Roberts. Not only are they all full of knowledge (all of them have an A in treatment and a 4 in distribution), but they, too, keep me on my toes. We are always laughing and enjoying what we are doing. It makes the day so much more enjoyable. 

Were there any hurdles when you first joined because of being a woman, or any hurdles since?

I wouldn't say there were any hurdles in the city that I work for. Everyone has welcomed me with open arms. However, I do notice that anytime we go to training seminars, everyone looks at me like I don't belong. I always see all the men casually talking and shaking hands between breaks, but no one ever comes up to shake my hand. (I guess I would be scared of a 21-year-old woman in the water industry too.) Really, though, most people point out the elephant in the room, some give me grief for it for a while, and then we move on.

Where do you see yourself growing in the industry?

If you would've told me even just last year that I would be working as a water treatment operator, I would've called you a liar. However, I can honestly say I love where I'm at, and that I plan on staying for a very long time. All my coworkers are helping me study and get ready for my upcoming tests to continue with my certifications; I plan on going as far as I possibly can to get to an A4 along with the rest of them. 

Jill M. Miller – Assistant Superintendent, City of Bozeman Water Treatment Plant

Why did you choose the water industry?

To answer simply, when I went back to college I was an education major, and by the end of the first semester I was over being around the education majors. So I went looking for something easy and found the Water Quality Technology/Environmental Health degree program. I have always liked science, and the classes looked interesting. I never actually wanted to be a plant operator. My goal was to be a regulator, but I’m glad I became an operator instead. When I was young and dumb, the thought of giving back and providing a necessity never crossed my mind; I was only looking for what I could do easily. Now, I look at it as a guaranteed job for life — as long as you do your job. As with any job in any industry, you get out of it what you put into it. I have put more into my career than I ever figured I would when I started. 

What do you love most about a job in water?

My favorite part of the job is troubleshooting. To have to figure out why something is not working when there are several variables is enjoyable, and I feel accomplished when we actually figure it out without having to break more components. With my current positions with the Northwest Membrane Operator Association (NWMOA) and the American Membrane Technology Associations (AMTA), the City of Bozeman has granted me the freedom to travel all over for workshops and conferences. I am actually sitting in the Denver airport now, typing on my way to Cottage Grove, OR, for a NWMOA MOC [Membrane Operators Certification]-III course. I think I hit the jackpot with my job. I have more perks than I could have ever dreamed of.

Were there any hurdles when you first joined because of being a woman, or any hurdles since?

I worked with a couple who were a bit sexist, but I grew up in a very sexist family where a woman’s place is in the kitchen and not out working side-by-side with “the men,” so I don’t know that I noticed it as much then as I do now, looking back on it. I started at the bottom and worked my way to the top. When those men had to start listening to me, it was sometimes a problem. I have also never worked a normal job. I have been a ranch hand, wrangler, horse trainer, wildland firefighter, and WTP [water treatment plant] operator. All of those are male-dominated; and in all of those, for the most part, I have always been considered one of the guys. 

In the water industry, I don’t think I have faced any hurdles except for the couple of sexist guys I used to work with. The water industry is also not the good ol’ boys club that it once was — and not because women have infiltrated, but because bad things were happening by giving their buddies jobs.

How have you seen the industry grow to become more female-friendly (or maybe you haven’t seen growth)? What do you think we still need to work on?

I don’t necessarily think it is an industry problem of not being female-friendly. I think it is more of a societal problem that remains somewhat sexist. As we grow up, we only see the guys in the trenches in the streets, so that is our preconceived notion of what working in the water industry is. There is probably also a stigma that those guys in the trench are big, burly, manly men. So I think women have been steered away from science and engineering degrees in the past. For the first 13 years of my 15½-year career, I was the only female operator at our plant. We rarely saw any female applicants. In the last couple of years, we have seen a lot more female applicants for jobs and have hired two women.

I have noticed that more and more women are in the engineering and science majors in college. In going to NWMOA events, there are very few female operators or engineers that show up to them. I have noticed in the last year or two that there are a lot more female engineers, operators, etc. at AMTA events. There are also a lot more women on the AMTA board of directors than when I got elected a few years ago.

Judy K. Adams – Area Manager-Operational Support Services, Brownsville Public Utilities Board

Why did you choose the water industry? 

I fell in love with rivers and lakes during college, something I hadn’t experienced growing up on the U.S./Mexico border. My part-time job in college was working in a water lab, and it was very satisfying. I developed a passion for the science behind water. I changed my studies to a focus on ecology and water sciences. 

What do you love most about a job in water?

I love giving back to the community. It doesn’t get old — every day is different and offers a fresh challenge; and, most of all, working with a team that tries to keep getting better at what we do.

Were there any hurdles when you first joined because of being a woman, or any hurdles since?

As women, we were seen as having a laboratory, compliance, or administrative support role. It was difficult to break into operations. I believe women work harder to prove themselves because of the male-dominated industry. 

Any other related topics?

Water is not a glamorous career, but it is challenging and fun. And it is fundamentally essential that we take care of it.

Lynne Gulizia – Sales Director-Americas, Toray Membrane USA

Why did you choose the water industry? 

I didn’t choose the industry — it chose me! I started a temp job at Fluid Systems the summer I graduated from law school. I didn’t really want to practice law, and when I was offered a full-time position it seemed like a good opportunity. I started helping put proposals together (literally putting them in binders, etc.) and then moved to contract risk assessment, marketing communications, and finally sales.

How have you seen the industry grow to become more female-friendly (or maybe you haven’t seen growth)? What do you think we still need to work on? 

I am very pleased and excited about the number of women who are now in the industry. When I first started (36 years ago!), I think some of my success could be attributed to being remembered because it was unique to have a female membrane sales rep calling on accounts. Now, there are so many young women who are engineers and scientists entering our industry. It’s great to see the diversity when attending a conference. It seems to me that these young women are accepted and respected by their peers and given opportunities. That glass ceiling is still there, but I have no doubt that it will be shattered because of the intelligence and drive of this next generation.

Any other related topics?

I think this industry offers great career opportunities for women. I’ve met and worked with so many dedicated, intelligent people and traveled to many parts of the world — opportunities I don’t think I would have had with a career in law. I’ve stayed in the business for my entire career because of the people and the opportunities my employers have given me. I believe we are doing something good for the environment and helping to alleviate worldwide water stress and scarcity — and at the end of the day, that’s a rewarding feeling that not every career can offer.

I hope that reading about these amazing women serves as an inspiration to other women considering the water industry and beyond, and inspires the men out there to hear and understand women’s voices in an industry where we are the minority. We all come from different places, backgrounds, and experiences, but we all care about one essential resource — water. Overall, the message is a positive one: Women are making strides every year to fall in the love with their careers and combat inequality.