Jim retired from the US Navy in 1997 after twenty years of service. The last six years of service were spent in the military instructional field. From 1994 through 2000, he worked in the area of Team Dimensional Training and the Collaborative Development of Expertise. Working with Industrial and Organizational Psychologists he garnered extensive experience in the area of Team Training and Debrief techniques and the Collaborative Development of Expertise between instructor and student. Jim is a cited contributor to the book, Decision Making Under Stress: Implications for Individual and Team Training, Smith-Jentsch, K.A., Zeisig, R.L., Acton, B., & Mcpherson, J.A. Team Dimensional Training, Washington, D.C.: American Psychological Association. He developed training tools and Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) used to train the Officers and crew onboard ship. In November 2003, he was hired to be the Technical Training Coordinator for the Union Sanitary District, a wastewater utility. He developed an integrated Training System for Wastewater Treatment Plants and Collection Systems. Working with various subject matter experts in Plant Operations, Collections Services, and Maintenance, he supervised the development of over thirty comprehensive competency-based Training Modules, performance standards and Standard Operating Procedures (SOP). Jim developed a Train-The-Trainer course tailored to the unique operating environment found in wastewater operations. In 2011, the Union Sanitary District was awarded Training Magazines TOP 125 Global Training Organizations. He has written articles about the USD training that have appeared in several national and regional water and wastewater periodicals. Jim has extensive experience in the integration of the training system into the Long Term Staffing, Succession Planning, Balanced Scorecard and Strategic Plans. He is routinely sought out to speak on the topic of training and training systems and he has spoken on the topic to:

• Water Environment Federation (WEF)
• American Water Works Association (AWWA) Cal-Nevada Section
• California Water Environment Association (CWEA)
• Western Utilities Workforce Development Seminar
• Utility Management Conference
• American Society for Training and Development (ASTD)
• San Francisco Water, Power, and Sewer
• Various utilities throughout the San Francisco Bay Area and Sacramento region

Donna Wies has over 25 years’ experience helping nonprofit organizations and water utilities achieve their Mission through robust strategic planning, organizational performance measurement and continuous improvement.

As Organizational Performance Program Manager for the Union Sanitary District, she directed the District’s strategic planning and continuous improvement efforts. Her responsibilities included assisting the Executive Team with development and implementation of the strategic plan; coordinating the District’s performance measurement program (balanced scorecards); providing support and facilitation for problem-solving and continuous improvement projects; and educating staff on quality principles and practices.

Since leaving USD, she had consulted with nonprofit organizations and utilities. She is active in several national groups involved with quality and utility management, including the Water Environment Association Utility Management Committee. She served on the Advisory Group that worked with the US Environmental Protection Agency to develop the Effective Utility Management Primer, and presents workshops and papers on Effective Utility Management at national conferences and meetings.

Donna holds a BA in Physical Sciences from UC Berkeley and certification in Quality Management from UC Santa Cruz.

Donna provides support to CTS and their clients in the following areas:

• Strategic Planning Organizational Performance Measurement
• Balanced Scorecards and Strategy Maps
• Collaborative, interest-based problem-solving
• Meeting/retreat planning and facilitation

Vaughn recently retired from Union Sanitary District (USD) after more than thirty-five years working in the wastewater industry. He is unique in having the following certifications:

• Wastewater Operator Grade V
• Industrial Waste Inspector Grade IV
• Laboratory Analyst Grade III

With his certifications, Vaughn can provide extensive expertise across a broad spectrum of the wastewater and water fields. He started in a career as a Wastewater Treatment Plant Operator at the City of Salinas in 1976. He subsequently served in this capacity at the City of San Jose and (USD. In 1980, Vaughn qualified as and became a Laboratory Analyst at the Union Sanitary District. After working for five years in the Laboratory, he applied for and was selected to become a Waste Source Control Inspector at USD. When USD required the expertise of a Wastewater Treatment Plant Operator Supervisor, Vaughn volunteered to cover this requirement from 1987 to 1994. In 1994, he returned to the Environmental Compliance team and served as the Industrial Waste Control Supervisor until 1998. In 1998, he assumed the duties as Environmental Programs Coordinator at USD until his retirement in 2011.

Vaughn has experience in the following areas:

• Knowledge of wastewater treatment plant processes (Influent, Effluent, Sedimentation, Aeration, Digestion, Chemical Systems, Water Systems, and SCADA)
• Knowledge of safety procedures and processes
• Knowledge of Treatment Plant Operator duties (inspection and operation)
• Knowledge of instrumentation and control
• Knowledge of treatment plant equipment
• Knowledge of laboratory analysis procedure and processes
• Knowledge of Pre-Treatment Program regulations, reports, and compliance

Danny Smith has over 30 years in Aviation Maintenance technology and waste water plant mechanics. After completing four years in the U.S. Navy in service and repair of all Squadron aircraft, he attended Gavilan College and received certifications in F.A.A. Air Agency Technology studies and licensing in Airframe and Power plant maintenance. In 1982 Danny joined the City of San Jose and worked in Fleet vehicles maintenance before transferring to SJ Water Treatment Plant as a Plant Attendant, worked as a plant attendant for two years then advanced to Plant Mechanic where he performed maintenance of all process related equipment, pumps , Gear boxes, primary and secondary tanks. Danny has experience is the following areas:

• Knowledge of Waste Water Plant process
• Knowledge of Plant Mechanic Duties
• Knowledge of Heavy Equipment operations
• Knowledge of Treatment Plant equipment
• Knowledge of all Plant Safety Policies and Procedures

Jim Martinez has over twenty-five years of experience as a senior financial executive with extensive background in financial modeling, strategic planning, and execution. Jim held senior management positions, directing operations, information systems and business development including that of Controller for PLX Technologies (PLXT NASDAQ), Controller & HR Administration for the Budweiser Distributor in Silicon Valley, COO & CFO for L&M Technologies, Inc, and Consultant for Applied Materials (AMAT) in the implementation of Oracle.

His experience spans both the public and private sectors including extensive contracting and audit experience with both state and federal organizations. Jim experience includes Human Resource responsibility which he developed a long-term plan for gathering company intelligence. He has an MBA from University of California at Los Angeles, and a BS in Business Administration, from San Jose State University.

DiAnn is a customer-oriented Senior Director with 15+ years’ broad-based generalist experience working in high technology/biotech, R&D, manufacturing, and software organizations. She has as a tactical and strategic business partner to the executive team integrated the HR function within the overall business goals; demonstrated skills in negotiations, conflict resolution and experienced high growth in start-up environments. Her areas of expertise: Compensation and Benefits Design, Employment & Labor Law Employee Relations, Training & Career Development, Change Management, Recruiting/Staffing, Sexual Harassment/EEO issues, Workers Compensation, and SOX Audits.