I began my career working in the electronics industry as a plating and process engineer. During that time, I completed 40 hours of company-sponsored OSHA training in Hazardous Waste Operations and Emergency Response (HAZWOPER) for transporting, storing, processing and disposing of manufacturing chemicals. After assuming the role of in-house lab manager responsible for overseeing the testing of wastewater prior to dumping into the city sewer, I designed and implemented a new wastewater analysis laboratory, which was licensed with the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ). Unfortunately, the company where I worked shut down their production facility in Phoenix.

I subsequently became a Certified Quality Auditor (CQA) and Certified Quality Engineer (CQE) through the American Society for Quality (ASQ). For a while I worked as a consultant helping companies implement and maintain their ISO 9001:2008/2015 Quality Management System certification. At the present time, I am the plant foreman at a school that has an onsite well to provide drinking, irrigation, and emergency fire suppression water for the campus. My responsibilities include various tasks centered around operating and maintaining this well system to deliver a safe, sufficient supply of water. These duties include sample collection, chlorine monitoring, and cooperation with regulatory agencies.

My education includes a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemistry from Arizona State University, and an Associate of Applied Science degree in Quality Technology from Mesa Community College. In the future I may add a Certificate of Completion in Water and Wastewater Treatment from Gateway Community College. In the meantime, I plan on taking ADEQ’s Operator Certification Grade I and II exams. It seems that my career has come full circle, from my early role in wastewater treatment at a private manufacturing facility, to my current position in support of the water system at a public school. My degrees in Chemistry and Quality Technology augment my knowledge and understanding of water chemistry and water quality.