Melissa Baum-Haley

The meeting agenda included a presentation on the Metropolitan Biennial Budget Overview for Fiscal Years 2026-27 and 2027-28, detailing proposed appropriations, rate increases of 9.5% for CY 2027 and CY 2028, and funding drivers like the Base Capital Improvement Program and the 45-MGD Stage 1 Pure Water project. Discussion items covered Federal, State, Legal/Regulatory, and County Legislative activities, along with member agency input regarding Metropolitan Committee participation. The action item focused on adopting a support position for Senate Bill 872 concerning climate change funding priorities. Information items addressed Metropolitan items critical to Orange County, including finances, water supply conditions, water quality updates, Colorado River issues, and Delta Conveyance activities.

The meeting commenced with introductions and housekeeping items, including emphasizing the importance of correct screen names and interactive engagement. A key discussion point involved identifying the defining strengths of the current workforce, with attendees highlighting dedication, resilience, and expertise. The group shared good news and announcements, including the successful first annual Inland Empire Water Workforce Summit held on February 5th, which featured labor market information, a best practices panel, and testimonials from former interns who secured full-time positions. Further updates covered the launch of a new water quality pathway CTE program in LA Unified and progress on a CTE program with Orange Unified School District. Additionally, San Bernardino Valley College announced the approval of its bachelor's degree for future utility leaders, with an official launch date set for Fall 2026. A student researcher also requested participation from water agency staff in a dissertation survey regarding internal workforce development support.

The discussion resumed following a break, continuing the conversation among participants. Key topics included feedback on the session content and planning for future engagement, specifically addressing a proposal by a second-year student from Long Beach Community College to host a forum connecting industry professionals with engineering and environmental science students. Industry professionals expressed interest in participating. The conversation also focused on workforce development strengths to emphasize, highlighting collaboration, sharing resources such as regional internship programs, and addressing soft skill training gaps. A significant discussion centered on improving new employee onboarding processes, noting that orientation should be a process, not an event, to combat mediocrity in new hires. Finally, considerations for expanding outreach using multilingual materials, especially for exams and contests, were introduced.

The meeting was a joint session of the Board of Directors and the Executive Committee. Key agenda items included the Executive Committee's review of future agendas, a discussion regarding upcoming activities of significance, relations with member agencies, the General Manager's reports, and a review and discussion of District and Board activities. The document also outlines procedures for handling items received too late to be agendized and public records distributed less than 72 hours prior to the meeting.

The meeting, identified as Leadership Roundtable Meeting Number Seven, began with welcomes and introductions, noting a record attendance of 71 people from 49 organizations, including over two dozen new participants. A land acknowledgement recognizing the traditional lands of indigenous peoples in California was provided, followed by a review of meeting guidelines emphasizing active participation and proper use of mute functions and chat features. Key operational updates included the introduction of the new part-time Education Program Assistant, Katie Vincent, who detailed her initial projects such as preparing the Q1 and Q2 reports, engaging with partners, and initiating a water jobs video project targeting high school students and teachers. Discussions also covered the importance of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) and building workforce pathways in water and energy. The agenda included presentations on meeting objectives and a scheduled Q&A session.