Introducing Assistant Secretary Trujillo

By Kris Polly

We are excited this month to feature an interview with our good friend Tanya Trujillo, an experienced water professional who now serves as the assistant secretary for water and science at the U.S. Department of the Interior. In our cover story, Assistant Secretary Trujillo speaks with Municipal Water Leader Contributing Editor Jeff Kightlinger about Interior’s priorities for addressing the multibasin drought that currently grips the American West.

Next, we feature an article by Eastern Municipal Water District Public Affairs Officer Kevin Pearson about the many benefits his agency has derived from its close, years- long collaboration with the Bureau of Reclamation.

Cortec is a major global manufacturer of corrosion- inhibiting products, with solutions for the water treatment, irrigation water, and civil construction industries, among others. We speak with Scott Bryan, Cortec’s technical sales manager for water treatment and coatings additives, and Julie Holmquist, its marketing content writer, to learn more about its products for the potable water and wastewater markets.

The water and wastewater treatment, filtration, and disinfection solutions provided by De Nora Water Technologies are only becoming more important as attention turns to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, and other so-called forever chemicals. Daryl Weatherup, the general manager of the disinfection and filtration business unit of De Nora Water Technologies, tells us more about how the company is helping clean up PFAS.

Navigating the many federal, state, and local grants for water infrastructure projects can be a huge challenge for municipal agencies, which is why many turn to consulting firm Dig Deep Research for help. We interview Dig Deep Founder and CEO Tia Cavender to learn more about the best strategy for pursuing grants and funding, especially that made available through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.

Finally, Diane Campanile, the principal of human resources consulting firm People-Dynamics, tells us how conducting stay interviews can help employers learn about and address employees’ concerns and prevent excessive workforce turnover.

The challenges facing the municipal water industry— from drought to infrastructure replacement needs to contaminants of emerging concern—may seem daunting, but with the impressive work being done by professionals like those we feature in this issue, I know that they can be overcome. I hope you find this month’s stories interesting and inspiring.

Kris Polly is the editor-in-chief of Municipal Water Leader magazine and the president and CEO of Water Strategies LLC, a government relations firm he began in February 2009 for the purpose of representing and guiding water, power, and agricultural entities in their dealings with Congress, the Bureau of Reclamation, and other federal government agencies. He can be contacted at kris.polly@waterstrategies.com.