During this unprecedented moment in history, Tracy Zhu has been thinking a lot about what it means to be a public servant and what she can do for San Francisco and the Bay Area at this inflection point. On a normal day, Zhu, Social Impact Partnership (SIP) Manager, is part of the SFPUC’s External Affairs…
Category: Leadership
Meet a SFPUC Marine Biologist From a Family of Scientists
Diane O’Donohue recalls being the only woman attending water quality meetings when she started her career as a Marine Biologist 28 years ago. Today, she is one among many women in the same field. Monday to Friday, one can find SFPUC Marine Biologist O’Donohue in the water quality laboratory of the Oceanside Wastewater Treatment Plant,…
Meet Thuy Hendricks, Who Celebrates the Contributions of Women in the Utilities Industry
For Thuy Hendricks, SFPUC Commercial Division Assistant Supervisor within Customer Service Bureau, everyday is different for her. Depending on the day’s scheduled activities, her responsibilities can range from reconciling financial reports to leading a testing project. Her typical day consists of analyzing accounts and exception completions, coaching, training and assisting her team. But one of…
How Asking “How Can I Help” Shaped Nate Kinsey’s Journey in Public Service
For Nathaniel (Nate) Kinsey, being a member of the SFPUC’s citizens advisory committee (CAC) has been an opportunity of giving back to the community. It started with one question, “how can I help?” Two years ago, Kinsey was appointed by the Mayor to represent a large San Francisco water user, when he worked for the…
Innovation is the Wave of the Future and It’s How We Will Meet Future Water Resource Challenges
San Francisco, a City known for innovation, is tapping into new ways to find, use and reuse water. Last year the SFPUC launched its PureWaterSF pilot program to demonstrate that it is feasible to treat wastewater on-site and make it available for drinking – and that it tastes good. This program took place within the agency’s…
Andrew DeGraca: Carrying Forward 100 Years of San Francisco Legacy and Leadership
In 1920, Woodrow Wilson was in the White House, Prohibition closed bars across the country, and the 19th Amendment guaranteed women the right to vote. The Roaring Twenties were just getting started. In San Francisco, George A. Elliott, chief engineer of the Spring Valley Water Company, helped establish and become the first board chair of…