Page 127 - VFWD -DOACotB - AMB 03 01 19

Janet Martinez

Wednesday, February 20, 2019 2:05 PM

Vallejo Flood & Wastewater District
Director of Administration / Clerk of the Board
Phone Screen Questions

General Questions
1. Why are you interested in the DOA opportunity with Vallejo Flood & Wastewater? Why are you
actively or passively looking for a new position?

I actually just started looking because I have been in this profession for the past 12 or 13 years. After
awhile if you do something repetatively it can be a little redundent. I felt that I needed a new challenge.
Going to a different type of agency that provides different types of services. I've never worked with a
water district. There will be an election for rates, not with water rates. Also, with City's some of them
are 5-7 Council Members. This one has 8 individuals, and I need new challenges in my life. Kids are
grown and has the ability to relocate. Next week will have her house on the market - is looking for a
new agency. I would seek for a home in Nor Cal if an opportunity arises.

Position Specific Questions
2. Please describe your highest level administrative support role to an Executive, Director, General
Manager and/or Board.

The highest role I've had - my role is currently the City Clerk. The second would be overseeing the City
Manager's duties, one of the most challenging cities was the City of Bell - I was hired as a consultant to
clean up the mess that was left behind. I was hired to train the lack of staff and organize everything and
also oversee the City Manager's office, which meant to work with the department heads and make sure
that every policy is up to date. This is typically something the City Manager would do and but the City
Manager gave me the responsibility.

3. Please describe your supervisory experience and the most challenging human resources issue you
have addressed.

For the past years I have worked with mostly small agencies and smaller departments. Typically in small
agencies the Clerk's office is an employee of one or two. I have had to supervise only one assistant. One
of my most challenging roles as a supervisor - there were 11 staff members in my office. There was a
challenge in that there were different generations that worked there and 90% of employees in that
office were new. That was challenging for someone who had now technology experience - it was a
challenge to provide them with new training to get them up to date so that they understood their role
in HR or placing them on PIP for a few months, to revisit their role and put them on probation to see
what difference they would make in a few months. Luckily it was successful and there was
improvement. There were a lot of personnel under me and it was quite a challenge but I was able to do
it. With the City of Burbank. Was overseeing a staff of 11.
4. Please describe your experience in coordinating, tracking and reporting out on the implementation
of organizational goals, objectives, policies and procedures.