CWEA SF Bay Section Lab Committee Meeting - October 2026

SF Bay Section LAB Committee October meeting. The meeting begins at 10am and will conclude at 12:15pm. The technical presentation section of the meeting is eligible for 2.4 contact hours (see below for session descriptions). 

Please note that you will need to attend the live webinar for the duration of the technical presentations and enter the attendance code following the webinar to receive contact hours. The attendance code will become available following the completion of the meeting.

Meeting Agenda:

1. Meeting Introductions and Agenda Review 

2. Technical Presentations (2.0hrs, 2.4 Contact Hours towards LAB Certifications)

• Internship Program and Workforce Development with Baywork – Laura Combs, Baywork 
  • This session provides laboratory supervisors and leaders with strategies to build a sustainable talent pipeline through structured internship and workforce development programs. Topics include aligning internship goals with laboratory operational needs, estimating supervisor time and budget impacts, and identifying cost‑effective approaches to strengthen long‑term staffing resilience. Participants will learn how collaborative regional workforce initiatives such as BAYWORK can support recruitment, reduce training costs, and enhance organizational succession planning.
• Developing the Next Generation – CWEA Students and Young Professionals (SYP) – Sergio Jimenez, Hazen & Sawyer 
  • This presentation highlights methods for engaging and supporting early‑career professionals within laboratory and water‑quality organizations. Emphasis is placed on leadership practices that foster professional growth, reduce turnover, and build technical capacity through networking opportunities within CWEA. Learning objectives include evaluating the cost–benefit of student and trainee involvement in lab operations, developing mentorship frameworks, and integrating young professionals into long‑term staffing and budget planning.
• CSU East Bay – CHEM 325 Applied Water & Wastewater Analysis – Solicitation for Curriculum Review – Edward Pizzini, PhD 
  • This session revisits the applied analytical chemistry curriculum used to train students entering water and wastewater laboratories. Laboratory leaders will gain insight into how academic coursework aligns with real‑world analytical needs, quality assurance requirements, and regulatory expectations. Participants will be invited to review curriculum components and contribute feedback that can strengthen workforce readiness, reduce onboarding costs, and support strategic budget forecasting for future staffing and training needs. CSU East Bay is also seeking laboratories willing to collaborate and offer their time and expertise as industry experts.
• Starting an Internship Program with Baywork – Sahar Golshani, Las Gallinas 
  • This course provides a practical framework for launching an internship program within a laboratory setting. Topics include defining program objectives, estimating resource requirements, building budget proposals, ensuring regulatory compliance for lab tasks assigned to interns, and developing a structured training plan. Participants will learn how to evaluate program effectiveness, measure productivity impacts, and leverage internships as a cost‑efficient workforce strategy.
• Impact of Internships on Career Trajectory – Irene Reyes, Dublin San Ramon Services District
  • This session explores the long‑term benefits of internship and temporary programs from both an organizational and individual career‑development perspective. Attendees will examine how early exposure to lab procedures, QA/QC practices, and regulatory frameworks prepares interns for future roles in the laboratory. The session also discusses how effective internship models can reduce recruitment costs, support succession planning (which is critical with increasing number of retirements), and strengthen the overall skill base within laboratory teams. Irene will also discuss how CWEA, with its educational and networking resources, has helped advance her career in wastewater.

3. Regulatory and Method Issues  

5. Announcements 

6. Upcoming Meetings and Events 

Member fee: $0.00
Non-Member fee: $0.00

Registrants who attend the meeting for the duration of the technical presentations (2 hours) will receive 2.4 contact hours towards CWEA's certifications; LAB.

To receive your contact hours for viewing the live webinar, you will receive an attendance check code upon completing the webinar. Please enter this code in the verification space to receive your certification of completion.   

Please note, all user activity of CWEA certification holders on the Online Wastewater Education Network is subject to the CWEA Code of Ethics standards for professional conduct and ethics. Certification holders should receive credit for a training only once within the same contact hour period. Any attempt to undermine the certification process may be subject to ethics procedures and possible sanctions. It is not possible to receive contact hours for both attending the live webinar and viewing the recording.  

Once you have entered the correct attendance check codes, you will be able to create and download an electronic certificate of completion under the "Contents" tab.