As Women’s History Month comes to a close, we are honored to have previously featured two leaders in the industry, Margaret Doss, PO, and Haley Vanness, ICE-CCP. For our final feature, WPI is thrilled to spotlight not just one, but four trailblazers from Wyoming. These four women have been instrumental in bringing the Professional Operator (PO) Program to Wyoming and spreading the word to encourage more operators to participate. While Women’s History Month officially ends at the beginning of April, WPI recognizes that the historical contributions of women continue beyond March. These individuals embody that sentiment, remaining inspirations for all operators, regardless of gender, throughout the year.
Kathy Weinsaft & Kim Parker: Charting Their Journeys in the Industry
Two of the women instrumental in bringing the PO Program to Wyoming are Kathy Weinsaft, a Training Specialist at Wyoming Rural Water, and Kim Parker, the Certification Officer at the Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality. Kathy Weinsaft has been with Wyoming Rural Water since 2006. Encouraged by a friend to apply for the Training Specialist position, she can safely say it was the right choice.
“I began my career in state government doing solid waste planning for the state of Missouri. Yes, I am a recovering regulator. I moved on both literally and figuratively to work in Indian Country as a technical assistance provider for a decade. A friend encouraged me to apply for the Training Specialist Position for Rural Water, so I did. I believed that this would allow me to help train and develop the operators of the future and leave the profession better than I found it. I was right.
It was a lightbulb moment.
I was working on a solid waste biosolid composting project when I realized I could go no further without having water requirements changed. It was at that moment that I realized it was all connected, water, wastewater, and solid waste. Beyond that, there was only one water, and it needed to be thought of and treated holistically.”
Kim Parker, who has been with the Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality for over 25 years, chuckles that this career chose her rather than the other way around.
“After obtaining my Masters in Riparian Ecology, I felt lucky to get a temporary job helping the State of Colorado with their Source Water Protection Program. At least it had water in the name! Soon afterwards, the State of Wyoming hired me to develop their Source Water Protection Program. My first “real” job had what I thought was a downside at the time – I had to help the person who did the Operator Certification Program. When she retired five years later, I moved into the Operator Certification Program full time. That was almost 21 years ago and I have never looked back!”
When asked to highlight what she is proud of in her career’s journey so far, Parker notes the work she has done to improve the Wyoming Operator Certification Program brings her gratification.
“I inherited an outdated database and a challenge to bring over a third of our facilities back into compliance. Under my leadership, we tackled this in three simultaneous pushes.”
Those pushes included improving Wyoming’s exams and increasing their availability through WPI (formerly ABC)’s computer-based exams in 2005. In 2008, they expanded to the then on-demand, PSI-proctored WPI exams. After the endeavor to improve exams, Parker spearheaded enforcement efforts to get operators certified at the correct levels. Finally, Parker’s team designed and launched a new database that tracked operator certification and facility compliance. By 2010, a year after the launch, the compliance rate had skyrocketed to 98-99%, a rate now maintained for fifteen years.
“[While] our efforts to improve the Wyoming Operator Certification Program [have been] successful and satisfying, I am even more proud of the impact that I feel I have had on the profession of water and wastewater operators over the last twenty years. I take every opportunity to educate my management, decision makers, our operators, and members of the public about what operators do and why they are so important… I find ways to collaborate with people of like mind to do together what I cannot do alone.
You can move a mountain by moving one stone at a time.
Over the last two decades, the professionalism of our operators has steadily increased, moving the perception of our operators from that of common laborers to professionals essential to Wyoming!”
The Path to Becoming Professional Operators
Michelle Christopher, PO, and Alexis Spray, PO, have each embarked on their own unique journeys in the water and wastewater industry. As dedicated operators, they recently earned their Professional Operator certification, showcasing their commitment and passion for the field. Although Christopher admits that this industry was not her first choice, she found kinship quickly.
“I’m a terrible waitress, and this was the other employment option in my tiny community. I stayed because of the people,” she says, referring to her fellow operators. “I’ve been blessed to be supported by the industry in growing my knowledge and career. I’ve been able to apply aspects of what I learned when I was getting a degree in Range Ecology and Watershed Management to my current position as WARWS Source Water Protection Specialist so that’s super cool.
I continue to be inspired by water and wastewater operators who do their best to keep their communities healthy and protect the environment.
My favorite thing is when I’m working with an operator, and I can see the “light come on” in their eyes as they understand how to solve the problem we’ve been working together on. Best moment ever.”
For Spray, being an operator is in her DNA. While her career began elsewhere, like Christopher, she discovered a sense of belonging within the operator community. She now aspires to continue her journey as an operator for many years to come.
“I started my journey in the water/wastewater field back in 2016. I was a groundskeeper at Little American Hotel here in Wyoming, and I was asked if I would be interested in getting my license to help their water plant. My dad was an operator when I was young, so I jumped at the opportunity. After Little America, I worked in the town of Granger [at their] water plant [before I] was finally able to work for my hometown of Lyman.
I learned so much during my time there, but life ended up taking me to Green River. I became the lead operator for a little improvement district in Rock Springs, and in 2023 I was able to get on with the city of Green River, where I plan to stay for a long time.
I had my Level 1 Water/Distribution, Level 1 Collections, and lagoons license when I started here with Green River. I struggled to pass the Level 1 Wastewater exam in the past, but thanks to my amazing coworkers, I now have my Level 1 Water, Level 2 Distribution, Level 2 Collections, and my Level 3 Wastewater licenses. I am currently working on getting my Level 4 Wastewater [certification], because I [was given] the opportunity to be one of the operators at our new plant.
[Additionally], I was made the chairman of the new Wyoming Water Committee formed under the Rocky Mountain Section of AWWA. We started this adventure last fall, and I have loved being the voice for the operators of the state and provid[ing] trainings for them.”
Defining Strong Female Leadership as the Wyoming PO’s Powerhouse Team
As the pioneering team to bring the PO Program to Wyoming, all four women remain extraordinarily humble when asked what it means to them to be leaders in this industry. Ultimately, it is clear they share the same sentiment: through hard work and dedication, they can help show the value of Wyoming operators.
Beyond their combined multitude of achievements, it is easy to sense the deep respect they have for each other and the operators they work with. Parker remarks,
“Kathy, Michelle, and Alexis are very talented and determined women with can-do attitudes. We all share the conviction that no obstacle is too large if we work together. Launching a program that we know will benefit Wyoming operators is easy and fun with this team!”
When asked specifically what it means to them to be an all-female team leading the charge in professional water and wastewater certification for Wyoming, Kathy Weinsaft and Michelle Christopher, PO, are firm that while it’s an accomplishment, the need for Professional Operators extends beyond the gender binary. Christopher notes,
“I don’t think it’s a matter of being a female PO. In Wyoming there just aren’t enough operators to make that distinction. I’m excited to show everyone that if some operator from a tiny Podunk town on the southern border can do it, anyone can.”
Weinsaft agrees, saying,
“I give the same advice to men and women alike: become an expert. Don’t just do enough to get by. Fully engage with this profession and it will give you rewards… The fulfillment this profession can give you is worth more than money. I am wrapping up my 39th year doing water, wastewater, and solid waste.
I can think of no better profession to have spent my life’s work carrying out.”
Kim Parker admits, though, that it is exciting to see strong female leadership in the industry, and she hopes their team can inspire other female operators throughout the state.
“Only about 11% of Wyoming operators are women. And yet, some of our most professional, competent, and savvy operators are women. I think succeeding in this profession lights a spark in these women to strive for and achieve excellence. Many of them take strong leadership roles, mentor new operators, and train their peers. I hope that the strong examples that Michelle and Alexis have set by becoming Wyoming’s first POs will inspire many more women to become involved in this industry! We need them!”
Alexis Spray, PO, adds,
“Operating used to be a man’s world, but I love seeing how many women are excelling in this field. I encourage everyone, man or woman, to push yourselves to be the best you can be. Get your PO certification.
Let the world see what it is we operators do and encourage this younger generation to follow in your footsteps, just like my dad did with me.”
The achievements of these four remarkable women are nothing short of extraordinary. Their pioneering efforts are set to inspire and pave the way for future generations of Wyoming operators. WPI is immensely proud to have such dedicated leaders like Kim, Kathy, Michelle, and Alexis championing the vital contributions of water and wastewater operators. Their passion and commitment continue to elevate the profession and ensure its bright future.
Keep an eye out for this team’s next feature discussing their behind-the-scenes efforts in bringing the PO Program to Wyoming.
