Public Works Podcast - Joseph Blackman

Latest Episodes:

The Public Works Podcast: Mary Joyce Ivers Episode Apr 02, 2026

Show notes

Episode Summary:
In this episode of The Public Works Podcast, host Shane Silsby interviews Mary Joyce Ivers from the City of Ventura, a leader in public works with a distinguished career at both local and national levels, including serving as president of the American Public Works Association (APWA). The conversation covers Mary Joyce’s career journey, leadership insights, major projects, emergency response, her role in APWA, and the challenges and opportunities presented by California’s advanced clean fleet regulations. The episode also explores the importance of advocacy, work-life balance, and advice for the next generation of public works professionals.
Timestamps:
00:00 – Introduction & Guest Welcome
01:03 – Mary Joyce’s Background and Entry into Public Works
04:08 – Career Growth, Leadership, and Team Building
07:46 – Major Projects, Community Impact, and Emergency Response
11:07 – APWA Involvement and National Leadership
15:01 – Leadership Lessons and Bringing Insights Back to Ventura
16:22 – Advanced Clean Fleet Regulations: Challenges & Opportunities
23:41 – Legislative Solutions and Practicalities for Local Government
28:04 – Coastal Community Challenges & City of Ventura Initiatives
33:00 – Advice for Future Public Works Professionals
36:24 – Final Thoughts & Closing
Stay in touch: Follow 👍 LIKE & SUBSCRIBE to support The Public Works Podcast and help us highlight the people shaping better communities!
#PublicWorks #LeadersSpeak #Infrastructure #Engineering #TPWP

The Public Works Podcast: Mark Toy Episode Apr 01, 2026

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Episode Summary: In this episode of The Public Works Podcast, host Shane Silsby interviews Mark Toy, General Manager of the Yorba Linda Water District and former Major General in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Mark shares his journey from military service to local government leadership, discusses the challenges and innovations in water management, and offers insights on leadership, mentorship, and legacy in public service. The conversation covers career transitions, infrastructure projects, water district operations, and advice for aspiring leaders in public works.
Timestamps:
00:00 – Introduction & Guest Welcome
00:24 – Mark Toy’s Early Career and Military Path
03:20 – Lessons from the Army: Leadership & Mentorship
11:07 – Transition to Local Government & the Yorba Linda Water District
20:44 – Water Infrastructure Projects & PFAS Treatment
24:27 – Wildfire Mitigation and Community Safety
28:48 – Leadership Philosophy & Advice for Young Professionals
34:04 – Legacy, Recruitment, and Organizational Culture
37:13 – Final Thoughts and Closing
Stay in touch: Follow 👍 LIKE & SUBSCRIBE to support The Public Works Podcast and help us highlight the people shaping better communities!
#PublicWorks #Water #Infrastructure #Engineering #TPWP #YLWD

The Public Works Podcast: Hye Jin Lee Episode Apr 01, 2026

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Episode Title: Reimagining Public Works for a Growing City: Insights from Hye Jin Lee
Episode Summary: Join host Shane Silsby for an inspiring conversation with Hye Jin Lee, Director of Public Works for the City of Chino, California. Hye Jin shares her journey from consulting engineer to municipal leader, and how she's building a culture of excellence in public service. In this episode, we explore what it takes to lead a full-service public works department in a rapidly growing city, the importance of team culture, and how innovation and collaboration are shaping the future of infrastructure in Southern California.
Timestamps:
0:00 - Introduction & Welcome
1:32 - Meet Hye Jin Lee, Director of Public Works
2:31 - Hye Jin's Journey: From Veterinarian Dreams to Civil Engineering
3:50 - Why Municipal Engineering? Making a Local Impact
4:54 - Building Parks & Seeing Community Impact
6:00 - First Priorities as Director: Building Team Culture
7:17 - Leading 127 Employees & $120M Capital Budget
8:33 - Chino's Strategic Location & "Open for Business" Philosophy
10:22 - Breaking Down Silos: Creating a Unified Team Culture
12:58 - Visiting the Field & Learning from Crews
13:43 - Innovation in Public Works: AI for Infrastructure Assessment
16:03 - Curb Appeal: Streets as Business Invitations
18:19 - The Pine Avenue Project: 20 Years in the Making
20:59 - Building Partnerships Across Jurisdictions
22:47 - Challenges Ahead: Growth, Workforce & Level of Service
25:27 - Advice for Aspiring Public Works Leaders
27:41 - Improving Communication Skills in Engineering
29:03 - Closing Thoughts & Thank You
ABOUT HYE JIN LEE: Hye Jin Lee is a licensed professional engineer with a career rooted in public service and infrastructure leadership. She leads the City of Chino's full-service Public Works department, overseeing water, sewer, streets, parks, fleet maintenance, and capital improvements.
CONNECT WITH US: Please subscribe to this channel on YouTube: ‪@ThePublicWorksPodcast‬ 🔗 LinkedIn: ‪@ThePublicWorksPodcast‬ 📧 Contact: info@thepublicworkspodcast.com 🎙️ Subscribe for more conversations with public works leaders.
#PublicWorks #CivilEngineering #Leadership #Infrastructure #MunicipalEngineering #Chino #California #PublicService #TeamCulture #Innovation #LocalGovernments #TPWP

The Public Works Podcast: Andy Boenau Episode Apr 01, 2026

Show notes

Episode Title: “Thoughts from City Government: Infrastructure, Urbanism, and Civic Dialogue"
Episode Theme: The role of conversation, transparency, and thoughtful questioning in shaping better cities and strengthening public service.
Episode Summary: In this episode of The Public Works Podcast, host Shane Silsby sits down with Andy Boenau to explore his unconventional journey from punk rock drumming teenager to transportation leader, his philosophy on human-centered infrastructure design, and how Richmond is pursuing Vision Zero and Complete Streets initiatives. Andy shares candid insights about challenging the status quo in engineering, the importance of plain-language communication in government, and why asking "challenging questions" led to better outcomes for communities.
🕒 Timestamps:
0:00 - Introduction
1:30 - Meet Andy Boenau from Richmond, VA
4:00 - Andy's unconventional career journey
12:00 - Questioning default settings in engineering
18:00 - Congress for New Urbanism & finding community
24:00 - About Richmond, Virginia
30:00 - Navigating competing priorities with Vision Zero
38:00 - Urbanism Speakeasy podcast & plain language communication
44:00 - Balancing advocacy in government roles
52:00 - Road diets & serving public interest
58:00 - Building trust through year-round engagement
1:02:00 - Where to find Andy & recommended resources
1:05:00 - Closing thoughts
📚 Resources Mentioned:
Book: Alchemy by Rory Sutherland
Website: Urbanism Speakeasy at urbanismspeakeasy.com
Stay in touch: Follow Richmond DOT: @RVA_DOT (Twitter/X & Instagram) 👍 LIKE & SUBSCRIBE to support The Public Works Podcast and help us highlight the people shaping better communities!
#PublicWorks #UrbanPlanning #Transportation #VisionZero #CompleteStreets #Infrastructure #Richmond #Urbanism #UrbanismSpeakeasy #PunkRockDrummer #Engineering #TPWP

The Public Works Podcast: Naoki Takesue Episode Apr 01, 2026

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Episode Summary: Join us for a special episode of The Public Works Podcast featuring Dr. Naoki Takesue, recorded in Kyoto, Japan. Dr. Takesue shares his extensive experience in infrastructure asset management and the challenges facing both Japan and the United States as aging infrastructure demands innovative solutions.
Key Topics & Timestamps:
0:00 - Introduction - Special Episode from Kyoto, Japan
1:44 - Meet Dr. Naoki Takesue
2:32 - Career Journey: From Construction Site Engineer to MIT to Asset Management Expert
7:18 - Japan's Aging Infrastructure Crisis & The 80-Year Challenge
8:51 - Asset Management Philosophy: Moving Beyond Cost to Value Maximization
10:32 - Prioritization Challenges: Urban vs. Rural Infrastructure
13:04 - U.S.-Japan Comparison: Metro Areas vs. Rural Infrastructure Distribution
13:58 - Innovation & Technology: AI, Robotics & Physical AI in Construction
15:44 - Funding Challenges & History
16:39 - Evolution of Japan's Transportation Funding: From Earmarked to General Funds
18:42 - Transit Funding & Fare Regulation
20:18 - Tokyo's Transit Success: Density, Affordability & Cultural Adoption
21:52 - Capital vs. Maintenance Funding Gap 23:30 - Workforce Crisis: The "Three K" Problem 25:07 - Solving the Workforce Challenge: "New Three K" - Hope, High Salary, Holidays
26:36 - Elevating the Status of Asset Managers
28:18 - Final Thoughts: The Importance of International Collaboration
30:28 - Closing & Call to Action
About Dr. Naoki Takesue: Senior Consultant at Mitsubishi Research Institute and Board of Directors member of the Japan Association of Asset Management (JAAM). Dr. Takesue specializes in implementing ISO 55000 standards for infrastructure asset management and has an extensive career spanning construction, international projects, and policy making. Dr. Takesue's views expressed in this interview are his personal observations and experiences, and not provided specifically as part of his role at the Mitsubishi Research Institute.
Call to Action: 👍 LIKE this video if you found it valuable! 🔔 SUBSCRIBE to The Public Works Podcast for more insights from industry leaders worldwide! 💬 COMMENT below with your thoughts on infrastructure challenges in your region!
The Public Works Podcast is dedicated to highlighting the public works industry, improving the credibility of infrastructure professionals, and raising awreness about the critical work being done in communities around the world.
#publicworks #InfrastructureManagement #AssetManagement #Japan #CivilEngineering #Transportation #WorkforceDevelopment #ISO55000 #InternationalLearning #tpwp

Sunny Wescott: Executive Director - Geospatial Intelligence Information Sharing and Analysis Center (GEOINT ISAC) Mar 23, 2026

Show notes

Guest: Sunny Wescott, Former Air Force Meteorologist and current leader of the Geospatial Intelligence ISAC.
On this episode, we dove deep into the high-stakes world of military weather forecasting, global solutions for extreme heat, and the critical work of threat intelligence.

Military Weather Training Intensity: Sunny shared her experience as an Air Force meteorologist, detailing the rigorous, year-long weather tech school with its high failure rate and intense weekly testing. We discuss how operational forecasting involved another year of on-the-job training, where an inaccurate forecast could mean mission failure or loss of life.
Current Geospatial ISAC Work: Learn about the vital coordination Sunny manages with utilities and the private sector to prevent duplication in emergency response tools. Sunny runs a bi-weekly working group for emergency managers to "demystify complex physics," providing essential forecasts and tool demonstrations.
Global Solutions for Extreme Heat: We explore fascinating international and interstate strategies for mitigating extreme heat. Sunny highlights India's mass painting campaigns to reduce heat retention in urban slums and the UK's method of painting railways white to prevent track buckling.

Jerry Hatfield: President of Hatfield Edge Mar 23, 2026

Show notes

Join us as we talk with Jerry Hatfield, a 14-year veteran of the sewer equipment industry, about the critical need for specialized technician training. Jerry shares the story behind starting Hatfield Edge LLC and developing "factory trained mechanic schools" to combat inadequate tech support and maximize equipment repair efficiency.
Key Discussion Points:

The Problem: New equipment launches often faltered due to a lack of skilled technicians, leading to excessive diagnostic time.
The Solution: Hatfield Edge focuses on structured training to quickly turn technicians into efficient mechanics.
Training Philosophy: The core focus is explaining the 'why' behind equipment design, bridging the gap between engineering and the mechanic's needs. Safety measures, particularly concerning high pressures, are integrated throughout the curriculum.
Navigating Bias: Training tackles common components across various manufacturers, minimizing brand bias among technicians.

What Makes an Effective Trainer: The ideal internal trainer is sought from tech support or engineering—someone with deep knowledge, passion, a willingness for hands-on demonstration, and a commitment to continuous learning as equipment evolves.

James Peters: Founder of The Shower Pot Mar 23, 2026

Show notes

In this episode, host Joseph Blackman interviews James Peters, a Water Reuse expert, about revolutionary solutions to the global water crisis. James discusses how his organization helps cities facing "water bankruptcy" by providing a product that allows residents to recycle water at home. This approach aims to move communities to a water-positive state by cutting residential consumption in half. James dives into the barriers to public adoption, arguing that increasing prices and penalties is a counterproductive response that makes water exclusive. He offers a sharp critique of expensive, slow, and polluting desalination projects. Learn why eliminating the 50% of water currently wasted achieves the same benefit as doubling the supply—without the multibillion-dollar cost.
Find more at: https://showerpot.org/

David Jenkins: CEO of Infrastructure Public Works Engineers of Australia (IPWEA) Feb 06, 2026

Show notes

Joseph Blackman and David Jenkins, CEO of Infrastructure Public Works Engineers of Australia (IPWEA), discussed the challenges and value propositions of associations, including the difficulty in engaging young professionals and the necessity for associations to adapt and find new, sustainable revenue streams. He emphasized that for educational offerings to be effective and attractive, they must be "recognized education" or possess a certification to ensure credibility and organizational buy-in. To improve member engagement and combat "buyer's remorse," David asserted that associations must understand their members' interests and provide relevant information and a welcoming experience, while also building trust through deliberate member consultation and transparent reporting on advocacy outcomes.

Gabriella Zanzarella: Stormwater Operations Analyst @ High Point, NC Dec 22, 2025

Show notes

Joseph Blackman introduced Gabby Zanzarella, a Stormwater Operations Analyst for High Point, North Carolina, whose role involves protecting water quality, maintaining infrastructure, and environmental stewardship, often in high-pressure situations, requiring adaptability and effective communication. Gabby shared her non-traditional career path, which included a degree in environmental management and experience in urban forestry and nonprofit work, and discussed how their passion for hula hooping unexpectedly reinforced their service mentality and contributed to their professional trajectory. Essential to their success is maintaining an educational approach to resolve conflicts with residents and continuously improving through curiosity and observing peer organizations, with success defined by operational smoothness and residents understanding their impact on water quality, as highlighted by their "Only rain down the drain" campaign. Give the show a listen and remember to thank your local Public Works Professionals.

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