For Joone Kim-Lopez the water business is something everyone can embrace.

It’s also a place people from all walks of life can find a job. Lopez, general manager of the Moulton Niguel Water District, got her start in water after a stint as a Pasadena police officer, working in communications for a water company in Los Angeles.

“Working in different parts of the state has given me insight into how water affects people,” she said. “Because I love people and from my firsthand experiences, I do my job differently than most. Everything we do affects people’s lives.”

Kim-Lopez said she spreads the word to many about the benefits of working in water — promoting a stable career with good earning potential. With that in mind, she recruits people from all different backgrounds, including recently incorporating the data science field, military veterans, retailers, teachers, journalists and even artists.

“We need people with the best minds who have a desire to help others and that have a heart,” she said.

General Manager of the Moulton Niguel Water District, Joone Lopez, at the Laguna Hills office on Wednesday, November 3, 2021. (Photo by Mindy Schauer, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Recruiting folks hasn’t been an issue thanks to Kim-Lopez’s out-of-the-box thinking. Her team of 177-strong in Laguna Hills serves 172,000 customers in six Orange County cities and again ranks among Orange County Register’s top workplaces.

In an interview with the Register, we find out a bit more about the water district and its team.

Q. A year after Covid, did the organization create new work-from-home policies? How did you handle in-the-field employees?

A. When the national emergency was declared in March 2020, the district developed a telecommuting agreement for use during emergency situations to facilitate social distancing and limit the spread of COVID-19. We determined which positions could work from home in a meaningful, productive manner and kept those staff members in a telecommuting status during the height of the pandemic.

Field employees were required to report to the worksite as they were needed to operate and maintain the district’s water. We took a phased approach to bringing telecommuting staff back into the office. By September 2021, we were back in the office altogether.

While telecommuting proved to be a success in an emergency situation, we discovered we truly thrive when working together in person.

Q. How are you dealing with the vaccine mandate? Do employees have options to opt out? Do you test weekly?

A. Our employees are not subject to a vaccine mandate. We asked them to make a personal decision relative to vaccination after consulting with their personal physician. We have been proactive in continually informing our staff of vaccination information, eligibility and availability.

Moulton Niguel Water District worker Matt Keith helps repair an underground service line in front of a customer’s Laguna Niguel home on Tuesday, October 20, 2020. (Photo by Mindy Schauer, Orange County Register/SCNG)

After the Pfizer vaccine got full approval from the FDA, we began arranging vaccination appointments for interested staff. We ask our fully vaccinated employees to provide proof of vaccination so that we can efficiently work through our Cal-OSHA required COVID-19 protocols.

The district does not require unvaccinated staff to do weekly testing, we simply require them to wear a face-covering indoors. Our efforts in vaccination education and strict enforcement of COVID-19 protocols have resulted in zero instances of workplace spread.

Q. How is the company maintaining communication, boosting morale and keeping workplace culture alive?

A. We learned to leverage technology to keep in touch with each other. From virtual all-hands meetings to video submission contests, our staff continued to get to know one another from a safe distance. Our annual service awards luncheon was converted into an interactive virtual format to celebrate our staff and provide a level of normalcy.

Q. What’s next for the district when it comes to innovation?

A. Over the years, we developed a reputation internationally as a “data-driven” agency because of our work in advancing innovation, technology and big data for the water industry.

Since our return to the office in September 2021, we are also becoming a “feeling-driven” agency – where we are focusing on how people within and outside our organization are feeling.

We want to create a positive experience for everyone we work with so that we can find comfort and assurance in each other during these challenging times. Utilizing technology, we want to humanize our agency and our work to achieve a deeper connection that is the most powerful defense against any crisis.

Moulton Niguel Water District workers repair an underground service line in front of a customer’s Laguna Niguel home on Tuesday, October 20, 2020. (Photo by Mindy Schauer, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Moulton Niguel Water District

Founded: 1960

Headquarters: Laguna Hills

Industry: government utility

OC employees: 177

Website: mnwd.com

“We want to create a positive experience for everyone we work with so that we can find comfort and assurance in each other during these challenging times.” Joone Kim-Lopez, general manager of Moulton Niguel Water District

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