Tanya Moniz-Witten is the President of San Jose Water. She is dedicated to delivering reliable, clean, high-quality water to over one million customers in the greater San Jose area. In her role, she is responsible for driving strategy, operational excellence, and ensuring regulatory compliance for one of the most technologically advanced urban water systems in the country. With over 20 years of utility experience in large, complex organizations, she has a strong commitment to employee safety and engagement. Moniz-Witten attended University of California, Santa Barbara, where she received a Bachelor of Environmental Studies. She also has a Master of Business Administration from the Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania.
Company: San Jose Water
We are thrilled to have you join us today, welcome to ValiantCEO Magazine’s exclusive interview! Let’s start off with a little introduction. Tell our readers a bit about yourself and your company
Tanya Moniz-Witten : Thank you for having me. I’m Tanya Moniz-Witten and I am the President of San Jose Water, a regulated private water utility serving over one million people in the greater San Jose metropolitan area. Founded in 1866, SJW is now one of the largest and most technically sophisticated urban water systems in the United States.
Can you share a time when your business faced a significant challenge? How did you navigate through it?
Tanya Moniz-Witten : As a water utility in California, we face many challenges including water scarcity, aging infrastructure, and natural disasters, all of which increase the need to implement modern sustainable resource management practices.
Most recently, California experienced a prolonged drought between 2020 and 2022. In times of drought, not only do we encourage our customers to conserve water, but we also take responsibility for enhanced conservation on our end. One key area of focus is our aggressive leak detection program which helps us minimize water lost to leaks in our mains as it travels between tanks, wells, reservoirs, and our customers’ homes and businesses.
We also play a crucial role in managing the land where our water comes from. Our responsibilities include maintaining forest health to mitigate wildfire risks, responding to fires when they do occur, studying and protecting local wildlife and plant species, and continuously monitoring surface water quality. This proactive approach to land management and watershed protection is what we call environmental stewardship. Our organization has many processes and technologies in place to help us keep the water flowing through crises.
How has a failure or apparent failure set you up for later success?
Tanya Moniz-Witten : A few years ago, we were facing a crisis in our Customer Service department. Wait times were too long and customers were not receiving the excellent service we strive for. We took a look at the department as a whole and worked to add resources and install new leadership. This involved listening to our employees and working collaboratively to create solutions. We also used our customer surveys to include this feedback as part of the solution.
We have a large and passionate customer base with different needs and preferences regarding their water service. It can sometimes feel like a daunting challenge to keep everyone happy all the time. A key initiative, our Customer Advisory Council, was formed in early 2023 to help us work more closely with our customers.
We developed this Council to seek community input and enhance our customers’ understanding of the context and considerations that go into key SJW decisions. We hold in-person meetings a few times per year to have direct, intimate conversations. We then take their feedback and act on it to improve our services. These meetings have been an effective way to invite our customers in — even those who do not consider themselves fans — and let them see our facilities, our employees, and the way we work. Both sides walk away with a better understanding of one another, so we all benefit.
How do you build a resilient team? What qualities do you look for in your team members?
Tanya Moniz-Witten : When I first graduated from college, my father instilled in me that the most important skills I would need daily were respect for employees from all walks of life, and taking accountability for my decisions and actions. I believe strongly in servant leadership and prioritize spending time in the field — working alongside employees to learn how I can better help them succeed. Qualities I look for in team members include kindness, empathy, and a drive to learn and grow at our organization. We are a group of passionate people who want to better our community. Our company culture is a reflection of this. Ultimately, our customers and employees are at the heart of all we do.
How do you maintain your personal resilience during tough times?
Tanya Moniz-Witten : Personal resilience is all about your mindset. Knowing who I am, practicing gratitude, and having a strong support system all help me stay resilient. With my history in utilities, I know what it is like to work a job where you must make choices and enact policies that aren’t necessarily loved by your customers and communities. I also know how critical a disaster or accident can be to the essential services we provide. My experience has made me resilient and taught me to lean in with my employees and teams. In tough moments, I know we have each other’s backs!
What strategies do you use to manage stress and maintain focus during a crisis?
Tanya Moniz-Witten : I’ve been in the utilities industry for over 20 years and have witnessed my share of crises. We all know that clean drinking water is critical to sustaining life. It is a significant responsibility knowing that our community relies on us for an essential utility. To manage stress and maintain focus during a crisis, I try to have a positive service mindset. Lessons from past challenges have made me a better leader. I also make sure to take care of myself by getting enough rest and maintaining a healthy work-life balance. Exercise and spending quality time with my family are a key part of this.
How do you communicate with your team during a crisis?
Tanya Moniz-Witten : In times of crisis, transparent communication is extremely important. My goal is to provide frequent updates, ensure that the message is clear across the organization, and to engage in active listening. I prioritize an open-door policy at all times. It is imperative that my team knows I will make myself as available as possible to support them and provide honest feedback, but that I also trust and value their expertise.
What advice would you give to other CEOs on building resilience in their organizations?
Tanya Moniz-Witten : Resilience in an organization stems from a strong company culture. In my first few months as president, it has been extremely important for me to join various department meetings, head out on ride-alongs, be in the field, and help man our call center — this removes barriers and helps to build rapport and trust. It also helps both me (to learn) and our employees to understand that their contributions fuel our progress. As a servant leader, my priority is to find out what each member of the company needs to succeed and also realize how we can improve. I would encourage other leaders to have an open-door policy — innovation can come from anyone!
How do you prepare your business for potential future crises?
Tanya Moniz-Witten : It’s really all about commitment to quality through infrastructure investment. We continuously maintain and improve our water system, which comprises more than 2,400 miles of water mains, 95 wells, 100 tanks and reservoirs, 20,000 hydrants, and 35,000 valves. We invest around $120 million per year in our infrastructure to ensure we can safely and efficiently serve customers now and for the next 100 years. San Jose Water uses several data and technology solutions to maximize water efficiency and conservation, including a Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) system. Our SCADA system allows us to monitor our operations in real time — controlling 105 reservoirs and 300 pumps. We can look at over 50,000 data points at once, meaning real-time water quality monitoring, including hazmat and environmental compliance. We are also in the process of rolling out our Smart Meters (three-year rollout). With this technology, both SJW and our customers will have the ability to minimize water loss from leaks, improve water management, and promote sustainability to further California’s ambitious water conservation goals.
What’s the most important lesson you’ve learned about leadership in times of crisis?
Tanya Moniz-Witten : The most important lesson I’ve learned is to lead with empathy. If our company is facing a crisis, we’re doing it together as a team. We all need to lean on one another. Transparent communication across the organization, at all levels, is critical. This communication (both internally and externally) also needs to reflect an understanding of how customers are impacted and sympathy for what they are going through. Crises are a time to reflect and grow as an organization. From these lessons, we can better prepare and become even stronger for the future.