HomeMy WebLinkAbout02._Application 11, M.Gupta Page 80 of 95
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APPLICATION
APPLICATION FOR POSITION AS BOARDMEMBER ' o*C1 27,
REPRESENTING DIVISION 3
PLEASE TYPE OR PRINT IN INK. completed applications must be submitted to the Secretary of the District at
5019 Imhoff Place,Martinez, CA 94553 or via email, kyounq@centralsan.org by 5:00 p.m.on Monday,March
27,2023.Applications submitted after the deadline will not be considered. Responses to all items are required
for application to be considered complete.
Applicant Name: Mona Gupta
Address:
Walnut Creek, CA 94597
Phone Number:
Email Address:
1. Are you a resident of Division 3*7 Yes �1 No
*Verification can be obtained clicking the interactive map on the District website at
htt s,,.wwwxentralsan.or�'.:elections Or by calling the Secretary of the District at 925-229-7303.
2. Are you currently a registered voter? Yes No
3. Have you ever been convicted of a felony? Yes No �
4. Attach resume and/or list your education,current employer and work experience:
Resume attached separately.
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CENTRAL SAN
S. Describe any other relevant current or past experience that would qualify you for this
position,including the dates of service and the length of time of the experience,
specifically:
a. Current or previous elected positions or experience with elected boards:
N/A
b. Volunteer services or community participation:
CoCo San Sustainable Farm, Volunteer July 2021 - present
c. Other group memberships and affiliations:
California Native Plant Society, Member Feb 2022 - present
Eta Kappa Nu Honor Society, Member Dec 2012 - present
Tau Beta Pi Engineering Honor Society, Member Sept 2011 - present
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CENTRAL SAN
6. Do you have a familial or financial relationship with an employee or Board Member at
Central San? If Yes, please identify the nature of the relationship:
No
7. Do you have any financial relationships with the District such as grants,contracts,or
other economic relationships? If Yes, please identify the nature of the relationship:
No
8. State your reason for interest in this position and explain why you would be the best
candidate for this seat in 500 words or less. (You may use this form or attach a separate
document for your response.)
Statement attached separately.
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CENTRAL SAN
9. Any additional information you would like to provide for consideration.(You may use
this form or attach a separate document for your response.)
NIA
Thank you for your interest in the Central Son
Signed:
/4 c L,r t March 27, 2023
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Mona Gupta
Walnut Creek, CA 94597
Mission
Inspire and shape water management policy to be rational,equitable, and sustainable.
Education & Certifications
University of California,Berkeley Spring 2014
Bachelor of Science,Electrical Engineering and Computer Science
Minor in Nuclear Engineering
High Honors, GPA 3.85
Occidental Arts and Ecology Center Nov 2021
Permaculture Design Certification
Experience
Flexport, Tech Lead Manager/Senior Software Engineer Oct. 2018-Aug. 2022
• Maintained team morale during a difficult reorganization during the pandemic
o Convinced upper management to do something effective
o Negotiated with product management to alter priorities to work on a high impact project
o Worked directly with engineers with their design and code to ensure their productivity and
morale was high
o Transferred a burnt out, underperforming employee to another department that matched his
interests
• Aligned conflicting goals between four different functional groups during Long Range Planning
o Business leaders wanted a set of features, while Product wanted a different set of features.
Engineers on team wanted to revamp technical system to increase future efficiency. The broader
engineering organization wanted the team to meet a Modularization goal that none of the other
groups wanted. Design team had severely limited bandwidth.
o Devised and executed a rational plan that satisfied all groups. Pushed back on the Modularization
goal. Sequenced business and product goals that satisfied both groups. Budgeted time for
engineering improvements that require little design and improve engineering efficiency.
o Restored trust and morale within the Trade Finance organization through careful listening and
rational and transparent decision-making.
• Created mentorship program for women engineers to scale influence
o Ten participants over 3 months
o Trained mentors in bi-weekly sessions while they mentored many individuals throughout
organization
o Assisted 2 women with their successful promotion application cases
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o Personally mentored many high-performing individuals throughout the organization.
• Designed and implemented GPS ingestion system to improve accuracy of ocean vessel tracking. Worked
across four different teams and multiple functional areas.
• Integrated with CargoSprint to pay fees at airline terminals. Projected savings were over$100k annually
from this two-month project.
Target Corp., Senior Software Engineer Mar. 2017-July 2018
• Automated displayed order of products on Target.com to improve user experience and sales
• Built monitoring and alerting program for malfunctioning refrigeration units across all Target stores
• Provided instant querying of user interaction data on Target.com through APIs and distributed
computation
Farmstead,Web Developer Sept. 2016—Nov. 2016
First engineering hire in an early-stage startup for on-demand grocery delivery
• Drastically reduced the overhead of scheduling deliveries, allowing change from one delivery slot/week
to multiple delivery slots per day
o Pinpointed several issues causing excess overhead of delivery schedules
o Designed and built solutions to allow for multiple delivery slots per day
Yahoo!,Software Development Engineer June 2014—Feb. 2016, Summer 2013
• Delivered Android application Canvas from inception to completion
• Devised and implemented plan to correct technical issues and launch on time
• Integrate Redis caching to improve reliability of data access
UC Berkeley,Undergraduate Student Instructor Fall 2012-Spring 2014
• Outstanding Graduate Student Instructor Award in Spring 2014
• Taught Introduction to Microelectronic Circuits (EE40),Data Structures (CS61B).
• Lead TA for Structure and Interpretation of Computer Programs (CS61AS). Led development of course
materials. Managed staff of 10+other undergraduates
UC Berkeley, Safe Transportation Research &Education Center, Student Researcher
• Created technology for ingestion and visualization of large batches of data Jan. 2011 -Aug. 2012
• Gathered pedestrian and traffic data on busy intersections in Berkeley
• Wrote reports on California traffic safety, collaborating with consultants from Booz Allen Hamilton
Other
Volunteer at CoCo San Sustainable Farm July 2021 -Present
Central San Academy Graduate Mar. 2023
Member of California Native Plant Society Feb. 2022-Present
Member of Eta Kappa Nu Honor Society Dec. 2012—Present
Member of Tau Beta Pi Engineering Honor Society Sept. 2011—Present
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Statement of Interest
Mona Gupta
Water management is an integral part of our community's long-term sustainability. Our
actions today will have a drastic effect on Contra Costa for the next 50 years. Central San plays
a crucial role. I see great potential in Central San's ability to lead in the next generation of
projects and improvements. The board has been progressive and innovative since its inception,
expanding their sphere of influence to projects like Household Hazardous Waste, recycled
water, and community outreach. I want to advance the utility's recycled water program,
accomplish indirect/direct potable reuse projects with EBMUD, and decarbonize Central San.
would be the best candidate for this seat for a variety of reasons. Firstly, my education
and subsequent experience have taught me numerous practical skills necessary for an effective
board. I have an engineering degree from UC Berkeley, a deep expertise in software
engineering, and growing interdisciplinary skills in management, sustainability, and climate
change. I am well-versed in building consensus and trust. I have a data-driven approach to
decision-making which is necessary when dealing with issues at a large scale. I listen to all
viewpoints and seek out additional information to gather the information needed to make an
informed decision. Most importantly, I will synthesize that information and use our shared values
as a compass to reach a rational and transparent decision.
Second, I represent our diverse community through multiple facets: race, gender, age,
and educational background. I am a second-generation immigrant from India, and will represent
the thirty-seven percent of Walnut Creek residents with an ethnic background that is not white. I
am a millennial, the largest generation in the US that will be leading the country for decades to
come. I have different lived experiences, growing up in an agriculture community in Bakersfield,
plus a decade in five different cities around the bay.
Finally, I am a very quick learner with unmatched motivation. In the 2050s, I will reach
retirement age and my future children will be in the prime of their life. Many of the most drastic
effects of climate change are projected to begin in this decade. I want to build a better world
now so that we may be prepared for this future. This past August I left my lucrative job in
software engineering to focus on fighting the climate change emergency. I earned my
Permaculture Design Certification in 2021,which has a major focus on sustainable water
systems. I am continuing to learn rapidly through horticulture and sustainable water
management courses at Diablo Valley College, researching current and past California water
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policy, and preparing to attend UC Davis for a Masters or PhD in Hydrology. Tactically, I will
learn the business by working with other board members and staff, attending conferences, and
networking with other wastewater agencies.
I am committed to building Central San into a Utility of the Future to lead the way on
equitable solutions towards a more abundant and safe world. I would be honored to serve on
the board.
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