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.

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#PublicWorks #CivilEngineering #Leadership #Infrastructure #MunicipalEngineering #Chino #California #PublicService #TeamCulture #Innovation #LocalGovernments #TPWP

The Public Works Podcast: Hye Jin Lee Episode