With a degree in criminal justice and a work history in the casino industry, Jeff Michalak never imagined that in his mid-50s he would work in the wastewater treatment industry.After all, he knew nothing about it. But in February 2021 he went to work at Douglas County’s North Valley Wastewater Treatment Plant in Minden, Nevada, a small town 15 miles from Lake Tahoe. He needed a job, and the county needed someone with mechanical experience.In 2023 Michalak won the New Wastewater Operator of the Year award from the Nevada Rural Water Association, which conducted many of the classes he took
