May 6, 2004

Water district administrative deputy named one of the county’s top females in industry

Olga Martin Steele, deputy administrative officer for Santa Clara Valley Water District’s Business Resources Division, is one of 50 Santa Clara County women named winners of the Tribute to Women in Industry (TWIN) Award. The YWCA presents the TWIN Award annually to women executives they consider the best of the best, as well as to the companies that employ them.

Martin Steele and the Santa Clara Valley Water District were honored Tuesday by YWCA in Santa Clara Valley at an award dinner in the San Jose Fairmont.

Martin Steele’s career spans more than 35 years with the majority of that time spent in public service. She began her career as a clerk at Mendocino State Hospital. As a single mother of two, she attended night classes to earn a bachelor of science degree in business administration management. Martin Steele worked her way up the ranks.
During a time in history when women were not accepted as equals with men, she was one of the first women peace officers to work in a men’s facility in the California Department of Corrections.

“At 25, I was very idealistic and I was not afraid to trail-blaze. I didn’t give a second thought about not being able to do the job,” said Martin Steele.

That spirit of “trail-blazing” carried through to the management path that her career would take.

Martin Steele held management positions at the California Department of Fish and Game, a traditionally male-dominated organization. While there, she oversaw the licensing and revenue department and was responsible for automating and modernizing a system that brought in more than $63 million annually in revenue.
In addition, she was the first woman to hold the position of assistant chief of wildlife management, the first time the position was not held by a biologist.

Before coming to the Santa Clara Valley Water District, Martin Steele served as chief deputy director of the California Conservation Corps.

Appointed by then-Gov. Pete Wilson, she managed an organization whose mission was to educate and engage young men and women in meaningful work, many of whom had not graduated from high school, and give them the means to get their feet on the ground and turn their lives around.

When asked about her career and accomplishments, Martin Steele says she doesn’t look back on what she did as incredible or extraordinary.

Rather, “I worked to live—it was what I had to do—but, in so many ways, it’s been a labor of love,” she said.
Her position as deputy administrative officer for the water district requires that she oversee multiple aspects of the business side of the district, including its equal opportunity program, employment services, risk management, finance and budget, accounting, procurement and contracts, and other business support services.

Under her direction, the district was recognized for excellence, receiving a Distinguished Budget Preparation Award from the Government Finance Officers Association.

Several employees who work closely with Martin Steele worked as a committee to gather information and nominate Martin Steele for the TWIN Award.

Her colleagues praise Martin Steele’s ability to inspire others to work as a team and to her abilities as a leader.
“She is direct, honest, professional and totally respectful in her approach to people,” said Estela Tarano, acting unit manager for the district’s Equal Opportunity Programs.

Others say they recognize something in Martin Steele that is exceptional. Penny Larussa, Martin Steele’s former executive assistant, said “her leadership needed to be recognized. Not many women have the opportunity to be recognized in the community and we think she is the greatest.”

When speaking of being honored with the TWIN Award, Martin Steele talks about the people around her and the organization of which she is part. Having more than 20 years of management experience, she says there are many women today ready to advance, but the first challenge women face is finding opportunities.

The district “has done a good job of bringing women into management,” she said. “This organization deserves this award because it provides an environment that is open to all people, is supportive and rich in opportunities.”

Martin Steele said winning the award is a humbling experience. “I think about all the people that work with me and how deserving they are of recognition,” she said.

The Santa Clara Valley Water District manages wholesale drinking water resources and provides stewardship for the county’s vast watersheds, including a series of reservoirs, more than 800 miles of streams and groundwater basins. The district also promotes flood protection for Santa Clara County’s 1.7 million residents.