The Oakland County Water Resources Commissioner's Office is faced with many challenges in the 21stcentury. It must provide leadership in areas of regional cooperation in order to make responsible decisions about infrastructure, the environment and water quality. Formerly known as the Drain Commissioner's Office, the name was changed to the Water Resources Commissioner's Office in November 2008 to reflect the increased duties and responsibilities of the office. It's not just about drains in the 21st century. Today, the Water Resources Commissioner's Office is a key component in providing you with quality water supply, drainage systems and sewage disposal systems...and doing it in a way that keeps our environment safe and promotes responsible growth. Jim Nash, talks about the importance of overseeing the water and sewer department for Oakland County. Interview recorded November 16th, 2017.

According to a 2017 McKinsey & Company report, 50% of current work activities are technically automatable by adapting currently demonstrated technologies. Spencer Overton, President of the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies discusses how automation strongly impacts the global workforce for African Americans. A life-learning approach is one way to adapt to the advancement of technology.