Leadership & Executive Team

Maureen A. Stapleton is the General Manager of the San Diego County Water Authority, the regional water agency that provides up to 90 percent of all the water used in San Diego County supporting a $186 billion economy and the quality of life for over 3.1 million residents. Stapleton assumed her duties in January 1996. As General Manager, Stapleton oversees a dynamic agency that is aggressively pursuing a comprehensive array of water supply and infrastructure programs designed to diversify and improve the reliability of San Diego County's water supply. She successfully negotiated the landmark 2003 Colorado River Quantification Settlement Agreement which included the Imperial Irrigation District Water Transfer and the lining of the All American and Coachella canals that together will provide up to 21.4 million acre-feet of water to San Diego County over 110 years. She is also responsible for the implementation of a $3.8 billion Capital Improvement Program, including the Emergency Storage Project, a system of new and expanded reservoirs, interconnected pipelines and pumping stations designed to make water available to the San Diego region during an emergency. In addition, the Water Authority is aggressively pursuing the development of seawater desalination, outdoor conservation, and enhanced recycling to continue the supply diversification effort for the San Diego region.

Sandra Kerl joined the Water Authority as its Deputy General Manager in November 2009. Kerl has over 25 years of progressively responsible experience in all aspects of municipal management. She served as City Manager of La Mesa, California and has broad experience with city management, extensive knowledge of organizational issues, and a pragmatic understanding of capital project management and delivery. Throughout her professional career she has been active in the International County Management Association, and has served as chair of the San Diego City/County Managers Association and San Diego Regional Training Center. Kerl received her Bachelor of Political Science from California Polytechnic State University at San Luis Obispo and her Master of Business Administration from the University of Redlands.

 

Frank Belock has oversight of the Water Authority’s extensive infrastructure system, which includes almost 300 miles of large-diameter pipelines and associated facilities, as well as a dynamic $3.8 billion Capital Improvement Program. He oversees the work of the Operations and Maintenance and Engineering departments. Belock joined the Water Authority in 2007. Prior to joining the Water Authority, Belock worked for Parsons as an area manager and as the Director of the Water Department for the city of San Diego.

 

 

 

 

Dennis Cushman leads the Water Authority’s externally focused water policy initiatives and programs designed to diversify and improve the reliability of the region’s water supply. Cushman also directs the legislative advocacy programs of the Water Authority in Sacramento, Calif., and Washington, D.C. He oversees the work of the Water Authority’s efforts on the Metropolitan Water District Program and manages the Public Outreach and Conservation Department. From 1997 to 2001, he was director of the Water Authority’s Public Affairs Department. Prior to his appointment as assistant general manager in August 2002, he was associate vice president of Marketing and Communications at San Diego State University, one of the largest universities in the U.S. Cushman has nearly 20 years experience in public affairs and management in the public and private sectors.

 

Dan Hentschke is the Water Authority’s chief legal officer and is responsible for managing the legal affairs of the Water Authority. The general counsel’s office provides legal advice, counsel and representation to the Water Authority and its board of directors and staff. He has served as general counsel for the Water Authority since February 1998.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Marilyn Young is responsible for managing a variety of comprehensive Water Authority-wide programs including information systems, geographical information systems, purchasing and warehousing, safety and risk management, and the development and delivery of centralized administrative support. This includes records management systems, building services, and assistance and support to the board of directors. Young joined the Water Authority in 1997 and was named director of administrative services in January 1999.

 

 

 

 

Halla Razak, P.E, is responsible for administering various aspects related to the Colorado River Program and the Quantification Settlement Agreements. This includes the Imperial Irrigation District Water Transfer agreement, the lining of the All-American and Coachella canals, the Imperial Valley community outreach program, and working closely with federal, state, and other water agencies to implement Colorado River programs. Razak joined the Water Authority in 2005.

 

 

 

 

William J. Rose is responsible for the design and construction of new regional water facilities in the Capital Improvement Program (CIP); rehabilitation or replacing facilities identified as part of the Asset Management Program; managing major emergency facility repairs; and providing overall CIP programmatic monitoring and controls. Rose also manages the Water Authority’s real-estate interests by including the acquisition, disposal, and lease of real property; patrolling and managing 168 miles of right of way; and providing survey services. Rose is a Registered Civil Engineer in the State of California and joined the Water Authority in 2001.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jeff Volberg is responsible for administering the Water Authority's Government Relations Program in Sacramento and in Washington, D.C. He maintains an office for the Water Authority in Sacramento. In addition to tracking and recommending positions on state and federal legislation, he administers the Water Authority's Bay-Delta Program. Also, Volberg works with various coalition groups, such as the California Urban Water Agencies, Association of California Water Agencies, and the California Chamber of Commerce, to advance the Water Authority's interests in the larger water community. Volberg is an attorney with 10 years of experience in working with the California Legislature. He joined the Water Authority in 2005.

 

 

Susan Leone has responsibility for human resources support to the Water Authority and its employees. The Human Resources Department provides diverse support in the areas of: leadership, management and employee training and development; workforce planning; recruitment and selection; classification and compensation; labor negotiations and employee relations; and, benefits. Leone joined the Water Authority in January 2008 as director of human resources.

 

 

 

 

Amy Chen manages the Water Authority’s Metropolitan Water District Program, responsible in supporting the Water Authority Board officers and MWD delegates in developing and implementing strategies to achieve the Water Authority’s long-term supply reliability goal. Her group works closely with various Water Authority departments, linking MWD programs and policies to the Water Authority’s management strategies and operations. She also works closely with MWD board members and member agency managers in advocating the Water Authority’s positions relative to MWD programs and activities. Chen is a California registered professional engineer with more than 20 years experience in water resources engineering and planning. She earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees both from University of Southern California in civil engineering. Chen joined the Water Authority in 1996 to lead the Water Authority’s Los Angeles office managing liaison relationship with the MWD board and member agencies, and she was named MWD program chief in February 2008.

 

Gary Eaton directs the department responsible for all aspects of water delivery including dispatch, water quality, storage, security, emergency response, fleet operations, and energy generation. He is also responsible for the development and implementation of comprehensive strategies and programs for the operation, maintenance, and repair of the Water Authority’s large and complex aqueduct system and facilities. He earned his Master of Science in Operations Management from the University of Arkansas. Gary Eaton joined the Water Authority in 1988 and became Director of Operations and Maintenance in July 2003.

 

 

Jason Foster serves as the director of the Public Outreach and Conservation Department. He supervises the Water Authority’s conservation programs and outreach efforts, including community outreach on construction projects, the agency’s small-business contracting opportunities program (SCOOP), media relations, education programs, and regional communications related to conservation and water supply issues. Prior to coming to the Water Authority in December 2006, Foster served as the media relations manager for San Diego State University and also worked in the San Diego region as a public affairs consultant.

 

 

 

 

Ken Weinberg directs the Water Authority’s long-term water supply  and facilities planning  and  water resources management,  including the development of regional local supply projects such as seawater desalination. The Water Resources Department is responsible for implementing the Water Authority's Water Shortage and Drought Management Plan. The department also ensures the Water Authority’s projects comply with environmental regulations and assists the agency’s 24 member agencies in planning and implementing  local water resources projects. In addition, the department along with staff from the city of San Diego and the county of San Diego,  has been working with  numerous governmental and non-governmental stakeholders on the development and management of the San Diego Integrated Regional Water Management program(IRWM) and related Grants Administration Program for IRWM and managing grants for the Water Authority as a whole.