WATER RESILIENCY SPEAKER BIOS

LINDSEY HORVATH

CHAIR

Supervisor Lindsey P. Horvath was elected to the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors on November 8, 2022, and assumed office on December 5, 2022, after serving as a City Councilmember and the longest consecutively serving Mayor for the City of West Hollywood. Supervisor Horvath’s career has been defined by tackling the hardest problems, building diverse coalitions, and delivering results for her community. Supervisor Horvath is committed to sustainability and authored the adoption of the County Water Plan on December 5, 2023.

MARK PESTRELLA

DIRECTOR

Mark Pestrella is the director of Los Angeles County Public Works. Public Works’ diverse operations include: water resources, transportation, environmental services, construction management, and municipal services. Los Angeles County Public Works is the largest municipal public works agency in the United States, providing vital public infrastructure and civic services to more than 10 million people across a 4,000-square-mile service area. A native of Southern California, Director Pestrella attended California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, where he received a bachelor of science in civil engineering. He is a 35-year veteran of Public Works and is a licensed professional engineer.

CHARLES ‘CHARLEY’ WILSON

MODERATOR

Charles Wilson serves as Executive Director and CEO of the Southern California Water Coalition, a nonprofit, nonpartisan, public education partnership between cities, counties, business, industry, agriculture and water agencies dedicated to securing reliable, affordable, quality water for Southern California. Wilson also serves as principal owner of PC Consulting Services Inc. A consulting firm dedicated to providing strategic counsel, public affairs, government relations and communications to public agencies, private sector business clients and non-profits.

In addition, Wilson also serves as an elected board member of the Santa Margarita Water District where he currently serves as an active and dynamic force in providing leadership to the second largest and fastest growing retail water agency in Orange County.

KARLA NEMETH

Karla Nemeth was appointed Director of the California Department of Water Resources by Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. on January 10, 2018 and was reappointed by Governor Gavin Newsom on June 28, 2019.

Nemeth oversees the Department and it’s 4,000 employees whose mission it is to manage and protect California’s water resources. In cooperation with other agencies, DWR manages California’s water resources to benefit the state’s people, and to protect, restore, and enhance the natural and human environments. Nemeth focuses on preparing the Department and state to adapt to more extreme weather as a result of climate change – investing in aging and green infrastructure, better management of groundwater supplies, and various programs to improve local water resilience. Nemeth is committed to ensuring a workplace that reflects the values of diversity, equity and inclusion and one that provides programs and services that meet the needs of California’s diverse population.

Prior to joining DWR, Nemeth worked at the California Natural Resources Agency as Governor Brown’s deputy secretary and senior advisor for water policy since 2014. She was the Bay Delta Conservation Plan project manager from 2009 to 2014.

LIZ CROSSON

Liz Crosson is the chief sustainability, resilience and innovation officer for the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California. She is responsible for developing a district-wide sustainability and resiliency strategy that includes efforts to reduce Metropolitan’s carbon footprint and adapt to immediate climate change impacts. Crosson develops and pursues strategies, programs and policies to advance environmental outcomes that address energy use, conservation, pollution, environmental justice, and climate resilience. She also drives initiatives to foster innovation.

Crosson joined Metropolitan in March 2022 after serving as an advisor to the Los Angeles County Chief Sustainability Office and the county’s 88 cities on pressing sustainability and climate issues. She also served as Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti’s director of infrastructure and was the mayor’s chief policy liaison to the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power and the five bureaus under the city’s Department of Public Works. She also previously served as the city’s deputy chief sustainability officer and the mayor’s first appointed water policy advisor.

RITA KAMPALATH

Rita joined the County of Los Angeles’s Chief Sustainability Office in June 2017 as a Sustainability Program Director for the office. She supports development and implementation of the County’s first sustainability plan, in addition to providing policy support for other County sustainability-related initiatives. In May 2022, she was appointed Acting Chief Sustainability Officer. Prior to joining the County, Rita was the Science and Policy Director of the non-profit Heal the Bay where she oversaw advocacy and research projects related to water quality and water resources, and guided the development of Heal the Bay’s positions on a wide range of policy issues. Before joining Heal the Bay, Rita worked for Geosyntec Consultants on a range of water quality projects, primarily focusing on stormwater. Rita received a B.S. in chemical engineering from Columbia University, and an M.S. in chemical engineering and a Ph.D. in civil/environmental engineering from UCLA.

TRACY QUINN

Tracy Quinn serves as President and CEO of Heal the Bay, leading the dynamic team of scientists, policy experts, outreach specialists, and educators in pursuit of its clean water mission. Tracy has dedicated her career to improving water quality in our rivers and ocean and ensuring safe, reliable, and affordable water for all Californians. Tracy started her career as an engineer, designing water infrastructure in Southern California and working with municipal and industrial clients to improve water quality. Most recently, Tracy served as the Director of California Urban Water Policy at the Natural Resources Defense Council where she led efforts to pass and implement climate adaption legislation and improve climate resilience and water affordability throughout California. Tracy received her Bachelors of Science and Masters of Engineering in Agricultural and Biological Engineering from Cornell University and is a licensed civil engineer in California.

ADAM ARIKI

Adam Ariki is Deputy Director of the Los Angeles County Public Works Water Resources Core Service Area (CSA) and is responsible for the Stormwater Engineering, Maintenance, Planning, and Quality business areas and the Los Angeles County Waterworks Districts. Through the Water Resources CSA, Adam is responsible for Countywide water resource management, including flood risk management, water supply, and watershed health with the vision for Los Angeles County residents to have access to safe, clean, and reliable water resources. Adam has over 33 years of experience with Public Works in the areas of water supply reliability, water quality, groundwater capture, and operational efficiencies and engineering for the Los Angeles County Flood Control District. Adam is a licensed Professional Engineer in the State of California. He has a M.S. and B.S. of Science in Civil Engineering from New Mexico State University in Las Cruces, NM.

DAVID PEDERSEN

MODERATOR

David “Dave” Pedersen is the General Manager of Las Virgenes Municipal Water District in the City of Calabasas. He brings more than 27 years of public service experience focusing on water management, flood control and other public infrastructure. He began his career with Los Angeles County Public Works, subsequently moving to the Irvine Ranch Water District where he was director of water operations and later executive director of operations. He stays active in the water community, serving as the President Elect of WateReuse California and on the boards of the Association of California Water Agencies, Southern California Water Coalition and Urban Water Institute. Dave has represented special districts on the CalMutuals JPRIMA Board of Directors since 2019

ROBERT FERRANTE

Robert Ferrante became Chief Engineer and General Manager for the Sanitation Districts of Los Angeles County in August 2019. He reports directly to the Boards of Directors of the Districts, comprised of the Mayors of the 78 cities located within its service area and the Board of Supervisors for unincorporated county territory. The Districts provide wastewater management for 5.6 million residents and manage roughly 20% of the solid waste in the county. In his position, he oversees all the departments and activities of the Districts’. Under Mr. Ferrante’s leadership the agency has developed a food waste to energy program, is constructing a new seven-mile effluent tunnel, and is developing a large regional recycling program with other utility partners. These projects align with the Districts’ mission of converting waste into resources and replacing aging infrastructure.

BARBARA ROMERO

Barbara Romero is the Director and General Manager of the City of Los Angeles Sanitation and Environment, a department of over 3,500 employees with an annual revenue of over $1 billion. Previously, Barbara has served the City of Los Angeles in three different capacities; as Deputy Mayor for City Services, Board of Public Works Commissioner overseeing LASAN, and as a Citywide Planning Commissioner. She spent a decade working for the Mountains Recreation and Conservation Authority (MRCA) as its Chief of Urban Projects and Watershed Planning.

Early in her career, she worked as a community organizer for the Roosevelt High School’s Healthy Start Program. She also worked for the Los Angeles Conservation Corps running a federal AmeriCorps jobs program in East Los Angeles. She founded the Girls Today, Women Tomorrow Leadership Mentoring Program, and has served on the boards of the Los Angeles River Revitalization Corporation (now River LA), the Baldwin Hills Conservancy, Los Amigos Council for Para Los Niños, Valley Presbyterian Hospital, Community Nature Connection, Hollywood Sign Trust, and Los Angeles Conservation Corps. She currently serves on the Board of Directors of the National Association of Clean Water Agencies. Barbara is a proud graduate of the University of California at Los Angeles.

MARK GOLD

Dr. Mark Gold focuses on building climate resilience through integrated water management solutions for the increasingly arid urban California and the West. From 2019–2022, Gold served as Governor Gavin Newsom’s deputy secretary for Oceans and Coastal Policy and executive director of the Ocean Protection Council. He served as a key advisor to the governor and the secretary of Natural Resources and directed policy, scientific research, and critical partnerships to increase protection of coastal and ocean resources in California. Prior to his appointment, he was the UCLA associate vice chancellor for Environment and Sustainability, where he helped create and lead its Sustainable LA Grand Challenge effort. Before becoming associate vice chancellor, Gold was the interim director and associate director of the UCLA Institute of the Environment and Sustainability. He has been an adjunct professor at UCLA for more than 15 years. Prior to UCLA, Gold served as president of the environmental group Heal the Bay for 18 years. Over the course of his career, Gold has focused on all things wet, and his research focused on beach water quality and health risks as well as sustainable water resources management and sustainable cities. He received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in biology and his doctorate in environmental science and engineering, all from UCLA. Gold has served on numerous boards and commissions, including the Metropolitan Water District and the California Coastal Commission. He is based in Santa Monica, California.

MATT KNUDSON

Matt Knudson joined Antelope Valley East Kern Water Agency in 2017 as the Assistant General Manager and was appointed to the position of General Manager in 2023. A water industry veteran, he brings extensive knowledge gained from his 27-year tenure at Palmdale Water District, where he began his career before graduating high school. In 2018, Knudson was named as the Administrator for the Antelope Valley Watermaster where he has been instrumental in developing and implementing policy and procedures for the Antelope Valley Groundwater Adjudication.

EILEEN ALDUENDA

MODERATOR

Eileen Alduenda is Executive Director of the Council for Watershed Health. Eileen directs the collaborative efforts of the Council for Watershed Health (CWH) to advance the health and sustainability of local watersheds, rivers, and habitats in natural areas and urban neighborhoods. She guides CWH’s talented staff in implementing watershed health monitoring and performance monitoring of green infrastructure projects, education and engagement via convenings and publications, and technical assistance resources and capacity building of small municipalities, school districts, and community-based organizations interested in implementing multi-benefit green infrastructure projects.

She has over 20 years of experience collaborating with public agencies and nonprofit organizations in research, project design and implementation, and community education and engagement. In previous roles at CWH, she managed the Elmer Paseo green alley final design and implementation processes; implemented pre- and post-construction performance monitoring; co-developed professional seminars and field workshops focused on sustainable landscapes and maintenance; and co-developed and managed technical assistance efforts regionally and throughout California.

RUDY ORTEGA JR.

Rudy Ortega Jr. (Fernandeño Tataviam) is a former Chairman of the Los Angeles City/County Native American Indian Commission and has served on the Commission since 2004. He is the Tribal President of the Fernandeño Tataviam Band of Mission Indians, a native sovereign nation of northern Los Angeles County. As the current elected Tribal President of the Fernandeño Tataviam Band of Mission Indians Ortega Jr. oversees his Tribe’s governmental body and manages affairs pertaining to the rights of all Fernandeño Tataviam people.

KELSEY JESSUP

Kelsey Jessup is the Project Director of Climate and Nature-based Solutions at The Nature Conservancy. Kelsey works to further TNC’s Urban Program goal of making cities healthier and more resilient for both people and nature. Kelsey leads a multi-benefit stormwater management and habitat enhancement demonstration project at the Bowtie parcel along the Los Angeles River and oversees other urban program projects, including design and construction, contract and grant management, and partner relationships. She represents TNC in public forums, is a liaison to community members involved in the work. Before joining TNC, Kelsey worked as a project manager at the University of California, Los Angeles, Luskin Center for Innovation where she led the center’s Urban Greening Initiative. Kelsey focused on a range of issues at the Luskin Center, including Los Angeles River revitalization, community outreach and engagement, stormwater finance and management practices, Los Angeles’ turf replacement program, and technology use in parks. Kelsey was a Bohnett Fellow and earned her Master of Public Policy with academic honors from the University of California, Los Angeles, Luskin School of Public Affairs. During graduate school, she worked at the Los Angeles Mayor’s Office of Budget and Innovation as a policy analyst.

BRUCE REZNIK

Since 2015, Bruce Reznik has served as Executive Director of LA Waterkeeper, where he directs the organization’s advocacy campaigns and programmatic work aimed at achieving fishable, swimmable, drinkable waters through LA. Reznik previously spent eleven years running LAW’s sister-organization, San Diego Coastkeeper, and has served as Executive Director for San Diego Housing Federation, the Sacramento-based Planning Conservation League and the Sustainable San Diego collaborative. A California-licensed attorney, Reznik holds an undergraduate degree from UC Berkeley and law degree from the University of San Diego. He has served as an Alternate on the California Coastal Commission, among many other environmental boards. Bruce lives in the Culver City Arts District with his two rescue dogs.

MARK LOMBOS

Mark Lombos is an Assistant Deputy Director with Los Angeles County Public Works. Mark has 25 years of experience in the field of water resources and stormwater management. In his current role, he manages the County and Los Angeles County Flood Control District’s compliance with Federal, State, and local stormwater regulations, which includes collaborating with other agencies for the funding and implementation of stormwater programs and multi-benefit projects. Mark received his Bachelor of Science degree in Civil and Environmental Engineering from the University of California, Irvine and is a registered Civil Engineer