Board of Directors Represent the Region’s Water Agencies
The Water Authority’s 22 member agencies are represented through a 34-member Water Authority Board of Directors. At least one director from each agency sits on the Board. The Board establishes and administers policies for the Water Authority, and generally holds its regular meetings on the fourth Thursday of every month with special workshops and other meetings as needed. The public is invited to attend monthly meetings and to comment on agenda items or other matters before the Board.
Ethics Training Records
California Senate Bill 827 requires public agencies like the Water Authority to provide public access to ethics training records. To request Water Authority records, contact Board Clerk Kelly Walker at kwalker@sdcwa.org or (858) 522-6614.
Public Notice
BOARD OF DIRECTORS’ AND STANDING COMMITTEES’ REGULAR MEETING
9:00 A.M. MARCH 19, 2026
BOARD ROOM
WATER AUTHORITY HEADQUARTERS BUILDING
4677 OVERLAND AVENUE, SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA
Director Rocky Qualin is participating via live video conference during the San Diego County Water Authority Meeting, pursuant to California Government Code Section 54953(b). Director Qualin is participating from 10800 Dakota Ranch Road, Santee, CA 92071. The agenda is posted at the publicly accessible location.
The meeting is open to the public and accessible electronically by going to the web link at SDCWA.org and then clicking the link listed below “LIVE STREAM” on the right hand side of the page.
- UNIFIED AGENDA: The unified agenda provides a brief description of each item to be considered by the Board and its Administrative and Finance, Engineering and Operations, Imported Water, Legislation & Public Outreach, and Water Planning and Environmental Committees. For convenience, the agenda for each of the Committees and for the formal Board meeting are stated separately; however, all agendas shall be considered as a single agenda and any item listed on the agenda of any Committee may be acted upon by the Board. All items on the agenda of any Committee, including information items, may be deliberated and become subject to action by the Board.
- DOCUMENTS: Staff reports, and any other public information provided to the Board or Committee before the meeting relating to items on the agenda are available for public review on the Water Authority website at https://www.sdcwa.org/meetings-and-documents. Additional documents may be distributed at the meeting electronically and will be made available. Copies of individual items are available through the Clerk of the Board at (858) 522-6614.
- MEETING TIMES: The meeting of the full Board will commence at 9:00 a.m. Committee meetings will begin as early as 11:00 a.m., following a recess of the Formal Board meeting. Any afternoon session of the Committees may commence at the conclusion of the morning session and earlier than 12:00 p.m. Please see the meeting schedule. The meeting of the full Board will reconvene as early as 2:00 p.m. or as soon thereafter as the last Committee meeting is completed.
- ACTION AT COMMITTEE MEETINGS: Committee meetings are also noticed as meetings of the Board because a quorum of the Board may be present. Members of the Board who are not members of the Committee may participate in the meeting, but only members of the Committee may make, second or vote on any motion or other action of the Committee unless the Board determines to convene for consideration of action on an item or items on the Committee agenda. Items receiving substantive review by a standing committee are generally included on the Consent Calendar for action at the meeting of full Board. Closed Sessions also occur at Committee meetings and may not be repeated at the formal Board meeting.
- CONSENT CALENDAR: The agenda contains items listed on a consent calendar which is for matters considered routine or otherwise not requiring further deliberation. A Committee or the Board will take action as recommended by one motion. There will be no individual discussion on such items prior to the vote unless an item is removed for discussion.
- PUBLIC HEARINGS: It is not necessary to notify the Chair if a member of the public wishes to speak on items listed on the agenda as public hearings. Public hearings will begin at the time stated in the notice, or as soon thereafter as the matter can be heard. When the Chair opens the hearing, upon invitation from the Chair, step to the podium and begin by giving your name and address for the record. Each speaker has three minutes to address the Board.
- PUBLIC COMMENT: Public comments may be provided before the meeting by submitting written comment to: publiccomments@sdcwa.org. Written correspondence will be read as time allows and will be dispersed to the Board of Directors via email.
Speaker request forms will be available to the public attending in person.
The meeting can be monitored and public comments can also be made by joining via zoom here: ZOOM LINK.
or joining by phone at 1-669-444-9171. Enter the meeting id 838 8344 4061# when prompted. Use the raise hand feature in Zoom to be recognized by the Clerk to speak. If joining by phone dial *9 to raise your hand.
Members of the public are given an opportunity to address each Standing Committee on any item listed on their respective agenda or under the jurisdiction of the Committee, during the Public Comment period as stated on the agenda.
Each speaker is allotted up to three minutes to provide their public comment. The Presiding Officer shall, however, exercise discretion to determine if time should be reduced or extended based upon such factors as length and substance of agenda, the number of public comment speakers, the need for the Board to conclude business as expeditiously as is practicable, and whether the Board is at risk of losing a quorum, among other factors.
During the Formal Board of Directors Meeting, at the Public Comment period stated on the agenda, members of the public are given an opportunity to address the Board on items of interest within the subject matter of the Board, or on any item on the Formal Board Agenda that was not previously addressed by a Standing Committee. No public comment will be taken on items previously considered by the Standing Committee unless the Board Chair determines that an item has changed substantially. - INFORMATION ITEMS: Items are listed on the agenda as information based on staff’s judgment. Circumstances or the committee’s or Board’s judgments may require deliberation or, if necessary, action on these items. Any member of the public with an interest in one of these items should review the background material and request information on the possible action that could be taken.
- ASSISTANCE FOR THE DISABLED: If you are disabled in any way and need accommodation to participate in the Board meeting, please call the Clerk of the Board at (858) 522-6614 for assistance at least three (3) working days prior to the meeting so the necessary arrangements can be made.
- RULES GOVERNING MEETINGS: The Water Authority’s Administrative Code Chapter 2.00 governs the conduct of meetings of the Board and the Committees. The Administrative Code is available online at www.sdcwa.org.
Roster of Committees, Task Forces, and Other Appointments
Committees
Administrative & Finance Committee
Ismahan Abdullahi – Chair
Gary Arant – Vice Chair
Vacant – Vice Chair
Teresa Acosta
Tim Douglass
Frank Hilliker
Jennifer Kerschbaum
Ron Morrison
Princess Norman
Rocky Qualin
Mark Robak
Esther Sanchez
Nick Serrano
Stephen Whitburn
Burt Williams
Engineering & Operations Committee
Amy Reeh – Chair
Lois Fong-Sakai – Vice Chair
Eric Heidemann – Vice Chair
Ismahan Abdullahi
Gary Arant
Jimmy Ayala
Jerry Butkiewicz
Kathleen Coates Hedberg
Jim Desmond
Amanda Flesse
Dana Friehauf
Francisco X. Rivera
Esther Sanchez
Evan Wahl
Imported Water Committee
Neal Meyers – Chair
Mel Katz – Vice Chair
Jim Madaffer – Vice Chair
Jimmy Ayala
Steve Castaneda
Amanda Flesse
Lois Fong-Sakai
Eric Heidemann
Jennifer Kerschbaum
Marty Miller
Rick Paul
Francisco X. Rivera
Joel Scalzitti
Nick Serrano
Legislation & Public Outreach Committee
Valentine Macedo, Jr. – Chair
Teresa Acosta – Vice Chair
Amy Reeh – Vice Chair
Jerry Butkiewicz
Frank Hilliker
Mel Katz
Joy Lyndes
Jim Madaffer
Venus Molina
Ron Morrison
Princess Norman
Rocky Qualin
Stephen Whitburn
Burt Williams
Water Planning & Environmental Committee
Marty Miller – Chair
Dana Friehauf – Vice Chair
Joel Scalzitti – Vice Chair
Steve Castaneda
Kathleen Coates Hedberg
Jim Desmond
Tim Douglass
Joy Lyndes
Valentine Macedo, Jr.
Neal Meyers
Venus Molina
Rick Paul
Mark Robak
Evan Wahl
Audit Committee
Steve Castaneda – Chair
Tim Douglass
Dana Friehauf
Rick Paul
Joel Scalzitti
Work Groups
Labor Work Group
Ismahan Abdullahi – Chair
Gary Arant
Jimmy Ayala
Jerry Butkiewicz
Dana Friehauf
Frank Hilliker
Valentine Macedo, Jr.
Resource Strategy Work Group
Jim Madaffer – Chair
Dana Friehauf
Frank Hilliker
Mel Katz
Joy Lyndes
Marty Miller
Nick Serrano
Settlement Agreement Advisors
Gary Arant
Neal Meyers
Hodges Litigation Committee
Gary Arant, Chair
Teresa Acosta
Kathleen Coates Hedberg
Amanda Flesse
Eric Heideman
Frank Hilliker
Neal Meyers
Rocky Qualin
Francisco Rivera
Other Appointments
SDCWA Finance Agency JPA
Nick Serrano – President (Chair of Board)
Ismahan Abdullahi – Vice President (Chair of A&F)
SANDAG Board
Joy Lyndes, Representative
Joel Scalzitti, Alternate
Valentine Macedo, Jr., Alternate
SANDAG Borders Committee
Steve Castaneda, Representative
Valentine Macedo, Jr., Alternate
SANDAG Regional Planning Committee
Vacant – Representative
Joel Scalzitti, Alternate
San Diego Area Wastewater Management District
Joel Scalzitti, Representative
Water Conservation Garden JPA
Kathleen Coates Hedberg, Representative
MWD Delegates
Lois Fong-Sakai
Mel Katz
Marty Miller
Dan Denham, General Manager
Colorado River Board
Jim Madaffer, Representative
Eric Heidemann, Alternate
Committees as of January 23, 2026
*Interim assignment