My Board Philosophy

Protecting Our Water Today While Investing In Tomorrow

Responsible water use is one part of a comprehensive water strategy, but a one-size-fits-all “just conserve more” approach reflected in current state policy does not address the broader challenges threatening California’s interconnected water supply. Conservation matters, but resiliency requires investment.

Rancho Water has already taken significant steps to strengthen local water reliability by investing in infrastructure and expanding recycling, conveyance, groundwater capacity and surfacewater storage - including our Groundwater Recharge Recovery Expansion Program, commonly known as our Groundwater Banking Program. But local action alone is not enough. California also needs a coordinated, long-term strategy for statewide water resilience.

I have been building support with our regional partners to be front and center as we work to influence policy in Sacramento and D.C. Reliable and affordable water is fundamental to our quality of life, economy, housing, agriculture and wildfire preparedness. Yet critical water projects can take years - or decades - to plan, permit and build. I believe state and federal leaders must make water infrastructure a priority, streamline unnecessary or duplicative processes, and help local agencies move urgently needed projects forward.

I’m committed to advocating for Rancho Water at the state and federal levels, pursuing and securing funding and grants that help us further protect and expand our water supplies while keeping rates as low as possible for our customers.

Ensuring Rancho Water is Represented Where Decisions Are Made

Too often, local needs are overlooked as policymakers develop legislation and regulations that directly impact our water supply, costs, and customers. Simply reacting to decisions after they are made is not enough. Rancho Water must be engaged early - advocating for our interests as policies are shaped and funding decisions are made.

Across Southern California, water agencies are working across jurisdictional and political boundaries to find common ground and strengthen our collective influence. Urban, commercial, and agricultural customers may have different priorities, but their interests are not mutually exclusive. By finding common ground and working together, we can advance water reliability, affordability, and long-term resilience for our region.

Clean, affordable and reliable water is fundamental to achieving many of California’s broader priorities - from housing and wildfire resilience to food security and a healthy environment. Water policy cannot be developed in isolation from these goals.

Through my leadership roles with the Southern California Water Coalition (SCWC), Association of California Water Agencies (ACWA), and Urban Water Institute (UWI), I have built partnerships with water agencies, industry leaders, policymakers, and other stakeholders. Those relationships strengthen Rancho Water’s influence in Sacramento and considered before decisions are made.

Preparing Today for the Challenges We Can’t Predict

Rancho Water has earned a strong reputation in the water industry for innovation - using new technologies and proven practices to improve efficiency, enhance safety, and provide reliable water and wastewater services to our community. That same forward-thinking approach must guide how we prepare for the risks and certainties ahead.

Recent events throughout California have demonstrated how quickly circumstances can change. Extreme weather, natural disasters, aging infrastructure, disruptions to energy and supply chains, emerging contaminants, invasive species, and evolving physical and cybersecurity threats can all put essential services at risk. We cannot predict every challenge, but we can prepare for them.

For me, preparedness means looking beyond the immediate horizon: identifying vulnerabilities before they become emergencies, planning for potential crisis scenarios, strengthening both physical and cybersecurity protections, investing strategically to reduce risk, and maintaining clear plans for response and recovery.

The goal is not simply to respond effectively when something goes wrong - it is to build a water system and an organization resilient enough to withstand disruption and continue serving our community.

Building Trust Through Communication and Community Engagement

I believe that good communication begins with making complex water issues easier to understand. Changing regulations, technical lingo, complicated rates, and water supply challenges can create a lot of noise. Rancho Water has a responsibility to cut through that noise with clear, accurate, and timely information - and to make answers and services easy to find.

To me, excellent customer service also means recognizing that people interact with Rancho Water in different ways and for different reasons. For some, it may be as simple as paying a bill or receiving a leak alert. Others may want to learn about their water use, rate structures, conservation opportunities, or programs available to residential, commercial, and agricultural customers. Whether a person’s need is simple or complex, my expectation is that information and services are relevant, accessible, and easy to navigate.

Rancho Water offers a range of tools and programs designed to help people manage water use, reduce costs, improve efficiency, and make informed choices. These include MyWaterTracker, Leak Alert, CropSwap, and the Temecula Murrieta In Bloom initiative. I support continuing to use technology and innovation where they make doing business with Rancho Water easier, while preserving traditional forms of communication for those who prefer them.

Most importantly, effective communication must go both ways. Listening to our customers, understanding their concerns, and incorporating their perspectives into how we serve them is just as important as providing clear information. For me, transparency, accessibility, and responsiveness are fundamental to building trust - and that trust is essential to serving our community well.