Duke Water Innovation and Leadership Development Program 2022-2023 Program Fellows
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Duke Water Innovation and Leadership Development Program
2022-2023 Program Fellows
Andrea Suárez Abastida
Director of Public Utilities, NMB Water, City of North Miami Beach, FL
Andrea currently serves as the Director of Public Utilities (NMB Water) in the
City of North Miami Beach. As the Director of NMB Water, she is proud to
work in partnership with a highly qualified, skilled, and multi-disciplinary
group of individuals to provide reliable, high-quality water to more than
175,000 costumers. Previously, Andrea worked in the Miami-Dade Water and
Sewer Consent Decree Program as the Deputy Program Manager, which provided her with training and
expertise for her current position. At NMB Water, Andrea is committed to work in advancing the Capital
Improvement Projects, maintain proper operations and maintenance of their existing facilities, perform
timely rehabilitation and repairs of the infrastructure, and work with the community to provide
resources to promote water conservation and affordability, while upholding requirements from
regulatory agencies. Andrea looks forward to learning from others, sharing experiences, and helping the
next generation of water leaders.
Tim Alston
Process Control Engineer, Gary Sanitary District, Gary, IN
Tim Alston is an environmental engineer by degree (MSEE, University of
Illinois Urbana-Champaign '18). Tim aspires to work towards environmental
sustainability, protecting environmental/public health, and remediation
across the country and world. Currently, Tim is a process control engineer at
one of the largest wastewater utilities in the State of Indiana called the Gary
Sanitary District, which is roughly 20 miles outside of Chicago, IL. In addition, Tim is very passionate
about giving back to the community in the form of STEM outreach and mentorship to underrepresented
students at all age levels and wants to use personal educational and professional experiences to inspire
and encourage!
Suzanne DeLorenzo
Director of Water Quality, San Jose Water Company, San Jose, CA
Suzanne DeLorenzo, PhD currently serves as the Director of Water Quality for
San Jose Water. Born and raised in NJ, Dr. DeLorenzo holds a B.S. in Biology
from Monmouth University, an M.S. in Biomedical Science from the University
of Medicine and Dentistry of NJ, and a Ph.D. in Environmental Science and
Engineering from Oregon Health & Science University in Portland, Oregon. She
spent years studying the influence of climate change on estuarine and coastal systems through the lens
of molecular microbiology before making the leap into the field of drinking water when she joined
Clackamas River Water as the Water Quality and Conservation Manager in Clackamas, Oregon. After
nearly 15 years in the Pacific Northwest, Dr. DeLorenzo returned home to New Jersey- joining Passaic
Valley Water Commission (PVWC) as the Laboratory and Water Quality Supervisor before heading back
West to San Jose, California.
David L. Fielder II
Project Manager, Detroit Water and Sewerage Department, Detroit, MI
David Fielder serves as the Project Manager of the Detroit Water and
Sewerage Department’s Lead Line Replacement Program and focuses on
Detroit’s compliance to the Michigan Lead and Copper Rule. He oversees all of
Detroit’s lead and copper sampling protocols, DWSD’s Distribution Systems
Material Inventory, and all reporting procedures to the Michigan Department
of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE).
David has eight years of experience in grassroots engagement, project management, and crisis
management and communication in both the private and public sector. He served as the Project
Manager for Detroit’s COVID-19 Water Restart Program aimed at addressing plumbing issues and
restoring running water to residents’ homes throughout the city of Detroit during the first few months
of the pandemic. For his efforts, David was 1 of 10 young leaders in the country selected to join the US
Water Alliance's first-ever Rising Professionals Cohort in the fall of 2020.
Karla G. Camou Guerra
Water Reclamation Superintendent, City of Glendale, Glendale, AZ
Karla Guerra serves as a Water Reclamation Superintendent for the City of
Glendale, AZ, where she is responsible for two Water Reclamation Facilities,
the city’s Lift Stations, as well as Reclaimed Water Recharge Facilities and
Reuse Water Distribution System. She also serves as Glendale’s representative
on the Sub Regional Operating Group (SROG) Planning and Engineering
Committee (SPEC). Originally from Mexico, she attended the Universidad de Sonora where she obtained
her bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering. In her early career years, she worked in the mining
industry in Mexico and Honduras before moving to Arizona in 2001. Mrs. Guerra holds professional
affiliations with American Water Works Association, Water Environment Federation, and AZ Water
where she serves as a board member. She also serves on the West-MEC Environmental Advisory
Council. Recipient of the 2020 WEF Hatfield Award and the 2020 AZ Water Operations Leader Award.
Brianna Huber
Director of Water Filtration, City of East Moline, East Moline, IL
Brianna is both the Founder/Executive Director of Her2O®, an international
501c3 supporting women in water and sanitation, and Director of Water
Filtration at a municipal drinking water utility. She achieves her primary goal
of building the future of water by focusing on four important facets of the
water industry: women in water and sanitation, internships & mentoring,
smart water & analytics, and emergency management.
Brianna is actively involved with various organizations, fulfilling various roles on several committees and
coalitions that focus on diversity, equity and inclusion, mentoring, outreach, water supply and
distribution, public information and communication, and emergency management. She holds a BA in
biology, a MS in Health Science, and an MBA in Business Analytics.
Jeanne Jensen
Capital Supervisor for Water, Wastewater, Stormwater, and Reclaimed Water
Utilities, Town of Gilbert, Gilbert, AZ
Jeanne Jensen serves as the Capital Supervisor for Water, Wastewater,
Stormwater, and Reclaimed Water Utilities for Gilbert, AZ. Her team currently
manages a 10-year $1B+ CIP, and she is Gilbert’s project manager over the
largest clean water investment in Arizona history, a reconstruction of the
North Water Treatment Plant ($457M). Jeanne received her Chemical Engineer BSE, Civil Engineering
MSE, and MPA from Arizona State University. She is a dual licensed professional engineer (Civil &
Environmental) as well as a 4x4 water and wastewater operator. She has served on the American Water
Works Association (AWWA) Water Utilities Council (2016-2021) and is the current AZ Water Association
Chair-Elect. She was awarded the Engineer of the Year (2022) and George Warren Fuller (2022) by the
AZ Water Association & Arizona Section of AWWA.
Wayne Jernberg
Water System Manager, City of Grand Rapids, MI
Wayne Jernberg currently serves as the Water System Manager for the City of
Grand Rapids. He has over 20 years of experience in the water industry and
has been with the City’s Water System since 2006 serving in an engineering
and management roles. He is a 1996 graduate of Michigan Technological
University with a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering and is a licensed
Professional Engineer in the State of Michigan. Prior to his time at the City of Grand Rapids, he worked
for 10 years as a consulting engineer. He holds a State of Michigan S-1 Drinking Water Operator
Certification and serves as Vice-Chair for the State of Michigan’s Drinking Water Advisory Council. Mr.
Jernberg is an active volunteer with the Michigan Section of the American Water Works Association and
will serve as the section Chair in the 2022-2023 calendar year.
Tricia Kilgore
Director of Technology and Innovation, Beaufort-Jasper Water & Sewer
Authority, Okatie, SC
Tricia Kilgore is the Director of Technology and Innovation at Beaufort-Jasper
Water & Sewer Authority in South Carolina. She started her engineering
career as a regulator at the SC Department of Health and Environmental
Control in Drinking Water Permitting and Compliance. She worked as a
consultant before joining the utility side in 2008. At BJWSA, Tricia has worked in engineering, capital
projects management, and operations. In her present role, she is focused on sustainability, emergency
preparedness, regulatory compliance (lead and copper rule), research, and innovation. Tricia has a BS in
Civil Engineering from Virginia Tech and an MSc in Water and Waste Engineering from Loughborough
University in the UK. She is a registered professional engineer and licensed water treatment operator in
South Carolina and Georgia.
Y. Mwende Lefler
Principal Civil Engineer, Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater
Chicago, Chicago, IL
Mwende Lefler serves as a Principal Civil Engineer for the Metropolitan Water
Reclamation District of Greater Chicago (MWRD). She is one of the engineers
responsible for the in-house design, project management, and post-award
services for projects occurring at any of MWRD’s 7 water reclamation plants.
She has also been involved with several of the District’s long term planning initiatives such as
phosphorus removal and recovery and biogas utilization. She holds a BSE in Civil Engineering from Duke
University and an MSE in Environmental Engineering from Northwestern University. She is a member of
both WEF and IWEA.
Lianette (Lia) Leon
Asset Manager, City of Baytown, TX
Lianette Leon is a Global Certified Asset Management Planner with over 18
years of experience in local government administration. She holds a Bachelor’s
in Public Accounting from the Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico and
is pursuing a master’s degree in Project Management from SUMMA University,
Florida. Ms. Leon served as Finance Director in different municipalities in Puerto
Rico between 2009 and 2017. In 2018, Mrs. Leon was selected as the first asset manager for the Baytown
Department of Public Works and Engineering. She oversees the asset management, PWE Business and GIS
programs. Mrs. Leon has created and automated many work processes that have saved countless hours
of work and created greater collaboration across the city using technology and implementing innovations
for PW operations and Utilities.
In 2021, she was awarded by the City of Baytown’s Major, Brando Capetillo, with the Outstanding Service
Award. Most recently, in April 2022, she was selected by the Water Environmental Association of Texas
to receive the Sydney L. Allison Award and the Innovation and Technology Award, making her the first
person from this organization to receive two awards in the same year.
Matt Magruder
Chief Research Officer, Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District,
Milwaukee, WI
Matt Magruder has led the Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District’s
research for eight years of his 13 years of service. Additionally, he leads
internal efforts for digital transformation and innovation, and he represents
his organization on various external planning advisory groups, including the
Water Environment Federation Wastewater Surveillance System Program Community of Practice
Advisory Committee, the National Science Foundation Industry/University Cooperative Research Center
for Water Equipment and Policy, and as the MMSD point of contact for collaboration with the Water
Research Foundation. He received his B.S. in Biology from UW- Whitewater, his M.B.A. from Cardinal
Stritch University, and is an American Society for Quality Certified Six Sigma Black Belt.
Cathleen (Cathie) Chavez-Morris
Utility Services Manager, Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion,
Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, San Gabriel, CA
Cathleen Chavez-Morris (she/her/ella) is employed as a Utility Services
Manager in the Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at Los Angeles
Department of Water and Power. During her 10-year tenure with LADWP, she
has managed outreach, education and partnership programs aimed at
encouraging customers to reduce water waste and use water more efficiently. Customer programs
under her supervision include sustainable landscape workshops, turf replacement design services and
the distribution of home water reports to single family residential customers. Her DEI work involves
leading workplace, workforce and marketplace initiatives that create opportunities for employees and
communities served to feel heard, seen and valued. Mrs. Chavez-Morris graduated with a B.S. in
Geological Sciences from California Polytechnic University, Pomona, and an M.S. in Environmental
Studies from California State University, Fullerton. She also has an Executive Education certificate from
Cornell University in Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) and will complete a Public Policy certificate
(focused on workplace and public services equity) from Harvard University in 2022. In her spare time,
she serves as a volunteer DEI committee member and DEI facilitator for Sigma Kappa National Sorority.
Reina A. Segura
Supervising Engineer, Water & Sewer Department, Trenton Water Works, City
of Trenton, NJ
Reina Segura serves as a Supervising Engineer in charge of the Division of
Water Meters’ Operations at Trenton Water Works (TWW). Segura holds a
master’s degree in Construction Administration and a Bachelors’ Degree in
Civil Engineering. She is a Licensed Treatment and Distribution Operator
certified by the Department of Environmental Protection and a Certified Backflow Preventor Technician
in the State of New Jersey. Segura is also a Certified Public Manager (CPM) by the State of New Jersey
Civil Service Commission. With over 13 Years of practical experience in Engineering, project
management, oversight inspections and quality control, Segura has provided leadership and direction in
the daily operations in many local government jurisdictions. She has extensive knowledge of hydraulics,
hydrology, structural, and sanitary engineering related to municipal projects and private development.
She is an active member of the American Water Works Association (AWWA). In addition, she is a partner
in an MBE/WBE certified private consulting firm providing consulting services to water and sewer
utilities as well as municipalities.
Roderick (RJ) Sherman
Customer Accounts Manager, Kentucky American Water, Lexington, KY
Roderick (RJ) Sherman is the Customer Accounts Manager for Kentucky
American Water, a subsidiary of the parent company American Water where
he leads a team serving a customer base of around 130,000 in Lexington,
Kentucky and surrounding areas; and serves as direct liaison for major
accounts. He has been with American Water for 7 years starting at Indiana
American Water before transitioning to Kentucky American Water. Prior to his
current role, he has held multiple roles in field operations such as superintendent heading meter
operations, overseeing infrastructure maintenance, and managing multi-million-dollar capital budgets.
RJ earned a Bachelor of Arts in Biology from the University of Louisville and a Master of Business
Administration from Indiana University Southeast. He currently serves on the board of the Urban League
of Lexington-Fayette County, the board of the KY/TN section of AWWA as the Member, Engagement, &
Development Council Trustee, sits as a committee member of the Diversity, Member, and Inclusion
Committee for AWWA, and serves as a member for American Water’s Inclusion and Diversity Council.
Satish Tripathi
Managing Engineer, Water Infrastructure Planning, Houston Water, City of
Houston, TX
Satish Tripathi, P.E. is a professional engineer and serves as a managing
engineer (Lead, Water Planning Engineer) with the City of Houston. Mr. Tripathi
is responsible for planning of water infrastructure to serve more than 5 million
people in the Greater Houston region. Mr. Tripathi is currently perusing a Ph.D.
in Water Engineering from Texas A&M University, College Station. He holds master’s and bachelor’s
degrees in Civil Engineering. He has more than 16 years of experience in modeling and planning of water
and wastewater systems. Mr. Tripathi is known as an innovative thinker and problem solver. He is
currently leading the “Digital Twin” initiative of Houston Water to bring the best and latest technology to
the utility. He is currently serving as a founding member of AWWA’s Digital Twin Committee and a
member of the Engineering & Modeling Committee. Mr. Tripathi has published a “Digital Twin” paper in
AWWA’s Civil Engineering Magazine. He is equally active in social service and currently serving as the
Communications Director with the Association of Nepalis in the Americas (ANA).
Racquel Vaske
Assistant General Manager, Saint Paul Regional Water Services, Saint Paul,
MN
Racquel Vaske serves as the Assistant General Manager of Saint Paul Regional
Water Services (SPRWS) in Minnesota. SPRWS is a regional water utility
serving 14 cities and over 450,000 customers. In this role she directly oversees
the Marketing, Safety, Security, Human Resources, and Innovations teams.
Previously, she served as the department’s Human Resources Manager for 8
years. Racquel holds bachelor’s degrees in Public Administration and HR as well as a Master’s in HR from
the University of Minnesota.
Ronnie Versher Jr.
Director of Community Benefits Program, San Francisco Public Utilities
Commission, San Francisco, CA
Ronnie Versher joined the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC)
in 2018 as the Workforce Development Manager on the Community Benefits
team. He developed and implemented robust programs that used place-based
and project-based strategies to explore, educate, and provide career
awareness and exposure opportunities to youth and young adult learners with the intention of connecting communities to opportunities. Ronnie’s work with local government agencies, education institutions, and nonprofit organizations advanced policies and programs key to workforce development, equity and inclusion, and economic growth. In October 2020, amid a global pandemic, Ronnie transitioned into the Director role of the Community Benefits division at SFPUC. In this capacity and during an inflection point for the agency, he provided steady leadership building upon the work of his predecessors to guide the agency in meeting its goal to be a good neighbor in the communities that are impacted by its water, power, and sewer operations, services and infrastructure. Before SFPUC, Ronnie managed strategic partnerships and business development for LeadersUp, a national nonprofit with a mission to bridge the divide between the untapped potential of young people and the business challenge of finding and retaining the best talent. He facilitated the organization’s national career summits, the first of which was in collaboration with the Obama Foundation’s My Brother’s Keeper Alliance initiative. Ronnie is a California native who holds an MBA from the University of Birmingham in England, a Master of Science in Organization Development from the University of San Francisco, and a Bachelor of Science in Finance and Marketing from the University of San Francisco.
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