RIVERSIDE, Calif. – Leasa Cleland, a veteran water and public agency professional, was recently named Western Municipal Water District’s director of water resources. Cleland, who has more 20 years of experience in the water field, is committed to continuing Western’s mission of providing safe, secure and reliable water to ratepayers.
“Leasa’s proven talent in managing water resources and integrating innovative programs to benefit the public made her the ideal candidate for the position,” said Western’s Deputy General Manager Craig Miller. “As our region grows, our need to provide safe, local water will increase, and Leasa will, no doubt, be able to continue our commitment to providing even more local water supplies to our customers, so we can continue to reduce our reliance on imported water.”
As the director of water resources, Cleland is responsible for overseeing the District’s high-profile local water supply projects, including the Chino and Arlington desalters as well as the District’s water rights at the Seven Oaks Dam, located in San Bernardino.
Prior to Western, Cleland served as the water resource manager at Elsinore Valley Municipal Water District, a Western wholesale agency, where she managed water supply planning, water quality and wastewater engineering programs. She has also served in leadership roles in the water field at Morrison and Associates, Inc.; Abbott Jakobs Consulting; Alameda County and Eastern Municipal water districts; and the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation.
Cleland holds a bachelor of science degree in geological engineering from the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology. Additionally, she has taken water law and planning courses at the University of California, Riverside and the University of California, Berkeley. She currently resides in Murrieta with her husband of 22 years, Scott Roulier, and her children Abby and J.T.
