CONTACT:  STEPHANIE MORENO
(626)338-5555
stephanie@wqa.com


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

June 17, 2020

 

Ken Manning Retires as Executive Director of San Gabriel Basin Water Quality Authority

Assistant Executive Director Randy Schoellerman to Succeed Him

Ken Manning
Randy Schoellerman


WEST COVINA
— The San Gabriel Basin Water Quality Authority (WQA) announced today the retirement of Executive Director Kenneth R. “Ken” Manning, who has led the authority since March 2011. Mr. Manning also served as a member of the Board of Directors for the WQA from 1992 through 2005. Mr. Manning will officially retire June 30, 2020 and Mr. Schoellerman will take over July 1, 2020.

“It has been an honor to lead such an important organization,” said Mr. Manning, who is 69 and plans spend more time with his extended family and traveling. “When the San Gabriel Basin Water Quality Authority was formed in 1993, there was little knowledge about how to treat the groundwater and how to pay for it. Today, we have a program that is really the envy of many areas around the country.”

During 27 years working in the San Gabriel Valley, Mr. Manning was one of the primary architects of the plan to clean up the Basin Superfund sites and pioneered the use of recycled water to many of the large water users in the San Gabriel Valley. He also championed programs to educate the public about the cleanup. Last year, the WQA received a National Groundwater Association Award for their education and outreach efforts.

“His leadership and perseverance have been instrumental in the Authority’s ability to organize the removal of more than 45 tons of contaminants and secure the $500 million in funding that was needed,’’ said WQA Board Chairman Jorge Marquez. “The cleanup will continue, but Mr. Manning’s steady guidance will be missed.”

Mr. Manning will be succeeded by Mr. Randy Schoellerman, P.E., who is currently the WQA’s assistant executive director and senior engineer. Mr. Schoellerman, 54, has worked for the Authority in various capacities for 26 years.

“Randy is an expert in groundwater remediation and regulatory compliance. I have no doubt he will continue to positively guide the Water Quality Authority toward its mission to clean up the San Gabriel Basin and prevent future contamination,” said Vice Chairman Bob Kuhn.

Mr. Schoellerman’s professional experience includes groundwater remediation, state and federal regulatory compliance, project development and financing, water resources planning and construction, source water investigations, and state and federal grant acquisition and administration. He is a California Professional Civil Engineer and holds a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering and a Master of Science in Environmental Engineering from California State University, Fullerton.

The WQA, which was formed by the California State Legislature in 1993, has coordinated cleanup efforts that have resulted in the treatment of more than 1.6 million acre-feet of water. That’s equivalent to a full year of water for 8 million residents. There are now 32 active groundwater treatment plants in the San Gabriel Basin.

Prior to 2011, Mr. Manning served as CEO of the Chino Basin Watermaster, which is the court-appointed agency responsible for administering the 1978 judgement for all water users in the basin. Ken served as president of the Association of Groundwater Agencies (AGWA) from 2005 to 2009 and currently serves as chairman of the California Groundwater Coalition (CGC).

From December 1992 through March 2005, Mr. Manning served as a board member of the Upper San Gabriel Valley Municipal Water District and was appointed as its representative to the San Gabriel Basin Water Quality Authority board. Mr. Manning has served five one-year terms as president of the board for the Upper San Gabriel Valley Municipal Water District and three one-year terms as chairman of the WQA.

Mr. Manning holds a Bachelor of Science in Architectural Design from California Polytechnic State University (San Luis Obispo) and a Master of Public Administration from California State University, Northridge.

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