Meet the Board Members & Executive Officers

Mr. Bradford graduated from U.C. Davis with a B.S. degree in Renewable Natural Resources.  He served as a Program Director for Ecology & Environment, Inc. in San Francisco from 1979 - 1992, and as a Principal at ERM-West, Inc. (ERM), in Sacramento from 1992 - 2016.  His consulting experience in Northern California involved managing large, complex site investigation/ remediation programs, as well as projects addressing compliance, permitting, and environmental management systems for a wide range of government and private sector clients. These services involved complex multidisciplinary teams including Geologists, Hydrogeologists; Engineers, Toxicologists and a variety of other scientific disciplines. Regulatory agency coordination and negotiation was a key component of these programs. Mr. Bradford has extensive expertise in program organization, budgeting, cost control and contract negotiations.

As a Principal at ERM, he managed the Sacramento office and participated in strategic senior management discussions for 24 years during a period of strong growth. He was also the partner in charge of coordinating ERM's US government sector sales and delivery.

Work Groups:

• Executive
• Forest Management

Nicholas Avdis is a partner with Avdis & Cucchi, LLP in Sacramento, specializing in land use and general real estate matters. He is also a third generation cattle rancher in Sacramento County. His commitment to public service includes serving on the boards of the Capitol Area Development Authority, Reclamation District 1000, and the Sacramento Area Flood Control Agency. Mr. Avdis has a B.A. in History from the University of California, Davis and received his J.D. from the UC Davis School of Law (King Hall).

Work Groups:

• Executive
• Irrigated Lands
• Litigation and Petitions

Denise Kadara serves on the board of the Tulare Basin Watershed Partnership Network and president of the Allensworth Progressive Association, a non-profit organization serving community needs. Her career spans over 25 years of public service from entry level positions to senior planner, senior management analyst, and consultant for cities in Los Angeles, San Bernardino and San Mateo counties in California. Her expertise includes housing, economic and community planning, policy development and program implementation. She received her education in urban/regional planning and public administration from California State Polytechnic University, Pomona and University of La Verne, La Verne, CA respectively. She retired and moved to Allensworth in May 2010 with her husband where they now devote their time toward improving the quality of life of residents in the community and other disadvantaged communities. Since 2010, she and her husband have focused on community issues pertaining to water quality, distressed housing, infrastructure, youth/leadership development, environmental justice and economic development. She was appointed to serve on the Integrated Climate Adaptation Resiliency Program Technical Advisory Council in 2023.

Work Groups:

• Environmental Justice

Sean J. Yang, a longtime resident of Sacramento, boasts a rich connection to the Central Valley, where he has resided for over three decades. Currently, he holds the position of Medical Imaging Specialist at Kaiser Permanente Hospital, bringing over 20 years of experience in the medical field, garnered through his tenure with four esteemed companies.

Notably, Sean's roots extend to agriculture, as he was formerly engaged in farming in the Central Valley, a heritage that continues to resonate through his extensive network of friends and family entrenched in the farming community. Embracing a spirit of altruism, Sean actively contributes to his community as a volunteer food delivery driver for the Elk Grove Food Bank, extending support to those in need. Additionally, he serves as the Regional Chair for the Asian Pacific Islander American Public Affairs Association, leveraging his leadership to advocate for diverse communities.

Sean's dedication to education and civic engagement is further underscored by his role as a school board member of the Elk Grove Unified School District, where he strives to enhance educational opportunities and foster an inclusive learning environment.

In terms of his academic achievements, Sean holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Electronics Engineering Technology from DeVry University, complemented by a Master of Business Administration degree from Fresno State University.

Sean is happily married to Ka Bao Yang, and together, they nurture a family of two girls and two boys, embodying a commitment to both professional excellence and familial bonds.

Work Groups:

• Irrigated Lands
• Forest Management

Elena Lee Reeder was appointed by Governor Newsom to the Central Valley Regional Water Quality Control Board where she has served as a Board Member since March 2022. She serves on the Central Valley Salinity Alternatives for Long-Term Sustainability (CV-SALTS) sub committee.

Elena has lived in the Sacramento region for more than 16 years. After graduating from the University of California, Davis, she worked in the Governor's office, a top tier government advocacy firm and the California State Legislature. In 2017, Elena started her own public affairs firm. In addition to serving on the CVRWQCB, Elena was elected to the Reclamation District 1000 board in November 2019 and is the current Board President. Elena made history in December 2022 when she was elected as the first woman and the first API board member to serve in this role. She was Vice-President for two years and was the Chair of the Urbanization Committee for four years. In 2022, Elena was appointed as a Director at the Sacramento Area Flood Control Agency (SAFCA), and she currently serves as an alternate member.

While a legislative staffer, Elena was a policy aide and communications director to numerous legislators. She has extensive experience communicating policy topics with the press and the public, and branding legislation, programs, and other issue areas. She worked regularly with experts to craft and pass legislation, and make recommendations to legislators regarding votes on a variety of policy areas including housing and water.

Under Elena’s leadership, the Reclamation District brought home a National and a Statewide award, the NAFSMA 2023 Excellence in Communications Award (National Association of Flood & Stormwater Management Agencies) and the 2023 CSDA Exceptional Public Outreach & Advocacy Award (Small District Category). In 2024, Elena received the Community Champion award at the Honoring Women Who Ignite change event hosted by the Asian Pacific Islander American Public Affairs (APAPA).

Elena and her husband live in Sacramento with their daughter and a rescue cat, Mr. Weasley.

Work Groups:

• Environmental Justice

Arthur G. Baggett, Jr. has lived in El Portal/Yosemite for over 50 years. From 1986-94 he served as a Mariposa County Supervisor. Art served 12 years as the attorney member and chair of the California State Water Resources Control Board for Governor’s Davis and Schwarzenegger and is past president of the Association of Clean Water Administrators and member of Dividing the Waters (a project of judges that focuses on adjudication of water rights). As a scientist and teacher, Art has guided for the Yosemite Mountaineering School, been on the faculty of the Yosemite Institute and the University of California’s Sierra Institute, as well as served as adjunct faculty for Fresno State University’s Department of Chemistry. Art continues to teach Environmental and Water Rights Law as adjunct faculty at San Joaquin College of Law. Art has also been a building designer and a licensed general, electrical, and plumbing contractor. Currently, Art enjoys playing guitar and banjo with his family and friends and is a certified cross country ski instructor who enjoys spending a lot of time skiing in the backcountry with his wife, son, daughter, and grandchildren.

Vacant

Patrick Pulupa started his career as an attorney representing the Board, advising the Board as it endeavored to find equitable solutions for the diverse water quality issues facing the Central Valley. As the Board’s Executive Officer, Patrick works to ensure the Board achieves its vision of ensuring that the Valley’s aquifers and surface waters meet or exceed water quality necessary to support all beneficial uses, and that all communities have access to safe, affordable, and resilient water supplies.

Patrick has a B.A. in Government and Politics from the University of Maryland and received his J.D. from the UC Davis School of Law (King Hall).

Adam Laputz has Bachelor's and Master's degrees in Chemical Engineering from the University of Nevada, Reno. Adam is a licensed Professional Civil Engineer and a licensed Professional Chemical Engineer . He has been with the State and Regional Water Boards for over 20 years working in surface water permitting, irrigated lands, water recycling, 401 certification, and waste discharge to land programs. Adam manages the NPDES Point Source Permitting, Irrigated Lands Assessment and Planning, CV-SALTS, and TMDL Basin Planning sections in the Central Valley Water Board's Sacramento office.

J.J. Baum joined the Central Valley Water Board in 2020 after 21 years as a water quality professional in the public sector. J.J. has specialized experience in addressing water quality issues on construction projects, contaminated site cleanup/remediation, surface water quality monitoring, ecosystem restoration, and dredged material management. He is a licensed Professional Engineer and earned his B.S and M.S degrees in civil and environmental engineering at the University of Washington and University of California, Davis respectively. J.J. manages the Permitting-Title 27, Compliance & Enforcement, Storage Tanks, and Cleanup sections in the Central Valley Water Board's Sacramento office.

Christina Shupe is an experienced policy strategist, specializing in advancing programs at the intersection of science, technology, and public governance. Ms. Shupe previously served as Director for the inaugural Citizens Redistricting Commission and Executive Officer for the Occupational Safety and Health Standards Board. Prior to entering public service, she provided business and technical expertise for multi-national corporations including Apple Computer, Intel, and Applied Materials, as well as numerous small businesses. Christina manages the Fresno office and the Confined Animals Facilities, Oil Fields, and Waste Discharge Requirements (Non-Chapter 15) programs.

Clint Snyder graduated from California State University, Chico, with a Bachelor of Science in Geology. Prior to joining the Central Valley Water Board in 2008, Clint was a principal at a private consulting firm and specialized in groundwater remediation and mining remediation, compliance and permitting. Central Valley Water Board experience includes compliance and permitting in the NPDES, Non-15, UST, SCP, and Land Disposal Programs. Clint is a Professional Geologist in California. Clint is Assistant Executive Officer and manages the Redding Office.