Celeste Cantu
Celeste Cantú, Board Member (Chair)
City of Residence: Temecula
Term Expiration Date: September 30, 2024
Betty Olson
Betty Olson, Board Member (Vice Chair)
City of Residence: Trabuco Canyon
Term Expiration Date:
Megan Blair
Megan Blair, Board Member
City of Residence: San Diego
Term Expiration Date:
Gary Strawn
Gary Strawn, Board Member
City of Residence: Santee
Term Expiration Date:
Yen Tu
Yen Tu, Board Member
City of Residence: San Diego
Term Expiration Date:
Stefanie Warren
Stefanie Warren, Board Member
City of Residence: San Diego
Term Expiration Date:

Board Member Info:

The Governor of California appoints the seven-member Regional Board, whose members serve four-year terms once they are confirmed by the State Senate. Members of the Regional Board serve part-time and conduct their business at regular meetings where public participation is encouraged. The Board normally holds public meetings 10 times per year to make decisions on water quality matters.

The primary duty of the Regional Board is to protect the quality of the waters within the Region for all beneficial uses. This duty is implemented by formulating and adopting water quality plans for specific ground or surface water bodies and by prescribing and enforcing requirements on domestic and industrial water discharges. The specific responsibilities and procedures of the Regional Water Quality Boards and the State Water Resources Control Board are outlined in the Porter-Cologne Water Quality Control Act (Division 7, California Water Code).

Regional Board members must reside in, or have a principal place of business within, the Region.

The Board relies on the Regional Board staff to conduct the day-to-day tasks associated with water quality management. Most of them are engineers, geologists and biologists.

Implementing programs according to state and federal law and following the Board's direction, staff recommends water quality standards, drafts permits, oversees remediation of contaminated sites, conducts enforcements activities, and deals directly with the public on a regular basis.