Melanie Richardson is the Assistant Chief Executive Officer of Valley Water. Appointed by the Board on July 14, 2020, Ms. Richardson oversees all Valley Water operations including the Water Utility Enterprise and Watersheds business areas.
Ms. Richardson has worked at Valley Water since 1990 and has held the positions of Assistant Operating Officer of Water Supply, Deputy Administrative Officer of Corporate Business Services, Deputy Operating Officer of Watersheds Design and Construction, and most recently Chief Operating Officer of Watersheds. As COO of Watersheds, she provided management oversight for flood protection, environmental stewardship and dam safety capital projects.
Ms. Richardson has a B.S. in Petroleum Engineering from Montana State University and is a registered Civil Engineer in California. She has also completed the Executive Leadership Program from UC Berkeley Extension.
Ms. Richardson currently serves on the Board of Directors for the National Association of Flood Storm Management Agencies (NAFSMA) and is a board member of Bay Planning Coalition. She previously served as Chair of the City of San Jose Parks and Recreation Commission and was past President of the WateReuse Northern California Chapter.