For every Board meeting at Padre Dam, it's someone's responsibility to coordinate with staff to put together the agenda and presentations, take minutes, and ensure regulatory compliance. This person is Board Secretary Amy Pederson, and planning Board meetings is just the beginning of her job description. 

In addition to the more than forty Board and committee meetings she manages on a yearly basis, Amy is responsible for overseeing administrative activities for Padre Dam's Board of Directors, the General Manager, Padre Dam's Management Team, and the recently formed East County Advanced Water Purification Joint Powers Authority to which Padre Dam serves as the Administrator. This means collaborating with Department Heads and coordinating with Department Managers, outside agencies and others in support of District goals and services.

"It's a multi-faceted role that often requires juggling competing priorities, but the variety is one of my favorite parts of my job," Amy said. "The role and priorities can change every single day, and that's what I thrive on."

Amy's role gives her a unique vantage point to see the entire complex workings of the District come together toward the common goal of providing safe and reliable water and wastewater services to customers. She sees how Departments like Finance, IT, Engineering and Operations all play a part in producing vital infrastructure projects. Her role is to be the force behind the scenes to advance these projects by ensuring that they go through the proper processes and can be considered and voted on by the Board.

"As a public agency there are various laws we must follow to conduct agency business," Amy explained. "Without the detailed administrative work that goes into getting a project or contract voted on by the Board, there wouldn't be any pipes in the ground."