Get to Know the CASA Team: Shacara Gamboa, Manager of Association Services
Shacara manages a full spectrum of both financial and administrative functions on behalf of CASA. In her role, Shacara performs the roles of accounts receivable and payable, budgets, banking, recordkeeping and office management. She also supports membership strategy, onboarding and retention as well as helping with conference planning and leading our Human Resources workgroup. Joining the CASA team in 2023, Shacara brings a background as the Director of Operations in the emergency restoration and construction industry, managing administration and financials. She also has five years of experience in Hospitality Management and strives to exceed customer service expectations. Shacara holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Psychology from California State University of Monterey Bay.
Shacara beyond the office:
- What’s your favorite animal, and is there a reason behind it?
I’m partial to English Bulldogs because we have a four-year-old named Oakley. He has a huge, stubborn personality but is also the biggest love bug and the cuddliest member of our family.
- What is the last show you binge-watched?
I recently binge-rewatched the first season of House of the Dragon to prepare for the second season, which unfortunately ended much too quickly! Now, I’m on the hunt for a new show recommendation to keep me entertained until the next season arrives in 2026.
- What is your go-to comfort food?
Having lived in Monterey for almost ten years, seafood is my go-to comfort food. I’ve been spoiled by the best clam chowder and seafood pastas—nothing in Sacramento can compete!
- If you could have a vacation house anywhere in the world, where would it be?
My family is from the Azores, and I have yet to make the trip to visit. I’d love a vacation house on the oceanfront there, so I could explore my roots and finally meet some of my relatives!
Annual Conference Recap
CASA’s recent Annual Conference in Monterey was a tremendous success! With over 370 attendees (a new record!), the event brought together the clean water sector’s best and brightest, fostering networking and collaboration. A big thank you to all the speakers, moderators, and panelists who shared their knowledge and experiences with CASA members.
For those unable to attend, you can view the informative presentations and handouts shared by our speakers and panelists on our website.
The conference kicked off with a tour of Monterey One Water’s facilities, showcasing an excellent example of water recycling to meet community needs. We also hosted a women’s networking breakfast that sparked meaningful conversations, built strong connections, and left everyone feeling empowered and inspired.
The afternoon sessions were packed with concurrent general sessions on regulatory hot topics, communications, case studies and agency financing. On day two, we had the privilege of hearing from keynote speaker Mabel Miguel, Professor of Organizational Behavior at UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School. Through her keynote talk and interactive discussions, she shared her global expertise on leadership and managing change. The afternoon was highlighted by the presentation of the 2024 CASA Award of Excellence winners and the 2024 CASA Education Foundation Scholarship recipients. You can read more about all the winners in the following article.
Friday morning featured updates on state and federal legislation from CASA’s experts, and our closing speaker, John Ashford, provided insights into what we can expect in Washington D.C. in the coming months. The conference concluded with the passing of the gavel and the installation of CASA’s new Board President, Craig Murray. Congratulations, Craig!
Thank you to everyone who attended CASA’s 69th Annual Conference! We look forward to seeing you at the CASA Winter Conference in Palm Springs this January.
CASA Celebrates 2024 Awards of Excellence Winners
Congratulations to the recipients of CASA’s 2024 Awards of Excellence! CASA is proud to recognize the hard work your agencies do to provide an invaluable service to California communities. To see the full list of award applicants and a description of their projects, be sure to check out the Awards Brochure. Interested in submitting your project? Mark your calendar! We will begin accepting applications for the 2024 Awards of Excellence in March: CASA Awards Program. Check out this year’s winners below:
Excellence in Innovation and Resiliency
- Small Agency: Fairfield-Suisun Sewer District and Lystek International
Digestate Direct Dilution Project
- Large Agency: Moulton Niguel Water District and Black & Veatch
Public Outreach and Education
- Small Agency: Castro Valley Sanitary District
“Defenders of the Bay” Comic Book
- Large Agency: City of Roseville and the Roseville Utility Exploration Center
Organizational Excellence
- Sacramento Area Sewer District
Legal Merger of Sacramento Area Sewer District and Sacramento Regional County Sanitation District
Outstanding Capital Project
- East Valley Water District
Sterling Natural Resource Center
Michael F. Dillon Public Service Award
We are thrilled to announce that Terrie Mitchell, who recently retired as the Manager of Legislative & Regulatory Affairs at Sac Sewer, was honored with the Michael F. Dillon Public Service Award during the CASA Annual Conference. This award, established by the CASA Board of Directors last year in recognition of Michael Dillon, CASA’s longtime Executive Director and Lobbyist who retired at the end of 2023, celebrates individuals who have demonstrated outstanding public service within the wastewater sector. Terrie has been a dedicated member of CASA for many years, serving on the State Legislative Committee, among others. Congratulations to Terrie on this well-deserved recognition, and we wish her all the best in her retirement!
CASA Acknowledges 2024 Education Foundation Scholarship Recipients
The CASA Education Foundation (CEF) was formed to enhance the future of California’s clean water community by attracting new professionals into the clean water sector through scholarships. This year, the CEF presented $5,000 scholarships to four worthy students, including the third annual Bruce Wolfe scholarship. Learn more about the scholarship recipients and view their thank you videos below:
My name is Samantha Valle, and I am a recipient of this year’s California Association of Sanitation Agencies scholarship. This award is truly a blessing for myself and my family helping in my educational journey and with my financial need. This scholarship will help tremendously allowing me to continue my studies and accomplish my dreams. My dream is to live a life without fear and instability, attain a quality education and bring myself and my family out of crushing poverty. My early life can be best described as the epitome of a disadvantage, a bottomless pit of despair where I, the narrator of my own story, was forever consumed. Crushed by endless poverty and constant inequalities striving each and every day to retake control of my life through furthering my education. Despite my disability, background, and the little belief others hold of me I have managed to survive and after five long years of work and sacrifices I can proudly say that I have completed an associates degree, the first person in my family to do so. Now as a young adult I strive to reimagine myself through academic excellence and personal improvement, unwilling to allow others to determine my worth and potential. Now holding five associate degrees in various disciplines and transferring over this fall 2024 to a University of California. Striving to create multi-generational change through academic success and hoping to inspire my family, siblings, and others in similar situations, on a unique educational path and hoping to succeed. Thank you.
Erica Terrell is a dedicated leader with over a decade of experience in driving cultural diversity change and fostering leadership within various organizations. As the DEI Programs Manager at the Los Angeles County Sanitation Districts, Erica supports the implementation of strategic DEI programming and initiatives that promote inclusivity and equity across the agency. Previously, Erica served as the System Partner of Anti-racism and DEI at the Achievement Network, where she led the development of the nation’s first Anti-Racist School Standards, formally approved by the Board of Education for the entire Ferguson-Florissant School District in St. Louis County. Additionally, she founded and scaled DEI efforts at Teach for America’s Nevada region as a Managing Director. Erica holds a degree in American Studies from the University of California, Santa Cruz, is a PMP-certified Project Manager, a certified EEO Counselor, a certified EEO Investigator, a Certified Diversity Professional (CCDP), which she earned from Cornell University. She is an active member of the National Diversity Council, Leadership for Educational Equity, and the Project Management Institute-Los Angeles Chapter (PMI), she is also an alumna of Equality California’s LGBTQ+ Leadership Academy. Erica is honored to be the recipient of the 2024 CASA Foundation Scholarship and looks forward to continuing to contribute to CASA’s mission.
Hi! I’m Samuel Badilla, a recent graduate from Reedley Middle College High School, and I am so grateful to be selected as a CASA Foundation Scholarship Recipient! This scholarship has provided some much-needed financial relief to myself and my family as they prepare to support me in my new college adventure. I will be attending the University of Southern California this fall, majoring in Environmental Studies. I hope to go into Environmental Policy and Law to help solve the greatest issues facing California today, including the fight for clean water. Thank you all for your support as I tackle this new chapter of my life. Fight on!
Bruce Wolfe Scholarship Recipient
My name is Krystle Catamura, a first-generation Filipina-American studying civil engineering at UC Davis. During my outreach internship at the Fairfield- Suisun Sewer District (FSSD), I discovered my passion for the water industry through the development of educational programs, community meetings, and outreach content. The dedicated FSSD staff and passionate community members have shown me the profound impact that small, committed groups can have on our environments and communities. I will graduate in June 2025 with a civil engineering degree and minors in environmental sustainability and construction management. I plan to pursue a master’s in water resources and continue in the wastewater treatment industry, focusing on multi-benefit projects that promote equity and climate resilience. My mentors have taught me that civil engineering is about more than infrastructure—it’s about equity and environmental justice, always starting and ending with the people I serve. My resilience, passion, and dedication are further encouraged by being awarded the Bruce Wolfe Memorial Scholarship, and I am deeply grateful to the CASA Foundation and the Bruce Wolfe family for this honor.
Learn About CASA’s Committees & Workgroups!
Participating in CASA’s Committees and Workgroups is an excellent way to contribute to the clean water community and get the most out of your agency’s CASA membership. Most CASA Committee seats are two-year terms, but some committees may have openings throughout the year. If you are interested in subscribing to any of the Committee or Workgroup LISTSERVs or learning more about our various committees, please email Cheryl MacKelvie at cmackelvie@casaweb.org and identify the committee or Workgroup you are interested in. Below please find a brief description of each Committee and Workgroup:
CASA COMMITTEES:
- Associates Committee– The associates committee provides a forum for associate members, which include private sector consultants and technology providers, to network, learn about new technologies and capital projects, discuss issues of interest and assist CASA with special projects.
- Attorneys Committee– The attorneys committee provides a forum for discussion of legal issues and an opportunity for continuing education for members of the local wastewater agency bar. The committee approves CASA’s participation as a friend of the court in litigation and provides recommendations to the Board of Directors regarding participation in litigation as a party. The committee also provides input to the state and federal legislative committees on measures that require legal expertise.
- Communications Committee– The committee assists CASA in its mission to provide excellent service to its members in the areas of education, outreach and public information. The committee draws on its expertise in communications and public relations to support CASA members directly and indirectly through preparation of toolkits and materials, hosting workshops, presentations at conferences, coaching on best practices and development of strategies and information campaigns.
- Federal Legislative Committee– The federal legislative committee establishes CASA’s position on proposed federal legislation and executive branch policies. The committee also assists in planning the program for the annual Washington D.C. policy forum and collaborates with other associations on the development of federal policy proposals.
- Program Committee– The program committee assists in planning the program themes, focus, content, and speakers for CASA’s two major conferences held in January and August.
- State Legislative Committee– The state legislative committee establishes the association’s position on proposed state legislation and ballot measures and assists in the development of annual public policy priorities and sponsored legislation.
CASA WORKGROUPS:
- HR and Workforce Development Group – This workgroup is an opportunity for human resources professionals within CASA’s member agencies to engage on workforce development issues and get questions answered related to issues of common interest among clean water agencies.
- Regulatory Workgroup – The regulatory workgroup: (1) establishes CASA’s position on state and federal regulatory proposals that affect wastewater agencies, (2) assists in drafting comment letters and regulatory language, and (3) provides a forum for members to learn about the latest regulatory developments on biosolids, water quality, and recycled water. The workgroup is divided into two subgroups with a biosolids focus and a water focus.
- Collection Systems Workgroup – The collection systems workgroup reviews and comments on regulatory proposals and permits relating to sewer collection systems, serves as a clearinghouse for collection system performance metrics and other data and coordinates with other associations working on collection system issues.
- Air Quality, Climate Change and Energy Workgroup (ACE) – The air quality, climate change and energy workgroup reviews and comments on regulatory, legislative and policy proposals related to energy and climate change. The workgroup serves as a forum to discuss regulatory and policy initiatives, new technologies, funding opportunities and capital projects.
Last Chance to Apply for the 2024-25 CASA Mentorship Program
Apply today to join us as a mentor or mentee to inspire others, share knowledge and drive change through the CASA Mentorship Program! This 11-month comprehensive program, kicking off in October and concluding in August 2025, serves to connect clean water professionals from across the state of California. The program is open to both associates and agency members. Interested in learning more? Register and join us this afternoon for a virtual information session:
Be sure to visit the CASA LEAD webpage for additional information! If have any questions, please email Alyssa Downs. The deadline to apply for this year’s program is Friday, August 30th.
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