Sarah Deslauriers Takes on a New Role as Director of Air, Climate and Energy Programs!
We are thrilled to share some exciting news with the CASA membership. Sarah Deslauriers, CASA’s long-time climate change program consultant, has officially joined the CASA team as a full-time team member! In her new capacity, Sarah will assume the role of Director of Air, Climate and Energy (ACE) Programs. Sarah’s expertise and dedication have been evident throughout her time working with CASA as a consultant, and we believe that her transition to a full-time role will significantly enhance CASA’s advocacy capabilities in the critical areas of air, climate and energy programs.

As Director of Air, Climate and Energy Programs, Sarah will be responsible for leading and overseeing the ACE Workgroup as well all activities related to Air, Climate Change and Energy. In recent years, Sarah has played a crucial role in CASA’s work on several initiatives at the California Air Resources Board, including the Advanced Clean Fleets rule and air toxics pooled emission study. She has also been an important resource on matters related to sea level rise and climate change impacts on local agencies.

Please join us in welcoming Sarah to her new role. We are confident that her leadership will bring fresh perspectives, insights, and a wealth of experience to our team. We are excited about the future of CASA and we look forward to the great accomplishments that lie ahead!

 

Get to Know CASA Staff: Sarah Deslauriers
Sarah’s 22-year career began as a research associate for the Center for Sustainable Systems of the University of Michigan (U-M) performing life cycle assessments of wastewater treatment plants and supporting development of U-M’s first Environmental Reporting System. She then served over 18 years as a licensed consulting engineer at Carollo Engineers where she was their Climate Change Specialist, and eventually becoming a Vice President and the first Director of the newly established Resilience & Sustainability Practice.

Since 2016, Sarah also served as CASA’s Climate Change Program Manager, and the Program Manager for the California Wastewater Climate Change Group from 2013 to 2016, representing the state’s wastewater sector perspectives on climate change issues to local, state and federal agencies. Sarah holds a BS and MS in Atmospheric, Oceanic, and Space Science, a MSE in Environmental and Water Resources Engineering, and a graduate certificate in the Program of Industrial Ecology from the University of Michigan.

Sarah beyond the office:

  • What do you enjoy doing outside of work? I love spending time with friends, being outdoors (hiking to gardening), and new experiences.
  • What kind of music do you like? I have a love for all genres of music (…check my playlist!) and am really enjoying instrumentals and movie soundtracks these days.
  • Is there a specific project or accomplishment you’re particularly proud of? I’m just getting started…working to build a self-sustaining property. I’m years out, but each step feels like an accomplishment. The latest step was applying for funding as a first-time farmer!
  • Favorite breakfast food? Oh my, breakfast foods are some of my favorites! If I have to pick, it would be eggs (over easy, scrambled, hard-boiled, etc.).

 

2024 Washington D.C. Policy Forum Recap
Thank you to all who joined us in the nation’s capital to hear from distinguished speakers and participate in visits with our California Representatives and their staff! During the CASA Policy Forum in Washington D.C., we heard from congressional staff, national water association leaders and other policy experts on what to expect in 2024. We have already received wonderful feedback about this year’s event and hope all those who attended left feeling informed, inspired, and ready to tackle the new year! Many of the presentations and materials will be available on the CASA website. As always, we were proud to advocate on behalf of CASA member agencies to advance clean water priorities. It’s never too early to save the date for the next CASA Conference, which will be held on July 31 – August 2, 2024, in Monterey.

 

Apply Now for CASA’s Prestigious Award of Excellence
Your organization works hard to do what’s right for California. Recognition from the leading clean water association honors your hard work and accomplishments. It’s a symbol of respect, credibility, and innovation. CASA seeks to recognize members who provide essential public services and go above and beyond to protect public health and the environment. We invite all member agencies and associates to submit an Award of Excellence application by Tuesday, April 30, 2024. The recipients of these awards will be announced and celebrated during CASA’s Annual Conference in August. Your commitment deserves to be highlighted, and we look forward to recognizing your outstanding contributions. For more information about the award criteria and categories, please visit the Awards Program Webpage.

 

CASA Education Foundation Scholarship Applications
The CASA Education Foundation helps ensure clean water for Californians and energize the future of the clean water sector by awarding scholarships to promising students on a path to serving the environmental community. Does your local college or university know about CASA’s financial aid to students interested in a career in water? The Foundation is accepting scholarship applications through May 17, 2024. For information on how to apply, who is eligible and the scholarship guidelines, visit the website.

 

CASA Agency Salary Survey
CASA would like to encourage your agency’s participation in the annual Agency Salary and Benefits Survey. The survey provides valuable information for our members. The more responses we receive, the more accurate the statistical summary we can create. If your agency participated previously, your data is important for those agencies that use benchmarks. For those of you who have not participated in recent surveys, or have never participated, you will find this information very helpful when conducting a salary classification and review. Monterey One Water has again graciously volunteered to coordinate and produce the survey report. We look forward to providing as much comprehensive benefit information as possible with the distribution of the results. Please complete the survey by April 29.  Survey Attached

We can exclude listing salary data for any sensitive positions that you prefer not to have recorded on the report. However, we would still like to use that information in the calculations of the overall averages. To accomplish this, just make a notation on the survey.

For inquiries about the survey, please contact Shacara Gamboa at sgamboa@casaweb.org. Thank you for your participation in the development of this important member resource.