Carol Lee Brady (aka Carol Lee Gonzales-Brady) was elected to Rancho California Water District’s Board of Directors in 2017. She became Senior Vice President in 2020 and has served as President since January 2021.

A graduate of Pepperdine University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Management (magna cum laude), her career has spanned federally regulated industries including electric and water utilities and geothermal power plant design, engineering, and construction.

Director Brady is an elected member of the Association of California Water Agencies (ACWA)’s Region 9 Board. The Region is comprised of San Bernardino, Riverside, and Imperial counties, with membership that includes approximately 49 public water agencies, spans roughly 32,000 square miles, and is home to a population of just over 4.2 million.

Dedicated to informing and educating Southern Californians about our water needs and our state’s water resources, Brady serves on the Board of Trustees of Southern California Water Coalition (SCWC) and is co-Chair of their Legislative Task Force as well. SCWC is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization, made up of leaders from a variety of businesses, cities, agricultural groups, labor unions, environmental organizations, and water agencies. Prior to joining Rancho Water’s Board, she also was honored with an appointment by the Riverside County Board of Supervisors to the Temecula-Elsinore-Anza-Murietta Resource Conservation District’s Board of Directors where she served two terms.

She and her husband have resided on their family vineyard in Temecula’s Wine Country for over 18 years. She has been active in the community as a supporter of the outreach and assistance provided by charities, schools, churches, and local organizations; and is a member of the Temecula Winegrower’s Association, Riverside County Farm Bureau, and Temecula Horsemen’s Association.

Please visit www.Vote4CarolLeeBrady.com to learn more about Director Brady’s background, qualifications, and platform.

BOARD PHILOSOPHY:

Protect our water, today and tomorrow, with a diversified portfolio of both short-term and long-range strategies.

Water use efficiency is important, but a one-size-fits-all “just conserve more” approach is short-sighted and doesn’t address the long-term impacts of the drought conditions we are facing. We need to take actions such as improving infrastructure and expanding recycling, conveyance, groundwater capacity and surfacewater storage. I’m committed to urging state and federal regulators to expedite access to governmental funding and grants for our District's water projects; and to streamline the processes required for planning permitting and constructing urgently needed improvements to both local and statewide water systems.

Secure a “seat at the table” for robust representation of Rancho Water’s priorities as legislative policies are developed and funds are distributed.

Too often, our priorities are NOT considered as policymakers craft legislation and regulations that impact us. Being in a position of reacting to their decisions after the fact is not acceptable. Our urban, commercial, and agricultural water customers are realizing that their goals aren’t necessarily mutually exclusive. By joining forces to deliver a united message of advocacy on behalf of our Region, we all will reap the benefits which include water resiliency, reliability, and affordability.

Through my leadership roles in organizations such as the Southern California Water Coalition (SCWC) and Association of Water Agencies (ACWA), I’ve championed partnerships with other industry stakeholders. We are seeing results as we work to make legislators, regulators and other governmental officials in Sacramento and Washington D.C. aware of our needs, and to influence their decisions.

Prepare for the unexpected through a proactive hazard identification and emergency response program.

Rancho Water is highly respected in the water industry as a pioneer of technologies and techniques to maximize efficiency, safety, and a reliable supply of water and wastewater services to our community. Even so, in the role of Board President I have joined a joint agency water resiliency task force dedicated to urging legislative and regulatory actions to address statewide vulnerabilities. The goal is to identify actions we can take to anticipate and prepare to combat potential threats through partnerships with our stakeholders.

Clear-eyed analysis of potential crisis scenarios, development of mitigation goals and objectives, and a roadmap for actions to reduce the impact (if an emergency should arise) will be critical.

Communicate and engage with our customers and the community.

Water issues can be complex and difficult to navigate. With so much technical data, shifting regulations issued by the government, and media noise, sorting through it all can be overwhelming. It’s important to ensure that Rancho Water’s team consistently strives to keep current, relevant, and accurate information available and easily accessible to the public.

Communication goes two ways. Encouraging engagement and listening to feedback helps the District provide clear, meaningful, and relatable content that people need and desire.

As a lifelong Temecula Resident, growing up in this beautiful and safe community was a blessing. From my first days in school at Redhawk Elementary, to the more formative years at Gardner Middle, and finally graduating from Temecula Valley High School, Temecula is deeply rooted in who I have become.

After graduating from college, I joined the family small business, and my work has been able to help people from all walks of life obtain the American dream of home ownership.

I've been an advocate for Temecula for almost two decades. When I was in the 4th grade, I saw a need for a crosswalk on the south end of Redhawk Elementary and went to City Hall to see what could be done. Many years later, and my desire to improve and serve our community has not faded; building important partnerships and relationships with elected officials, public servants, and residents across our beautiful city.  

Even from a young age, I had a passion to improve our beautiful city, and I have never stopped looking for opportunities to make it safer and more accessible, while still maintaining a high quality of life for all residents.

As a lifelong Temecula Valley resident and local businessman, I’m committed to the affordability, quality, and reliability of water resources in the Rancho California Water District.