The CWEA community consists of 17 Local Sections, each serving different regions of the state. A key benefit of participating in a local section is that it is managed by member volunteers dedicated to providing training and networking opportunities that are often unavailable at local trade schools or colleges. The member volunteers of the local sections determine which programs to offer to best educate the local section’s members.
The Northern Sacramento Valley Section (NSVS) works hard to develop programs that offer its members activities to help them succeed. One way they achieve this is by building a well-diversified board of directors.
“We have a well-rounded Board,” said Sheila Nilsen, PE, who is the current immediate past president of the NSVS and a Project Manager at Jacobs. “We have engineers, collections system staff, treatment plant operators, vendors, Environmental Compliance Inspectors, and more. It is a good mix of all parts of the industry.”
The Section’s current president, Gerard Marquez, went on to say, “It is amazing. We didn’t plan to be so diverse, but people came together from different parts of the industry and from all over our Local Section area.”
This group of industry professionals helps steer the creation of various large training programs, including the Northern California Wastewater Expo and the Collections Training Day, along with numerous other training events throughout the year that focus on different parts of the industry, designed to help members enhance their skills, gain contact hours, increase their visibility, and earn recognition in the industry.
“Getting involved in a Local Section isn’t all about training,” Marquez said, who is the president of Hydropower Engineering Company. “Our local section offers a lot of opportunities for networking, as well.”
One of NSVS’s newest networking events is Rodeo Sunday, which takes place in the spring at the Red Bluff Round Up. The NSVS also co-hosts an annual Golf Tournament, a fundraiser for the Kirk Brooks Scholarship, in partnership with the Association of California Water Agencies, at The Links at Rolling Hills in late September.
The NSVS can date its history back to March 1, 1951, when the Section hosted its first in-person board meeting. Over those 75 years, this Section’s members have provided many mentoring and networking opportunities.
The Northern Sacramento Valley Section represents cities including Anderson, Chico, Colusa, Corning, Davis, Dunsmuir, Mount Shasta, Nevada City, Olivehurst, Oroville, Red Bluff, Redding, Shasta Lake City, Susanville, Williams, Willows, Woodland, Yuba City, and many more in Northern California.
“Members are welcome to attend our Board meetings,” said Rianna Laughridge, Vice President of NSVS and WPCF Operator, City of Woodland. “We host our board meetings right in the middle of our Section’s region at the Blue Plate Tratoria Restaurant, in Orland.”
The Board meetings are usually held on the second Wednesday of every other month, as listed in the NSVS newsletter. In the months between, the Section offers a training day at varied locations throughout the Section’s region. The next training day will be in July in the Davis/Woodland area. Other 2026 training day locations will be Lincoln, Yuba City, and Redding.
“Everyone is welcome to sign up for our newsletter, whether you are a member of the NSVS or not,” Laughridge said. Simply email: [email protected]. By the way, Laughridge is also a 2025 CWEA Emerging Leader.
As a member benefit, each CWEA member is assigned to one Local Section, but many choose to join additional Local Sections (fees may apply). Volunteering for a section is a great way to advance your career and your network — it helps you develop leadership skills, gain industry-specific experience, and prepare for certification. Joining more than one Section will increase your chances of networking with a broader range of members and building valuable connections.
My Profile
