Patrick Pulupa named New Executive Officer for Central Valley Regional Water Quality Control Board

Patrick Pulupa, former legal counsel for the Central Valley Regional Water Quality Control Board (CVRWQCB), has been named the water board’s new executive officer beginning March 1. Pulupa, has served as the board’s legal counsel since 2007 and has provided legal advice and representation to the Central Valley Water Board in all matters associated with water quality regulation.

Pulupa will serve initially served alongside the water board’s current executive officer, Pamela Creedon, for a three-month transition period. Creedon will be retiring on June 1.

“Our Board unanimously chose an outstanding candidate to fill the position of executive officer to carry forward the important work of protecting and improving water quality in the Central Valley Water Region,” said Central Valley Water Board Chair Karl Longley.

During his years as legal counsel for CVRWQCB, Pulupa has gathered a comprehensive background in the Water Board’s 20 core programs as well as the numerous Central Valley water quality issues. The Central Valley Water Board is the largest of the state’s nine regional water boards, covering approximately 40 percent of the state. Thirty-eight of California’s 58 counties are either completely or partially within the Central Valley Water Board’s boundaries. Surface water sources under the Central Valley Water Board’s jurisdiction supply drinking water to more than 23 million people and irrigation water for more than three million acres of farmland.

The Central Valley Water Board employs a staff of 262 employees located in three offices and an annual operating budget of more than $38 million. Central Valley Water Board administrative, executive, management, technical and scientific staff are located in three regional offices — Sacramento, Redding and Fresno. Pulupa will be based in the Sacramento office.

Pulupa also has extensive experience in the Board’s new programs. These include the CV-SALTs program, a region-wide salt and nitrate management plan; an oil fields regulatory program; a cannabis regulatory program; agricultural regulatory programs and drinking water quality. These programs affect stakeholders throughout the region and beyond.

Pulupa maintains strong working relationships with the wide variety of stakeholders that are affected by the Board’s regulatory decisions.  Groundwater regulated by the Central Valley Water Board accounts for almost 50 percent of the private and public drinking-water supply in the Central Valley. Pulupa’s on-going work with the board’s stakeholders is key to fostering the needed trust and collaboration in the region.

Pulupa studied government and politics, international conflict, economics and English at the University of Maryland College Park and earned his J.D. in Environmental law at the University of California, Davis-College of Law. He served as a legal intern for the city and county of San Francisco and as legal extern for six months with the Sierra Club.