California Special Districts Association

Congratulations to Orange County Water District on earning not one but THREE major honors recognizing its leadership in water infrastructure, public outreach, and groundwater management.

OCWD and its partners were recognized by the American Society of Civil Engineers Orange County Chapter for two PFAS treatment projects, received an Award of Distinction from the California Association of Public Information Officials for the Children’s Water Education Festival, and earned global recognition from Global Water Intelligence as a Distinction Award recipient in the Public Water Agency of the Year category.

These achievements highlight OCWD’s continued commitment to innovation, education, water reliability, and protecting Orange County’s groundwater resources.

Congratulations to Alameda County Water District on earning three statewide honors at the 2026 CAPIO Awards!

ACWD was recognized for its creative community outreach, including its “Pints and Plants” event, award-winning print design, and innovative emergency preparedness messaging.

Congratulations to the ACWD team on this well-deserved recognition!

Meet the newest voices taking the stage at the 2026 General Manager Leadership Summit.

These leaders are bringing fresh insight, practical strategies, and real-world experience to help special district general managers lead with confidence.

CPS HR Consulting VC3 El Dorado Hills Community Services District United Water Conservation District Rowland Water District Rowland Water District Stephanie Mcgann-Jantzen

Introducing Annual Conference Keynote Speaker, Kyle Scheele!

Kyle Scheele, Innovation and Leadership Speaker, Champion of Crazy Ideas, and Accidental TikToker, will be speaking on “Thinking Inside the Box: How Tough Times Fuel True Creativity and Innovation.”

In this talk, Kyle will:
Show how constraints are the breeding ground for creativity.
Identify the difference between constructive constraint and restrictive constraint.
Help reframe the constraints in your organization and find the solutions you’ve been searching for.
Walk through tools and exercises to break through creative blocks.

Watch the Video:

2026 Annual Conference SDRMA General Session & Keynote: Kyle Scheele Event: 2026 CSDA Annual Conference & Exhibitor Showcase (https://www.csda.net/annualconference) Session: SDRMA General Session & Keynote, Kyle ScheeleDescrip...

The Port of Hueneme recently hosted its 13th Annual World Trade Month Summit, bringing together global trade leaders, agricultural exporters, and regional partners to celebrate the Port’s role as a critical gateway for U.S. exports.

From fresh produce and specialty crops to automobiles and industrial exports, the Port continues to demonstrate how strategic partnerships, innovation, and infrastructure investment support local jobs, strengthen California’s economy, and connect communities to markets around the world.

Congratulations to the Port of Hueneme on another successful World Trade Month celebration!

Learn more: https://buff.ly/rvqAVnT

California Department of Food and Agriculture

Congratulations to San Gorgonio Pass Water Agency on the success of its Heli-Hydrant system in helping contain the recent Lemon Fire in Cabazon.

Both local Heli-Hydrant sites were used during the response, allowing aircraft to refill quickly and helping firefighters contain the fire at approximately 14 acres, protecting residents, property, and the surrounding community.

This is a powerful example of how special district infrastructure, regional partnerships, and proactive investment can make a real difference when communities need it most.


Learn more: https://buff.ly/lLWInYX

Well done Alameda County Water District 👏!

Congratulations to the Alameda County Water District for earning their Special District Leadership Foundation District of Distinction Accreditation - Platinum Level and their District Transparency Certificate of Excellence Renewal! 🏆

Kudos to the Central Valley Local Chapter of CSDA for bringing together special districts this week, both large and small, for a deeper conversation on best practices around district IT infrastructure. 👏

A special thank you to Ammon Bécar, Senior Strategic Advisor at , for sharing valuable insight on the risks of using free email providers like Gmail for day-to-day district business, and how districts can better use business features to help protect their data. 🔐 And to Assemblymember Soria and Assemblymember Arambula for your legislative update!

Ammon also covered the growing use of AI in special districts, including best practices to protect data, maintain security, and preserve the integrity of district operations. 🤖

IT is a major cost for many districts, and this event highlighted practical, cost-effective resources districts can use while maintaining strong IT infrastructure. 💻

Thank you to the participating districts for making time to be part of the conversation. 🙌

A recording of the event will be made available at:
https://buff.ly/sOotz7C