CWS Executive Leadership
Rick Shanley, Interim Chief Executive Officer/General Manager, P.E.
Rick was appointed by the CWS Board of Directors as Interim Chief Executive Officer/General Manager in 2025. Rick joined CWS as Treatment Plant Services manager in 2013 and has held leadership roles in regulatory and innovation strategies, as well as treatment, conveyance, and asset management engineering. He is active in various professional societies, and previously served as the president of the Pacific Northwest Clean Water Association.
Rick has over 30 years of experience as an environmental engineer, including experience with research, planning, design, and construction of infrastructure for wastewater conveyance and treatment. He became CWS’ first Chief Engineer & Water Technology Officer in January 2025, leading the Water & Engineering Technology (WET) department — which includes Capital Planning, Construction & Engineering Technical Services, Conveyance Engineering, Research & Innovation, and Treatment Plant Services Engineering — as well as Natural Systems Enhancement & Stewardship (NSES), Utility Operations & Services (Field Operations), and Water Resource Recovery Operations & Services (WRRD).
Elizabeth Edwards, Chief of Staff
Elizabeth joined CWS as Chief of Staff in 2024. She provides executive oversight to legislative and government affairs, develops emergency management and natural hazard mitigation programs, and works with teams to implement the CWS Climate Action Roadmap. She also serves as a liaison with the CWS Board of Directors and the Clean Water Services Advisory Commission. She has worked in the private and public sectors, covering almost every area of policy, including healthcare, transportation, climate, land use, public safety, and water. Elizabeth was born and raised in Oregon and is a member of the Oregon State Bar.
Joe Gall, Chief Utility Relations Officer
Joe became CWS’ first Chief Utility Relations Officer in May 2021. He oversees the Regional Utility Services department, which focuses on strengthening relationships with CWS partners surrounding issues such as economic development and community planning, strategic integrated planning and policy development, and utility intergovernmental relations to support regional water resources management.
Kathleen Leader, Chief Financial Officer
Kathy was named Chief Financial Officer in 2019 and is responsible for all financial activities for CWS including the programs and activities relating to accounting, budgeting, financial forecasting and planning, debt management, financial management information systems, reporting systems, capital improvement planning, purchasing and contracts, and financial policies and procedures. She joined CWS in 2007 as accounting services manager and was appointed finance manager in 2012.
Caroline Lobdell, General Counsel & Chief Compliance Officer
Caroline joined Clean Water Services in 2023 to serve as General Counsel & Chief Compliance Officer and to lead the Regulatory Affairs department. For over 16 years Caroline taught several courses focusing on complex environmental and natural resources litigation and federal Indian law and is a former Walter Echohawk Distinguished Law Professor. Caroline was the 2023 recipient of the Oregon State Bar’s Environmental and Natural Resources Section’s Lifetime Achievement Leadership award. She is also a frequent speaker for many diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts for the Oregon State Bar.
Clean Water Services Board of Directors
Clean Water Services is a county service district organized under Oregon Revised Statute 451. CWS is a separately managed and financed public utility. Our Board of Directors is composed of the individuals who are elected as Washington County Commissioners.
Learn more about CWS Board members, meetings, and minutes.
Clean Water Services Advisory Commission
The purpose of the Clean Water Services Advisory Commission (CWAC) is to review and discuss major policy issues and programs related to the management of water resources in the Tualatin River Watershed and make recommendations to Clean Water Services’ Board of Directors.
Learn more about CWAC members, meetings, and minutes.
