Fort Collins-Loveland Water District is proud to be governed by an elected board of directors who diligently serve a two to four-year term. Made up of five members, the board is responsible for providing fiduciary oversight and foresight to help guide the District for the future. Join us in recognizing Dale Leach for his 20+ years of hard work and dedication as he transitions from his role as a board member.
Dale Leach lived and breathed water long before his tenure on the Fort Collins-Loveland Water District board of directors. He joined the board in 2002 to serve his community and to be part of an organization that provides tap holders with the highest quality water supply in Northern Colorado. Dale has extensive experience with various water-related boards throughout the region and has been involved in numerous water court change cases. Having spent over 40 years in the intricacies of water-related issues, Dale specialized in water rights, water systems management and optimization. We wish Dale all the best in his future endeavors, and we are honored to announce a new board member to fill the position, Stephen Smith.
Stephen W. Smith, Ph.D. is an agricultural, irrigation, and water resources engineer. His engineering work provides consulting services in SCADA, canal modernization and irrigation design. In 1975, Stephen founded Aqua Engineering, Inc. For the last 25 years, Stephen has also operated a farming enterprise, Buena Vida Farm, in Larimer County, CO. Stephen has extensive irrigation engineering experience and was on the affiliate faculty at Colorado State University for 20 years. He is an author, a founding partner of Regenesis Management Group and holds two patents associated with his water research. Stephen is the past national president and a fellow of the American Society of Irrigation Consultants. In 2009, he was president of the Irrigation Association. He is also the vice president of Louden Irrigating Canal & Reservoir Co. Stephen is past head of the U.S. delegation to the International Standards Organization (ISO) TC 23 / SC 18 (irrigation and drainage) and is currently a water advisory committee member to the Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research. With the 2018 formation of the Irrigation Innovation Consortium, Stephen agreed to serve as the interim Executive Director and now serves on the IIC Executive Committee.
Stephen joined FCLWD as a non-voting associate board member on January 17th. He was appointed as a director on February 9th to step into his new role and received voting privileges on February 21st.
The FCLWD board of directors is a vital resource and a guiding hand for the vision of our drinking water operation. From planning to mitigating challenges related to pressing issues like growth, the FCLWD board leads the way. Want to get involved? Learn how you can become an associate board member—a great way to acquaint yourself with board duties—by sending us a note at FCLWD.com/contact.
