Board of Directors
2022-2023 Board of Directors
CAPIO’s Board of Directors is elected by the membership each spring. Board terms are two years, with approximately half of the positions rotating each year according to the schedule outlined in our bylaws. All CAPIO members in good standing are eligible to serve on—and vote for—the CAPIO Board.
Erin Morales
President
Erin Morales has nearly 20 years of experience in the public sector, specifically working within the water industry. Erin joined the Cucamonga Valley Water District (CVWD) in 2007 and is the Government and Public Affairs Supervisor. In this role, she oversees a team who is responsible for CVWD’s legislative, public outreach, education, and water use efficiency programs.
Cucamonga Valley Water District
10440 Ashford Street
Rancho Cucamonga, CA 91730
Lael Wageneck, APR
President-Elect
Treasurer
Lael Wageneck, APR is the Public Information Officer for the Santa Barbara County Public Works Department which serves over 400,000 residents. He has over 15 years of experience in media production, public relations and public administration, and has presented a many CAPIO conferences on topics from photography to ethics. He previously served on the CAPIO Board as the Central California Regional Chair from 2015-17.
Santa Barbara County Public Works Department
123 E. Anapamu Street
Santa Barbara, CA 93101
Maurice Chaney
Immediate Past President
Maurice Chaney is a strategic communication professional with more than 20 years of combined experience in both the public and private sectors. He is a Public Information Officer for the City of Roseville’s Environmental Utilities—a suite of community-owned utilities for a community of 140,000.
City of Roseville
2005 Hilltop Circle
Roseville, CA 95747
Tom Christensen
Vice President – Conference
Tom Christensen has been a communications specialist with the County of San Diego since 2006. He coordinates and monitors nearly 100 accounts as part of the County’s nationally-recognized social media efforts and writes stories for CountyNewsCenter.com. He was part of the team that won the 2018 CAPIO Frank Potter Cowan Crisis Communications Leader Team Award and has worked on crisis communications during several wildfires, a county-wide blackout and an outbreak of hepatitis A.
County of San Diego
1600 Pacific Highway
San Diego, CA 92101
Sylvia Ornelas
Vice President - Awards
Sylvia Ornelas is a seasoned strategic communications professional, water education coordinator, and event planner. Sylvia has more than 10 years of combined experience in both the public and private sectors and non-profits. She is a Public Information Specialist II for Rancho California Water District (Rancho Water) in Temecula, CA, which serves approximately 150,000 people.
Rancho California Water District
42135 Winchester Road
Temecula, CA 92590
Margie Otto
Vice President - Communications
Margie Otto currently serves as the Public Relations and Marketing Manager for the City of Vernon & Public Utilities
With more than 20 years of civic service, Margie began her career working on Capitol Hill in Washington D.C. and then held a wide range of city positions in the area of strategic planning, budgeting, and crisis communications. Her expertise includes sound marketing and public relations support for increasing program participation, advancing the adoption of emerging trends, and enhancing community engagement.
City of Vernon & Public Utilities
43505 S. Santa Fe Ave.
Vernon, CA 90058
Christine Brainerd, APR
Education and Development Chair
Christine is a seasoned, award-winning communications
professional with nearly 20 years of experience in government
communications, public relations, and journalism. As
communications director, she manages the city’s comprehensive
communications program, including news media relations, public
information, and community relations.
City of Folsom
50 Natoma Street
Folsom, CA 95630
Teresa Collins
Social Media Chair
Teresa Collins has been in the communications field for over 18 years, holding various jobs in both the private and public sector. She started off her career by writing copy for radio commercials and found her way to a role as the marketing director for a local non-profit. She eventually ended up as a professional government communicator.
City of Escondido
201 N. Broadway
Escondido, CA 92025
Grace Cardenas
Website Chair
Grace Cardenas is a seasoned marketing and communications professional with experience in both the public and private sectors. She is currently the Strategic Communications Manager for the Western Municipal Water District. Her specialties include branding and marketing, social media management, content development, emergency communications, and community engagement.
Western Municipal Water District
14205 Meridian Parkway
Riverside, CA 92518
Michelle Adams, MPA
Southern California Regional & Membership Chair
Michelle Adams has 15 years of experience in the communications and public relations industry – having served in the public, private, and NGO sectors. She specializes in strategic and integrated communications planning, brand management, and digital communications. She also enjoys expressing her creative side through graphic design.
Western Municipal Water District
14205 Meridian Parkway
Riverside, CA 92518
Leslie Arroyo, MBA
Northern CA Regional & Membership Chair
Leslie has more than 25 years of work experience ranging from consulting, television, private sector public relations and currently the public sector. Leslie is the Communications Director for the City of South San Francisco. She is responsible for managing an overall strategic communications plan including news media relations, public information, community relations, and marketing the City of South San Francisco.
City of South San Francisco
400 Grand Avenue
South San Francisco, CA 94080
Sonja Dosti
Central CA Regional & Membership Chair
Sonja Dosti is the Public Information Officer for the County of Fresno which serves over one million residents. She has over six years of experience in the public sector, having served as the head of communications for a Fresno school district before moving to the County of Fresno. Prior to working in PR, she worked in the film and TV industry in Los Angeles as a studio or network executive as well as a developer on the production side. She worked with writers, directors, and actors to develop new TV series or films.
County of Fresno
2281 Tulare Street, Room 304
Fresno, CA 93721
Amy Orr
Association & Conference Manager
Amy Orr began working with CAPIO in 2010 as conference manager. In 2015, her role expanded to association management, and she now handles the day-to-day operations of the organization in addition to managing the annual conference under the direction of the conference committee and Board leadership.
P.O. Box 8840
Chico, CA 95927