Board of Directors

Board Chair

Rolando Saldana was appointed to the Leucadia Wastewater District Board on December 14, 2022. His term expires in 2026. He has been a resident of South Carlsbad for almost 30 years and he has over 40 years of engineering experience.  He is a recently retired Vice President of Engineering at Intel Corporation and formerly held the position of Vice President of Engineering at Qualcomm, Inc. Additionally, he has served on the advisory board to the Dean of Engineering at California State University, Long Beach. Mr. Saldana holds a Master of Science in Electrical Engineering from CSU Long Beach and a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from University of Puerto Rico.

Board Vice-Chair

Keith Blackburn represents the City of Carlsbad. He has served on various regional and local government boards including the Buena Vista Lagoon Joint Powers Committee, SANDAG Board of Directors (2^nd Alternate), and SANDAG Shoreline Preservation Working Group (Alternate). He has been a police officer for 29 years, 21 years with the City of Carlsbad Police Department. He has been involved with the Carlsbad Chamber of Commerce, Boys and Girls Clubs of Carlsbad, Carlsbad Animal Shelter, and Meals on Wheels.

Chris Roesink represents the Leucadia Wastewater District. Mr. Roesink was appointed to the Leucadia Wastewater District Board on June 9, 2021 and was most recently re-elected in 2022. His term expires in 2026. Mr. Roesink is a third-generation San Diegan and 15-year resident of La Costa. He has worked for a locally based irrigation and lighting product company for the past 19 years. He has served the water industry as an advisor on San Diego County Water Authority (SDCWA) Conservation Action Committee. He is an instructor for the Qualified Water Efficient Landscape Program for the SDCWA and is currently a member of California Department of Water Resources Landscape Stakeholder Advisory Group. In addition, he has served on various local Boards and Committees in years past. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Public Administration degree from San Diego State University.

John Franklin represents the City of Vista and Buena Sanitation District. He was elected to the Vista City Council in 2014 and re-elected in 2018. He has been a strong advocate for improving public safety and for improving traffic flows in the community. A graduate of The American University in Washington, D.C., Mr. Franklin served nearly a decade as a congressional policy advisor before opening his own small business in Vista.

Councilmember Joy Lyndes represents the City of Encinitas District 3. She is a licensed landscape architect whose 30 years of planning, design and construction of large-scale landscapes has focused on conservation and restoration of natural resources, enhancement of community character, and recycled water use. Prior to City Council she served Encinitas on the Environmental Commission and on the Historical Society Board. Her focus is on environment and resource management, water use self-reliance, water supply reliability, resilience, and sustainable practices. Water is an asset, and she supports reliable and fiscally responsible wastewater services which promote the expansion of recycled and water reuse programs.

Council Member Bruce Ehlers represents the City of Encinitas, District 4. Before being elected to the Encinitas City Council, Bruce served on the Encinitas Planning Commission starting in 2002 for a total of seven (7) years, and most recently he served as Chairman. Additionally, he served ten (10) years on the Olivenhain Town Council Board of Directors in several roles and ten (10) years on the Board of North County Advocates as CFO. Professionally, Bruce is a Senior VP of Engineering and Product Development at a local high-tech firm.

Bruce is a 39-year resident of Encinitas where he and his wife raised three daughters. He is a volunteer and citizen activist, passionately fighting to preserve the Encinitas community character and enhance the quality of life for over 25 years.

Jim Hernandez represents the Vallecitos Water District. He has been on EWA’s Board since 2013 and is currently on the Capital Improvement Committee. Mr. Hernandez is an architect and small business owner, and has lived in San Marcos for over 40 years. After serving in the United States Marine Corp, he attended Palomar College and then continued his education at California State Polytechnic University (Cal Poly Pomona). Mr. Hernandez was a San Marcos Planning Commissioner for 14 years and past president of the San Marcos Chamber of Commerce, Boys & Girls Club of San Marcos, and Palomar College Foundation.