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Jan Debay was appointed to the Orange County Water District Board of Directors in February 2001 to fulfill the remaining term of a former board member covering Division 7. In 2002, Debay was elected to serve on the board for a four-year term. Director Debay was elected to serve as 1st Vice President of the board for 2005-2006. In November 2006, Director Debay was reelected to another four-year term (2006-2010) beginning in December 2006, and was elected to continue serving as 1st Vice President of the board through 2007.
Director Debay serves on several other water organization boards, including the Association of California Water Agencies (ACWA), where she was elected to a two-year term (2004 to 2006) serving the Region 10 Board of Directors. Along with six others, she oversees Orange and San Diego counties for ACWA a Sacramento-based water organization representing most water agencies in California.
In addition, Director Debay is the Vice Chair on the board of the National Water Research Institute (NWRI) a nonprofit organization creating new sources of water through research and technology and protecting the freshwater and marine environments. Debay has served on the NWRI board from 1997 to 2000 and again from 2002 to 2006. She also served as Chair in 2000.
Director Debay is also serving as the President of the Water Advisory Committee of Orange County (WACO) for 2005-2006. WACO is comprised of elected officials and staff from all levels of government, as well as engineers, attorneys, consultants, residents and others who share a common interest in the water issues facing Orange County.
Prior to serving on OCWD’s Board of Directors, Director Debay’s career in public service covered a broad spectrum of regional service. Debay started her public service career with a five-year term as Planning Commissioner for the City of Newport Beach. In 1992 she was elected to Newport Beach City Council and served as Mayor from 1996 - 1997. Due to term limits, Debay left the City Council in December 2000.
While serving on the Newport Beach City Council, Debay was appointed to the Executive Council of the Orange County League of Cities, where she served as 2nd Vice President, 1st Vice President and President, overseeing matters of concern to 33 cities and their governing Councilmembers.
In 1993, Debay was appointed to the Orange County Sanitation District (OCSD) Board of Directors. She was elected by her peers to serve as Chair of the Board from 1998 to 2000. During that time, Debay also served as a representative on the Joint Cooperative Committee for the Groundwater Replenishment System a joint project between OCWD and OCSD that will supply a new, drought-proof source of water to Orange County to help meet future water needs in Orange County.
Director Debay’s career also led to her to represent Orange County on the Board of the Southern California Association of Governments a six-county organization for planning serving as Chairman of the Community, Housing and Economic Development Committee and as a member of the Executive Steering Committee. | 