Amigos 805
July 2nd 2025
By Community Contributor
VENTURA — The Ventura County Public Works Agency (VCPWA) is pleased to welcome Earthea Nance, PE to the role of Watershed Protection Director. Watershed Protection serves to provide control and conservation of flood and stormwaters, and to protect and maintain watercourses, watershed, life and property in the geographic County. Nance brings over 20 years of leadership experience in government, academia, and the private sector.
She has served as the Regional Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (Region 6), as a government official for the City of New Orleans during its recovery from Hurricane Katrina, as Director of Disaster Mitigation in the City’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness, and as a professor at Texas Southern University, University of New Orleans and other institutes of higher learning.
“We are thrilled to have Earthea join our team. She brings a wealth of floodplain and environmental agency experience to VCPWA,” said Jeff Palmer, Assistant Agency Director.
Her vast experiences positions her perfectly for the work ahead within the Agency. Key projects include the Matilija Dam Ecosystem Restoration Project which will one day include the removal of the Matilija Dam and the implementation of the Los Angeles Regional Water Quality Control Boards’ increasing requirements for water quality and groundwater basin management. Watershed Protection holds jurisdiction over 216 miles of channels and levees, over 1,000 catch basins and drain inlets and over 50 dams.
Nance earned BS and MS degrees in civil and environmental engineering from UC Davis, and a PhD in civil and environmental engineering from Stanford University. She is a licensed professional civil engineer in California, and a national certified floodplain manager. She is an avid biker and nature lover and is thrilled to be back in her home state.
