EDUCATION :

M.S., Civil Engineering (Coastal / Hydraulics) - University of California , Berkeley

B.S., Civil Engineering (Water Resources) - Oregon State University

REGISTRATION :

P.E. State of California , (Civil Engineer No. C40490)

P.E. State of Oregon (applying for reciprocity)

PROFESSIONAL OBJECTIVE :

Seeking a position in the field of sustainability, watershed management or ocean protection in a program aimed towards the betterment of the environment.  An ideal position will include facilitation, coordination or program development, working with an enthusiastic team, on interesting and challenging projects.  Open to regular employment or consulting positions.

OVERVIEW OF EXPERTISE :

Meleah has over 20 years of engineering and environmental experience in the field of water resources, specifically watershed management, ocean protection, and water/sewer/stormwater infrastructure planning, design and management.  Most of her experience has been in the role of project manager, technical advisor and program coordinator.  More recently, Meleah has been focused on resource planning and implementation programs associated with watershed management and ocean protection.  She has worked as a consultant for most of her career because it allows for a variety of projects, highly accountable working conditions and a high level of creativity.  In her role as an independent consultant, Meleah has been able to penetrate and gain the respect of a variety of markets simultaneously, including municipalities, public agencies, universities, NGOs, and industries.  Her strengths are in planning, communicating, coordinating and implementing programs across multiple disciplines that leverage off of existing functions to increase their efficiency and effectiveness. 

EMPLOYMENT HISTORY :

President, Ashford Engineering, Inc., Encinitas , California (7 years)

Project Manager, Dudek and Associates, Inc., Encinitas , California (4 years)

Project Manager, CH2M HILL, Oakland , California / Bangkok , Thailand , (6 years)

Project Manager, Kleinfelder & Associates, Pleasanton , California (I year)

Project Manager, Harding Lawson Associates, San Francisco , California (4 years)

PROFESSIONAL SKILLS AND ACHIEVEMENTS :

Business Management (Ashford Engineering, Inc.)

• Owned and operated small engineering firm for seven years
• Managed $200,000 of billable projects annually for multiple clients
• Gained exceptional reputation and recognition across multiple sectors

Watershed Coordination (City of Encinitas and Vista , Scripps Institution, and UCSD)

• Developed program scopes and cost-share agreements, secured funds and procured consultants for multi-million dollar projects
• Successfully formed cohesive, consensus-oriented stakeholder groups
• Translated concepts and goals into attainable actions through effective listening and communication

Grant Writing/Management (City of Encinitas and Vista , Scripps Institution, and UCSD)

• Secured and administered a total of $6.5M of grants over a seven year period
• Prepared realistic and attainable scopes, schedules and budgets
• Prepared grant proposals, grant agreements, progress reports, invoices, grant submittals

Program Management (City of Encinitas and Vista , Leucadia Wastewater District)

• Interpreted regulatory requirements and developed compliant municipal programs that are recognized by peers and regulators as models in the industry
• Performed outreach and developed synergy within multiple departments
• Managed programs with $1M annual budget, managed municipal staff, procured and managed consultants and communicated with upper management and City Councils

Project Management (Multiple clients for over 20 years)

• Developed infrastructure plans (five watershed management plans, four sewer master plans, and four storm drain master plans all for large municipalities)
• Managed multiple projects simultaneously with strong record of producing high quality work and client satisfaction
• Wrote and produced proposals, RFPs, grants and reports with a focus on concise and precise messages

Detailed Project Experience Available On Request

OTHER INTERESTS AND ACHIEVEMENTS :

• San Diego County Regional Advisory Committee, Regional Integrated Water Management Plan (North County Water Quality Representative) (2006 – present)
• Carlsbad Watershed Management Plan Technical Advisory Committee Member and Implementation Steering Committee (2001 – present)
• 2002 American Society of Civil Engineers Award of Excellence for the Moonlight Beach Urban Runoff Treatment Facility
• Docent, San Elijo Lagoon Ecological Reserve (2001 – present)

Professional References Available On Request

Resume of Meleah Ashford

132 North El Camino Real, No. 334, Encinitas, CA   92024

msashford@gmail.com
(760)212-9129

• Resume traditional format (Word format)
• Project Experience detailed listing (Word format)
• Helpful Links documents, plans, and clients