Betty Olson Re-elected, Frank Ury Retains Seat on Santa Margarita Water District Board

Following the November 5, 2024 election, Betty Olson, Ph.D. has been re-elected to the Santa Margarita Water District Board, continuing her 30-year tenure. Currently serving as Board Vice President, Olson first joined the board in 1994, was elected in 1996, and has been re-elected in every cycle since.

A retired professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of California, Irvine, Olson brings significant expertise in water policy and legislation, having worked extensively with regulatory agencies and other water districts. Her priorities are to stabilize rates, leverage reserves for capital projects, enhance local water reliability, and increase the use of recycled water.

Frank Ury, who ran unopposed, will also remain on the board. Ury, a former Mission Viejo mayor, helped launch Lake Mission Viejo as California's first swimming lake using recycled water. An electrical engineer specializing in technology management and business development, Ury has served on the Mission Viejo City Council since 2004, including three terms as mayor, and has represented the council on the OCTA Board of Directors.

The Santa Margarita Water District Board of Directors, comprised of five elected members, governs the district, setting rates, taxes, and policies, and overseeing budgetary and operational matters.