Thursday, May 17, 2012
12:00 PM - 1:00 PM
La Kretz Hall, Suite 300, Large conference room

About the Speaker

As Assistant Director of the County of Los Angeles Department of Public Works Pestrella oversees the Department's Water Resource Management and Administrative branches. A native of Southern California, he received a B.S. in Civil Engineering, with concentrations in structural engineering and water resource management, from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo. Pestrella is a licensed civil engineer and teaches post-graduate classes in Civil Engineering and Land Development Entitlement at UCLA.

Pestrella is a 24-year veteran of the Department and has held a variety of civil engineering and management positions in Building and Safety, Watershed Management, County Flood Control and Waterworks.  Over the last decade, Pestrella has been instrumental in the development and implementation of County, State and Federal policies related to Clean Water Act compliance, integrated water resource management and ecosystem restoration. Pestrella is an active member of the American Society of Civil Engineers, American Public Works Association, National Association of Flood and Stormwater Management Agencies and American Water Works Association.

About the Water Resources Student Group

The Water Resources Student Group is a multi-disciplinary cohort of graduate students from across the University who are conducting water resources research. The Water Resources Student Group, supported by the Institute of the Environment and Sustainability, holds seminars on different topics in water resources. The seminars are anchored with a formal talk from an expert in the field and allow ample time for discussion and networking. This series of water resources seminars enhances connections between currently disparate nodes of water research while providing students with exposure to key stakeholders in the wider water industry.  External presenters are exposed to the breadth and depth of UCLA water resources research, providing opportunities for future collaborations.