Ms. Kerrie Romanow is Director of San José Environmental Services Department (ESD), with over 25 years of experience in the public, manufacturing and consulting arenas.

As the Environmental Leader for the 10th largest city in the U.S., Ms. Romanow is responsible for shaping the strategic direction of San Jose’s environmental programs and utility systems, including energy and climate programs, residential and commercial solid waste, watershed protection, San Jose-Santa Clara Regional Wastewater Facility, San Jose Municipal Water System, and South Bay Water Recycling.

Ms. Romanow’s department has an annual budget of over $220 million and over 540 people and a five-year capital budget of $900 million.  The Director’s Department is collaborating with other South Bay cities and special districts to rebuild an almost 60-year-old wastewater treatment facility with a $1.5-billion capital improvement program over the next 10 years. More than 100 capital improvement projects have been currently identified to target aging electrical, mechanical and structural assets.

Ms. Romanow  earned a BS degree in Environmental Economics from UC Berkeley, an MBA from Santa Clara University, and completed the Harvard University Senior Executives in State and Local Government certificate program.  Ms. Romanow is responsible for San Jose’s 2012 plastic bag ban. The Bring Your Own Bag ordinance won a Helen Putnam Award for Excellence from the League of California Cities in 2014. In 2015 Ms. Romanow  was honored as one of Silicon Valley’s Top 100 Women of Influence.