Ali Shahroody

Mr. Shahroody joined Stetson Engineers in 1967 and is currently the company chairman of the board. He is a licensed professional engineer (civil) in California, Arizona, and Nevada and a licensed agricultural engineer in California. Mr. Shahroody holds a bachelor’s degree in agricultural engineering from the American University in Beirut, a master’s degree in civil engineering from the University of California, Davis, and a master’s degree in irrigation science from the University of California, Davis.

Mr. Shahroody has participated in a wide range of investigations in water resources, with an emphasis on computer modeling. He has worked on the evaluation of land capabilities, crop water use, and irrigation systems for the development of agricultural lands. He has been involved in the evaluation of municipal water uses, including assessing the adequacy and planning of distribution systems. He has also undertaken various investigations on flood damages. Mr. Shahroody has worked on projects in the States of California, Nevada, Oregon, Washington, Arizona, Montana, Maine, North Dakota, and South Dakota.

Mr. Shahroody has been recognized in a certificate of appreciation from U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region 9 in 1996 for securing a collaborative agreement on operation of the Truckee-Carson River system between a Native American tribe, the State of Nevada, the Department of Interior, and the Environmental Protection Agency. He also received a letter of appreciation on September 22, 2008 from Sen. Harry Reid (D-Nev.) for his contribution in the completion of the Truckee River Operating Agreement.

Stephen Johnson

Mr. Johnson joined Stetson Engineers in 1977 and is currently the company president / chief executive officer. He also serves as the supervising engineer in charge of the Covina office. He is a licensed professional engineer (civil) in California and holds a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from California State Polytechnic University, Pomona.

Mr. Johnson supervises, directs, or performs in a wide variety of projects. Mr. Johnson has been involved in a multitude of studies and projects and maintains close contact with all active clients, attending meetings regularly for the public clients. He has been involved in water system master plans, water system analyses, water rights quantification and analysis, supplemental water requirement studies, alternative water supply studies, annual reports, water quality monitoring reports, ground-water management studies, and project feasibility studies.

Mr. Johnson has extensive experience with municipal and water district level issues, having been working directly as district engineer for the Main San Gabriel Basin Watermaster and for several watersheds in southern California on such matters as water supply, water quality, management, and financing.

Stephen Reich

Mr. Reich joined Stetson Engineers in 1991 and serves as a principal engineer in Stetson’s office in Carlsbad. He is a professional engineer (civil) in California and holds both a bachelor’s degree and master’s degree in geophysical engineering from the Colorado School of Mines, Golden.

Mr. Reich has participated in a wide range of investigations in water resources, with an emphasis on water rights, civil engineering, and municipal valuations. He has been directly responsible for large-scale water development projects, including the diversion and delivery of water from stream systems, and most recently has developed recycle and reuse operation flow models for various clients. Mr. Reich’s expertise in water system economics and valuation has been applied to both large and small water and wastewater purveyors throughout the southwestern United States. Mr. Reich has also led technical teams for both litigation and settlement purposes for issues related to water supply, water quality, and water rights disputes. His expertise in hydrology, civil engineering, economics, state and federal water supply issues, and environmental concerns provides a wide range of experience for the successful completion of both small- and large-scale water development projects.

Mr. Reich has extensive knowledge of developing and managing large water projects in southern California. Working with federal and local water agencies, he has participated in developing large water supply projects. Mr. Reich also brings experience in working with regulators and federal agencies in developing water supply projects that satisfy U.S. Fish and Wildlife, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and Regional Water Quality Control Board basin management requirements. Mr. Reich has a vast knowledge of water rights and water agency rate and valuation studies. In 2001, he acted as the sole arbitrator between the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power and Inyo County in a dispute over groundwater pumping in Owens Valley. His extensive experience in valuation and water rate studies has included analysis of municipal and local water district potable and wastewater systems throughout northern California.

Joe DeMaggio

Mr. DeMaggio is a licensed professional engineer (civil and agricultural) in California and is a principal and lead engineer for Stetson Engineers' Oregon office. Mr. DeMaggio has been with Stetson Engineers since 1979 and he holds a bachelor’s degree in agricultural engineering from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo.

Mr. DeMaggio’s expertise is in water system and irrigation system design and cost estimation, municipal and agricultural water demand, dam design, and water supply and water right investigations. He has testified in local, state, and federal water rights proceedings in California, Nevada, and Washington and provided testimony in front of the State of California Water Resources Control Board during water rights hearings. He has extensive experience with pipe network modeling and preparing water system master plans.

Mr. DeMaggio is responsible for directing civil and agricultural engineering projects as well as those projects involving design of fish passage and hydraulic structures and pipe network modeling. Mr. DeMaggio is the project manager for many of Stetson Engineers tribal clients throughout the western United States. His expertise includes water rights and related infrastructure negotiations support for the Pyramid Lake Paiutes, Fort Belknap, Flathead, San Carlos, Duck Valley, Ute, Yakima, and Round Valley Indian Reservations, Agua Caliente, Zuni, and Cahuilla Band of Mission Indians, just to name a few.

Additionally, Mr. DeMaggio also designed dams and hydraulic structures located in Montana, Utah, California, and Arizona. Mr. DeMaggio has performed hydraulic calculations, pipeline design, and pipe network modeling for Santa Ynez, Wadsworth, Glendora, Pittsburg, and Solvang. Mr. DeMaggio prepared design plans and specification and prepared engineers cost estimations for fish passage and hydraulic structures for the County of Marin, Town of San Anselmo, and Marin Municipal Water District.

Between projects, Joe enjoys sailing in San Francisco Bay, outrigger canoe paddling and racing with Ohana Wa’a Outrigger Canoe Club, playing soccer and fishing in Alaska.

James Reilly

Mr. Reilly joined Stetson Engineers in 1995 and serves as a principal engineer for a wide range of multidisciplinary water resources and environmental engineering projects. He is a professional engineer (civil) in California and holds a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from the University of California, Irvine and a master’s degree in civil engineering from California State University, Fullerton.

Mr. Reilly is responsible for technical approach, report preparation, project management and contract administration, budget control, client liaison, coordination and direction of subcontractors, development of work plans and schedules, coordination and direction of staff engineers, quality assurance, and quality control review of work. Most of the projects under Mr. Reilly’s supervision involve complex hydrologic, hydraulic, or hydrodynamic modeling of various water systems. His technical writing skills allow him to describe complicated studies in terms that are understandable to a broad audience, from the technician to the layperson.

Jeff Helsley

Mr. Helsley joined Stetson Engineers in 1999 and serves as engineering manager in Stetson’s Covina office. He is a professional engineer (civil) in California and has 30 years experience in water resource management in southern California. He holds a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from California State University, Los Angeles and a master’s degree in environmental engineering from the University of Southern California.

Mr. Helsley has extensive experience with water agency management and in providing support services to water agencies. Mr. Helsley has represented agencies at local, regional, and statewide meetings. Mr. Helsley developed and was responsible for implementation of programs to enhance groundwater recharge, improve groundwater basin management, and protect groundwater quality for a groundwater management agency in southern Los Angeles County.

Mr. Helsley has supervised numerous water system evaluations and water system master plans for the Covina office. He has also assisted clients with water supply assessments and water supply studies and led development of stakeholder-based water management plans.

Mr. Helsley has managed numerous municipal water supply projects in southern California, including water facility designs in the Main San Gabriel Basin, the Raymond Basin, and the Central Basin as well as for the City of Chino and the Los Valles Development in the Santa Clarita Valley. Mr. Helsley has been project manager for many municipal production well projects, including well projects for the City of Chino, California American Water Company, the Los Valles Development, and Forest Lawn Memorial Park.

Mr. Helsley has provided as needed engineering services to the San Luis Rey Indian Water Authority (SLRIWA) in northern San Diego County since 2002. Mr. Helsley’s responsibilities for the SLRIWA have included design review of a large imported water transmission pipeline, groundwater studies, support for water rights litigation settlement negotiations, and preparation of applications for grant funding for water resource studies. Mr. Helsley represents the San Luis Rey Settlement Parties, which includes the SLRIWA, the City of Escondido, and Vista Irrigation District, on the Operation, Maintenance, and Repair Committees for both the All-American Canal Lining Project and the Coachella Canal Lining Project.

Jean Moran

Ms. Moran received her B.S. in geology from the University of Wisconsin, Madison (1994); her MS in hydrogeology from UC-Berkeley (1997); and is licensed in the State of California as a Professional Geologist (PG 7162) and Certified Hydrogeologist (HG 755). She has worked as a hydrogeologist with other firms for five years, and joined Stetson Engineers in 2000.

Her areas of expertise include investigating groundwater basin sustainable yield, geologic structure of aquifers, surface and groundwater interaction, and the occurrence and movement of groundwater. She is experienced in the use of numerical models for hydraulic characterization of aquifers, plume migration, climate change evaluation, and production well placement. Her experience includes hydrogeologic assessment for reclaimed water reuse projects, evaluation of water quality impacts from stream discharges, seawater intrusion and tidal influence on groundwater flow, subflow to rivers and streams, and quantifying the impact of evapotranspiration of riparian vegetation to the groundwater basin budgets. Ms. Moran has also installed wells, performed aquifer field tests, and characterized groundwater aquifers for complex hydrogeological sites.

Ms. Moran is one of Stetson’s lead hydrogeologists and groundwater modelers, having developed and maintained regional water resource and supply models that address the adaptive management within watersheds.

Allan Richards

Mr. Richards is a licensed professional engineer (civil) in California and Nevada and a principal engineer for Stetson Engineers. Mr. Richards has been with Stetson Engineers since 1993, and he holds a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from the University of California, Davis.

Mr. Richards’ expertise is in water rights and water measurement. He has testified in local, state, and federal water rights proceedings in California, Nevada, and Arizona. Since 2006, Mr. Richards and a colleague have represented Stetson Engineers as the court-appointed watermaster for the San Gregorio Creek Stream System (Coastal San Mateo County, California). Mr. Richards routinely assists California water right holders with their water diversion and use reporting required by the State Water Resources Control Board. He has extensive experience with water meters and water measurement and provides consultation on the proper selection and installation of water-measuring devices.

Mr. Richards is also a water system design engineer. He has prepared plans, specifications, and bid documents for public water utility infrastructure, including a drinking water treatment plant, water tank replacement and retrofit projects, drinking water wells, pipelines, and other potable water facilities. His water system design experience includes the planning and permitting processes, and he provides construction management.

John Cardoza

Mr. Cardoza joined Stetson Engineers in 2000 and serves as a project manager and lead engineer in Stetson’s Colorado office. He is a professional engineer (civil) in Washington and holds a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from the University of Washington.

Mr. Cardoza has over 21 years experience in water resources engineering, including project management, design of water treatment plants, pipelines, water supply plans, hydrologic studies, basin reconnaissance studies, surface water modeling, groundwater modeling, statistical analyses, and water quality modeling. In addition, Mr. Cardoza has experience in civil design, structural analysis, and geotechnical analysis for hydroelectric and water works projects.

Joe Ely

Mr. Ely joined Stetson Engineers in 1991 and serves as project coordinator and director of Indian project development for Stetson Engineers. He is a former tribal chairman of the Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe and has over 25 years of professional experience. As tribal chairman, Mr. Ely was instrumental in settling its 80-year-old water rights struggle.

Since joining the staff at Stetson Engineers, Mr. Ely has worked with numerous tribes in the west, assisting them with the quantification and development of their water rights. Mr. Ely is an experienced tribal leader, project coordinator, and Indian water rights negotiator. This unique background allows him to bridge the gap between tribal client representatives and Stetson’s technical consultants, assisting with the definition of tribal goals and needs and then assuring Stetson’s technical consultants address and provide results that meet those tribal needs.

Combining project coordination with his Indian water rights expertise, Mr. Ely served as technical team leader and active participant/negotiator in the Shoshone-Paiute Tribes of the Duck Valley Indian Reservation’s water right settlement negotiations, which recently achieved final success.

Among other water resource-related work, Mr. Ely is involved in two currently active tribal water right quantification and establishment efforts: one with the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation in eastern Oregon and the other with the Coeur d’Alene Tribes in northwestern Idaho. Both quantification efforts involve tribes with multiple and diverse water uses and numerous outside competing interests.

Joe Ely has spoken at numerous Indian water right conferences and workshops and has prepared and presented a wide range of testimony before various federal, state, and local agencies, as well as for both tribal councils and full membership bodies.

Xiaoqing Zeng

Dr. Zeng is a licensed professional engineer (civil) in California and a supervising engineer for Stetson Engineers. Dr. Zeng has been with Stetson Engineers since 2002. He holds a bachelor’s degree in hydraulic engineering and water resources from the Tsinghua University in Beijing, China, a master’s degree in hydraulics and fluvial dynamics from the Yangtze River Academy, Wuhan, China, and a master’s degree in applied mathematical science and a PhD in environmental systems analysis and hydrology from the University of Georgia, Athens, USA. Dr. Zeng had six years of experience in environmental studies in China before he came to the United States.

Dr. Zeng serves as lead engineer for a wide range of multidisciplinary water resources and environmental engineering projects. His areas of expertise include watershed hydrologic modeling; 1-D and 2-D hydrodynamic, water quality, and water temperature modeling for rivers, lakes/reservoirs, and estuaries; integrated surface water-groundwater modeling; reservoir operations modeling; water distribution system network hydraulic modeling; stormwater drainage network hydraulic modeling, aquatic biogeochemical modeling; stochastic modeling in hydrology and water quality using Monte Carlo Simulation techniques; model uncertainty analysis; risk-based flood damage analysis, sediment-water interaction analysis; hydraulic analysis of wastewater ocean outfalls; coastal wave runup, overtopping, and overland wave propagation analysis; environmental/water resources systems analysis using optimization techniques; environmental impact assessment; master plan and engineering design for water and wastewater systems; and engineering economic analysis.

Support Staff

Stetson’s supervising staff is supported by a large group of professional engineers, geologists, and other support personnel. The team has a vast breadth of experience in water resources that includes, but is not limited to, water system design, groundwater modeling, geographic information system, AutoCAD, conservation planning, water rights, planning and permitting, flood assessment, and economic feasibility analysis.