Leadership

Andrew Lee, PE, PMP, PgMP
General Manager/Chief Executive Officer

Andrew Lee has worked for Seattle Public Utilities (SPU) for over 12 years and is currently the SPU General Manager / Chief Executive Officer (GM/CEO). Andrew has spent his entire 24-year career working on water, wastewater, and stormwater issues, with 18 of those years in local government for Seattle, San Francisco, and Bellevue.

Andrew is regionally and nationally recognized for his expertise in water/wastewater regulations, smart water technology, and asset management. He is committed to delivering high quality utility services, maintaining affordable rates, and partnering with and serving the community with a focus on environmental justice. He is also passionate about developing high performance organizations through an emphasis on shared leadership, employee engagement, continuous improvement and diversity/equity/inclusion. 

Andrew has a bachelor’s and master’s degree, both from Stanford University.

Andrew Greenhill
Chief of Staff

Andrew Greenhill serves as SPU’s Chief of Staff and brings nearly 25 years of public service experience in municipal government to the City of Seattle and its residents. He enjoys working with diverse stakeholders to deliver strategic organizational objectives.

His experience includes 13 years as Chief of Staff, Office of the Mayor, and 8 years as Intergovernmental Relations Manager for the City of Tucson and the Tucson Water Utility. He is an accomplished leader who has worked with federal, state, tribal, county, and municipal governments to advance critical infrastructure, water resources and water quality, public health, anti-discrimination, and natural resource conservation strategies and legislation for the City of Tucson.

Greenhill is focused on helping SPU deliver equitable essential services, especially as climate change and affordability challenges grow, and being part of a team ensuring efficient and sustainable utility services for Seattle and the region. He supervises the General Manager’s Office administrative staff and three divisions: Community Affairs, Corporate Planning and Policy, and Government Relations and Legislative Affairs.

Andrew earned his bachelor’s degree from Vassar College and master’s degree from the University of Arizona.

Alex Chen, PE
Deputy Director for Water Line of Business and Shared Services

Alex oversees SPU’s drinking water system. He supervises SPU’s Watershed Management Division, Water Quality Division, Water Planning and Program Management Division, Water Operations and System Maintenance Division, and Shared Services Maintenance Division.

He has been at SPU since 2005, serving nine years as the drinking water treatment plants contract manager and five years as the Division Director for long-term asset management of the drinking water system as well as water supply operations.

Prior to joining SPU, he spent seven years as a private design consultant, managing the design and construction of wastewater and drinking water reservoirs, pump stations, and treatment plants for a variety of utility clients, and four years as a treatment plant engineer for the East Bay Municipal Utility District.

Alex holds Bachelor of Science and Master of Science degrees in Civil and Environmental Engineering from Stanford University. He is a licensed Professional Engineer, a Water Treatment Plant Operator IV, and a Water Distribution Manager IV in Washington. 

Ellen Stewart
Deputy Director for Drainage and Wastewater Line of Business

Ellen oversees planning, program management, regulatory compliance, operations and maintenance, asset management and source control for the drainage and wastewater line of business.

She started with SPU in 2001, as a Source Control Inspector and was most recently the Division Director for the Source Control and Pollution Prevention Division, which includes regulatory compliance functions such as stormwater and wastewater source control, as well as outreach and engagement programs.

Ellen has a Bachelor of Science in Aquatic Resources from the University of Vermont. Her expertise includes ensuring systems and processes are designed for efficiency and innovation, and she enjoys motivating and supporting teams and people to elevate their best work. 

Idris Beauregard
Deputy Director for People, Culture, and Community

Idris joined the City of Seattle in 2001 with Seattle Parks & Recreation before joining SPU in 2009. As the Deputy Director for SPU’s People, Culture, and Community (PCC) Branch, Idris leads a team of over 250 employees in the following divisions: Community Affairs & Environmental Justice and Service Equity (EJSE), Human Resources, Customer Care, and Clean City. These divisions include far-reaching activities such as utility discount programs, adopt-a-street, graffiti abatement, and advancing race and social justice equity across our community.

In his 20+ year span with the City, Idris has taken on increasingly challenging positions, starting as a program manager to now as a senior executive within the Utility. Dedicated to community building, Idris leads PCC with an emphasis on cross-collaboration and relationship building.

Idris earned his bachelor’s degree from the University of Washington and his Executive MPA from the University of Washington’s Evans School of Public Policy and Governance. 

Jeff Fowler, PE
Deputy Director for Solid Waste Line of Business

Jeff oversees the management of two transfer stations, two household hazardous waste facilities, and multiple closed landfills, administration and compliance of SPU’s solid waste collection contracts, and solid waste-related outreach and education.

He has been with SPU for 23 years. Most recently, he was the Director of SPU Construction Management, responsible for contract administration and quality assurance on capital improvement projects.

Jeff has a Bachelor of Civil Engineering degree from Washington State University and a Master of Civil Engineering degree from the University of Washington. He is a licensed Professional Engineer in Washington. 

Keri Burchard-Juarez, PE, PMP
Deputy Director for Project Delivery and Engineering

Keri joined SPU in 2018 as the Deputy Director for the Project Delivery and Engineering, overseeing the design and construction of drinking water, wastewater, drainage, and solid waste projects. In this role, she oversees Project Management and Controls, Engineering and Technical Services, Project Services, Construction Management, Development Services, and delivery of the Ship Canal Water Quality Project.

Previously, she served as the Assistant Director for Engineering and Capital Project Delivery at the City of Austin, Texas, where she worked for 11 years. She started in Austin as a Project Manager, managing drainage and water treatment plant rehabilitation projects, then served as Manager of the Project Management Division. She played a significant role in delivering major infrastructure projects to Austin residents, including a new water treatment plant and a mile-long drainage tunnel through downtown. She also spent time in the private sector, designing public infrastructure and land development projects.

Keri earned a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from the University of Texas at Austin. She is a licensed Professional Engineer in Texas and Washington and a certified Project Management Professional.

Paula Laschober
Chief Financial Officer/Deputy Director of Financial and Risk Services

Paula was appointed as CFO in 2019 and oversees the functions of finance, accounting, internal control, real property, contracts and procurement, and risk and quality assurance.

Prior to joining SPU, she served for 30 years at Seattle City Light in financial services. Most recently, she was City Light’s CFO, responsible for leadership and strategic direction of financial planning, rate setting, budgeting, accounting, internal audit, corporate performance and risk mitigation. She also managed City Light’s information technology planning and strategy, via liaison with Seattle Information Technology (“Seattle IT”), a City department.

Prior to joining City Light, she was a senior analyst with the utility consulting firm R.W. Beck and Associates in its Seattle headquarters office.

Paula has an MBA in Finance and a PhD in Latin American Literature from the University of Washington.