Meet the Board Members
E. Joaquin Esquivel, Chair
E. Joaquin Esquivel was appointed to the State Water Resources Control Board by Governor Jerry Brown in March 2017, designated by Governor Gavin Newsom as Chair in February 2019, and reappointed to the board by Governor Newsom in 2021. Previously, he served as Assistant Secretary for federal water policy at the California Natural Resources Agency in the Governor's Washington, D.C. office, where he facilitated the development of policy priorities between the agency, the Governor's Office, the California Congressional delegation, and federal stakeholder agencies.
For more than eight years prior to that, Joaquin worked for U.S. Senator Barbara Boxer of California, most recently as her legislative assistant covering the agriculture, Native American, water, oceans, and nutrition portfolios, in addition to being the director of Information and Technology.
He was born and raised in California's Coachella Valley. He holds a BA from the University of California, Santa Barbara in English.
Dorene D'Adamo, Vice Chair
Dorene D'Adamo was appointed to the State Water Resources Control Board in 2013 and reappointed by Governor Newsom in 2022. She serves as Vice-Chair and also as the member with experience in the field of water supply and water quality relating to irrigated agriculture. Ms. D’Adamo is on the Board of the California Partnership for the San Joaquin Valley and previously served on the Valley Coalition for UC Merced's Medical School and on the Governor's Drought Task Force. She was a member of the California Air Resources Board from 1999-2013 under the Brown, Schwarzenegger and Davis Administrations, where she was instrumental in the board's air quality and climate change programs and regulations.
Ms. D'Adamo served in various capacities for Members of Congress from the San Joaquin Valley over a 20-year period, working primarily on environmental, water and agricultural legislative policy.
Ms. D'Adamo earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of California at Davis and a Juris Doctor from the University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law.
Sean Maguire
Sean Maguire was appointed to the State Water Resources Control Board in December 2018 by Governor Brown and is a registered civil engineer.
Mr. Maguire has had a diverse career both in both public service and as an engineering consultant, which provides a valuable perspective of the administrative challenges facing a government agency and needs of a broad array of water interests.
From 2015-2018, Mr. Maguire worked for the State Water Resources Control Board as a manager of the Storm Water Grant Program in the Division of Financial Assistance, and later as a manager in the Division of Water Rights where he oversaw administration of water right change petitions, licensing, and cannabis cultivation permitting. Prior to joining the Board, from 2003-2015, he worked for an engineering consulting firm serving a variety of municipalities and water agencies throughout the state, focused on water resources planning, drinking water, and wastewater infrastructure projects. Much of his work revolved around integrated water management and developing long term water supply solutions to meet the needs of both water users and the environment.
Mr. Maguire has a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from California State University, Sacramento.
Nichole Morgan
Nichole Morgan was appointed as the civil engineer to the State Water Resources Control Board by Governor Gavin Newsom in June 2021. Ms. Morgan most recently served as an Assistant Deputy Director in the State Water Resources Control Board’s Division of Financial Assistance, where she worked on projects providing funding for drinking water, wastewater, storm water and groundwater infrastructure improvements. During this time Ms. Morgan also managed a variety of additional programs including the Lead in Child Care Centers, Fish Advisories, and Drinking Water and Wastewater Operator Certification programs.
From 1999 to 2009 Ms. Morgan worked for public agencies and engineering consulting firms. Her responsibilities included planning, designing, and overseeing the construction of drinking water, wastewater and recycled water treatment and conveyance facilities throughout California. Ms. Morgan joined the State Water Resources Control Board in 2009 where she worked as staff in the Division of Financial Assistance, Delta Water Master’s Office, and the Division of Water Rights. Ms. Morgan worked as a manager at the Central Valley Regional Water Board from 2012 to 2018, where she managed the region’s NPDES program. She returned to the State Water Board in 2018 as the head of the Office of Sustainable Water Solutions and was promoted in 2019 to an Assistant Deputy Director with the Division of Financial Assistance.
Ms. Morgan has a Bachelor in Science in Civil Engineering from California State University, Sacramento.
Jared Blumenfeld
Jared Blumenfeld was appointed to the California State Water Resources Control Board by Governor Gavin Newsom in June 2026.
Throughout his career, Blumenfeld has led environmental, conservation, and climate initiatives at the local, state, national, and global levels. He served as President of the Waverley Street Foundation, leading a $3.5 billion climate philanthropy investing in community-driven climate solutions. As Governor Newsom's Secretary for Environmental Protection, he oversaw the state's environmental agencies and helped advance the nation's first requirement that all new cars sold be zero-emission by 2035. Earlier, President Barack Obama appointed him Regional Administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, where he led major clean air, clean water, and environmental enforcement initiatives. He also served as Director of the San Francisco Department of the Environment, helping pass the nation's first plastic bag ban.
Mr. Blumenfeld earned a Master of Laws (LL.M.) from the University of California, Berkeley, and a Bachelor of Laws (LL.B.) from University College London. He lives in Marin with his wife, Shari, and their son, Roman. In 2016, he completed the 2,650-mile Pacific Crest Trail, witnessing California's snowpack and mighty rivers firsthand.
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