Director of Engineering
DIRECTOR OF ENGINEERING
Robert J. Verceles, P.E., is the Director of Engineering/Chief Engineer and reports directly to the Department’s General Manager. Mr. Verceles oversees the Department’s Engineering Bureau which consists of four divisions including Pipeline Infrastructure, Facilities, Development Services and Construction Services, and a staff of 40 engineers, inspectors, Geographical Information Systems (GIS) specialists and office support staff.
Mr. Verceles started his career in 1994 in the private sector as an Environmental Research Engineer for General Electric. He joined the Department in 2000 as an Engineering Technician and worked his way up through the ranks to Civil Engineering Associate. He managed numerous water and wastewater capital improvement projects during this time.
In 2006, Mr. Verceles accepted a position with the City of Ontario as a Senior Civil Engineering Associate, where he oversaw the Utilities Department’s capital improvement program.
Mr. Verceles rejoined the Department in 2008 as a Division Engineer where he was responsible for Sewer, Development Services, Inspection and GIS. In 2016, Mr. Verceles was promoted to Manager of Engineering overseeing the Pipeline Infrastructure Division. In 2017, Mr. Verceles was appointed Acting Director of Engineering. He was permanently appointed to the position in 2019.
Mr. Verceles earned his Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from California State University, Long Beach, and is a registered professional engineer in the state of California. Mr. Verceles represents the Department on the Board of Directors for the Central Basin Water Association and as a member of the Alamitos Barrier Project Joint Management Committee.
