Board Member and General Manager Honored for Their Contributions to Special Districts and the Public

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 12, 2022

CONTACT: Noelani Middenway, District Clerk & Public Information Officer
TELEPHONE: (949) 645-8400 ext. 227
EMAIL: nmiddenway@cmsdca.gov

(Costa Mesa – CA) The California Special Districts Association (CSDA) recognized CMSD Board Vice President Mike Scheafer as the 2022 Board Member of the Year and CMSD General Manager Scott Carroll was named 2022 General Manager of the Year at the Association’s recent annual conference in Palm Desert.

Vice President Scheafer, who has served on the Board of Directors since 2010 and also served on the Board from 1993 to 1994, was honored for his 40 years of community service and commitment to Costa Mesa, including his long-time leadership at the Costa Mesa-Newport Harbor Lions Club. Scheafer served as Lions District Governor and dedicated countless hours to the Club’s annual Fish Fry, a three-day carnival event that raises money for local schools, clubs and other community organizations, earning him the nickname, “Mr. Fish Fry.” In addition, Scheafer served as Board member with many other charitable organizations, including Boys and Girls Club of the Harbor Area, the Costa Mesa Senior Center, Costa Mesa United, South Coast Children’s Society, and the Newport Elks Lodge.   Vice President Scheafer is a former Costa Mesa City Council member, served as Chairman of the City of Costa Mesa’s 60th Anniversary Committee and was previously a member of the Costa Mesa Parks and Recreation Commission.

Scheafer served as President of the Costa Mesa Sanitary District Board from 2016-2018 and for the past eight years he has served as a Board member of the Special District Risk Management Authority. He is the current President of this organization, which provides property and liability coverage protection and risk management services to more than 500 special districts in California.

            Scott Carroll has been the General Manager at Costa Mesa Sanitary District since 2010. Mr. Carroll was recognized by CSDA for his innovation, citing his idea to use artificial intelligence to assess the condition of sewer manhole covers. This program has received many awards, including CSDA’s 2021 Innovative Project of the Year. Mr. Carroll has also recognized the advantages of technology to provide the public with easier access to their elected officials, spearheading a comprehensive update of the visual & audio equipment in the CMSD Board room to enable hybrid meetings wherein members of the public can attend Board meetings in-person or via Zoom.  His progressive approach also led to the implementation of the District’s award-winning Citizens Environmental Protection Academy, enabling members of the public to learn how the District is implementing measures to protect the environment through sustainable practices and state of the art technology. Mr. Carroll is a global leader, providing information and advice to counterparts in other countries, including China, Cambodia, Laos, and India, regarding best management practices to foster sustainability and protect public health and the environment. Mr. Carroll was also recognized for his commitment to local government leadership, including his facilitation of events and workshops for executives who are interested in becoming a special district general manager, as well as those for elected officials and agency management regarding good governance and how best to establish positive relationships between a board and its general manager. This is the second time Mr. Carroll received this honor from CSDA after originally being recognized as General Manager of the Year in 2013.

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About CMSD: Formed in 1944, CMSD is an independent special district that provides solid waste and wastewater collection services to a population of approximately 116,700 in Costa Mesa, Newport Beach, and unincorporated Orange County. For more information and the latest CMSD news, visit www.cmsdca.gov and follow CMSD on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. To get in touch with CMSD staff, email info@cmsdca.gov or call (949) 645- 8400.