In 2020 Don celebrated 27 years with RD 1000. He currently serves as the District Superintendent leading a 9-man field crew of RD 1000.

Don began his career in 1977 when he served in the SEABEES, part of the United States Navy Construction Battalion. He participated in several construction projects and worked with heavy equipment, all while carrying out the SEABEE “Can Do” philosophy. In 1983, Don joined McClellan AFB as an aerospace engineer, flight line mechanic and maintenance quality control inspector. There he spent 10 years before joining RD 1000.

Don joined RD 1000 in 1993 as a mechanic but was promoted to Foreman, a position created for him by the General Manager at the time, Jim Clifton. In this position, Don continued to demonstrate his dedication and strong work ethic and was later promoted to District Superintendent. As District Superintendent, Don oversees operations and maintenance of over 40 miles of levees in the Natomas Basin, 7 pumping plants, and hundreds of miles of canals. He also oversees third-party construction projects that affect RD 1000 facilities and levees.

One of Don and his crew’s greatest feats is the 2006 Flood Fight. While patrolling the levee due to the high river levels at 1:30 A.M., the team noticed that the levee’s integrity was in danger due to boils and seepage. Don and his crew worked through the night and through the next few days to solve the problem and ultimately spared the Natomas from a potentially catastrophic flood. In 2017, Don once again led his crew in flood fighting during a record-setting winter storm event that could have compromised one of the District’s levees if it weren’t for their swift action and cool heads.

In his free time, Don enjoys drag racing, hunting, and animal rescue.