Elena Lee Reeder has served on the Reclamation District 1000 board since November 2019 and is the current Board President. In December 2022, she made history by becoming the first woman and the first Asian Pacific Islander (API) to be elected to this leadership role. She previously served as Vice President for two years and has chaired the Urbanization Committee for four years. In 2002, Elena was appointed as a Director at the Sacramento Area Flood Control Agency (SAFCA), where she has also served as an alternate member for five years, representing Natomas and Sutter County interests at the regional agency. 

In addition to her role on the Reclamation District 1000 Board of Trustees, Governor Newsom appointed Elena to the Central Valley Regional Water Quality Control Board, where she has served as a Board Member since March 2022 and currently serves as Vice-Chair. She also participates on the Central Valley Salinity Alternatives for Long-Term Sustainability (CV-SALTS) subcommittee, collaborating with disadvantaged communities on long term drinking water solutions. Elena also serves as the California Special Districts Association’s Subject Matter Expert on Flood Control for the state.

A longtime Sacramento region resident, Elena graduated from the University of California, Davis, and built her career in public service and policy. She worked in the Governor's office, a leading government advocacy firm, and the California State Legislature, where she served as a policy aide and communications director to multiple legislators. In these roles, she gained extensive experience communicating complex policy issues to the press and public, branding legislation and programs, collaborating with experts to advance bills, and advising on votes across areas including housing and water. As Chair of the Urbanization Committee, she modernized the board's approach to better engage and connect with the community.

Under Elena’s leadership, Reclamation District 1000 earned national and statewide recognition: the NAFSMA 2023 Excellence in Communications Award (National Association of Flood & Stormwater Management Agencies) and the 2023 CSDA Exceptional Public Outreach & Advocacy Award (Small District Category). In 2024, she received the Community Champion award at the Honoring Women Who Ignite Change event hosted by the Asian Pacific Islander American Public Affairs (APAPA).

Elena and her husband reside in the Natomas Basin with their daughter. She is committed to completing levee improvements to achieve at least 200-year flood protection for the Natomas Basin, protecting residents, families, and the community from flooding while safeguarding water quality for current and future generations.