CDM Smith welcomes Traci Minamide, PE, BCEE who joins the firm as a principal and civil engineer. Minamide is a wastewater treatment and water reuse expert with 35 years of experience.

Minamide joins CDM Smith after serving the city of Los Angeles, California at LA Sanitation and Environment (LASAN) as Chief Operating Officer. In that role, Minamide provided executive leadership over the operations and management of various LASAN programs including wastewater treatment, conveyance, water recycling, watershed protection and solid resources. Her broad portfolio of experience includes supporting the expansion of Los Angeles’s Recycled Water Program. Her contributions include the $4.5 billion Hyperion 2035, a plan that initiates the mayor’s goal to recycle 100% of the city’s wastewater by 2035 to create a local water supply.

Minamide has a bachelor’s in civil engineering from California State Polytechnic University–Pomona and a master’s in civil engineering from Loyola Marymount University. She is a former President of the California Association of Sanitation Agencies (CASA) and a former Chair in the CASA Legislative Committee. She served on the California Advisory Panel for Direct Potable Reuse (DPR), working with treatment agencies, water purveyors, NGOs and the public to advise the State Water Resources Control Board on advance treatment of wastewater for DPR. In addition, she is a Board Member of Clean Water So Cal, a member of the National Association of Clean Water Agencies and a member of the American Public Works Association. For all her accomplishments, Minamide was recognized with the Asian American Architects and Engineers Leadership Award.

What inspires Minamide is working for the public good and helping to protect our environment. In joining CDM Smith, she states, “There is so much that can be done to turn waste into resource. Potable reuse will help create reliable and sustainable local water supplies for future generations.”

CDM Smith is a privately owned engineering and construction firm providing legendary client service and smart solutions in water, environment, transportation, energy, and facilities. Passionate about our work and invested in each other, we are inspired to think and driven to solve the world’s environmental and infrastructure challenges.