Jill Wicke, manager of Real Property Development and Management Group, is responsible for Metropolitan Water District of Southern California’s vast system of property holdings and right of ways exceeding 170,000 acres of land area.

In this role, she leads all real estate services including property and right-of-way management, appraisals and acquisitions, annexations, as well as development and management of the organization’s growing array of recreational facilities and programs.

Well practiced in all aspects of water utility management and operations, Wicke served from 1999 to 2006 as Manager of Water System Operations Group, Metropolitan’s largest group, comprising more than 900 employees, five major water treatment facilities, hundreds of miles of water conveyance, distribution and communications infrastructure, and one of the most advanced water quality labs in the nation.

She and her staff served as the primary guardians of water quality and reliability for over 18 million residents throughout Southern California. Early in her Metropolitan career, she led testing, and ultimately as Group Manager, the implementation and operation of ozone treatment at Metropolitan’s Mills and Jensen water treatment facilities.

Wicke began her career at Metropolitan in 1988, applying her capabilities and technical expertise in diverse settings, including operations management of the Riverside Branch/Mills plant, managing the Purification Branch that is responsible for water quality compliance at all five of Metropolitan’s treatment plants, and, managing Metropolitan’s progressive oxidation demonstration program.

A frequent speaker and published author, Wicke has prepared papers and articles on a broad range of water treatment and management topics. Wicke is a registered Civil Engineer and holds a Grade V Water Treatment Plant Operator Certificate. A native of Minnesota, she earned a Master of Science in Civil Engineering at the University of Arizona and a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering at the University of Minnesota. She is a member of the American Water Works Association and American Society of Civil Engineers.