Jerry Reed, P.E.

Jerry is a Senior Practice Leader for GEI focused on Program Management in the firm’s western region. In this role, he supports clients with successful execution of large and complex projects through the planning, design, and construction phases. This includes using risk management to proactively identify and develop strategies to mitigate issues before they affect scope, schedule, and budget. Jerry has more than 36 years of diverse professional experience in planning, design, construction management, operations, asset management, program management, public affairs, and government relations for water resources projects. This includes decades of extensive public speaking and presentation skills which were used effectively during his career to help justify the need for capital improvement plan programs and describe complex and politically charged issues to project stakeholders.

Jerry’s experience includes a 26-year career with the San Diego County Water Authority.  During his time there, he led several major projects that contributed to a safe and reliable supply of water for the San Diego region. This included construction oversight of two mega dams (Olivenhain Dam and San Vicente Dam Raise) which were built using Roller Compacted Concrete; construction oversight of multiple large diameter pipelines; and management of the Design-Build-Operate of the Twin Oaks Valley Water Treatment Plant.  Jerry also led the creation of a Project Management Office including development of processes and procedures to manage a large program that included more than $2 billion in capital projects. During the last six years of his tenure, he was the Director of Engineering and managed their large and complex capital improvement program.

Jerry is well known in the industry as a collaborative leader. He has worked with several regional agencies and professional organizations to share and develop best management practices for delivering large capital improvement programs. He also co-led the development of a white paper related to risk management for dam construction for the United States Society on Dams and has authored and co-authored several papers with organizations such as United States Society on Dams, Association of Dam Safety Officials, American Water Works Association, and American Society of Civil Engineers.