About Our Speakers

General Manager
Trinity River Authority

 In his role as the chief executive officer, Ward oversees the largest river authority in Texas and the largest wholesale provider of wastewater treatment services in the state. With the support of eight staff groups and more than 400 employees, Ward drives the implementation of board policy for the operation and development of four water treatment facilities, five wastewater treatment facilities and one recreation project, plus water sales from four reservoirs – all serving more than 60 wholesale customers including cities, municipalities and districts throughout the 18,000-square-mile Trinity River basin. Ward manages an annual budget of more than $300 million and the Authority’s assets in excess of $2.2 billion. 

Ward previously served as executive administrator of the Texas Water Development Board from May 2002 to February 2011 and in various other capacities at that state agency from 1987 to 2002. 

Ward is active in several organizations. He currently serves as chair of the
Region C Regional Water Planning Group and is a member of the Region H Water Planning Group, the Trinity and San Jacinto River Basins and Galveston Bay Basin and Bay Area Stakeholder Committee, and the Tarrant Regional Water District Customer Advisory Committee. He serves as a board and executive committee member of the North Texas Commission and on the Texas Water Conservation Association’s executive committee and as chair of the Association’s River Authority Panel. 

He is Vice President and a board member of the National Water Resources Association. He also serves as chair of the Association’s Corps of Engineers Task Force. 

Additionally, he is the public member of the American Academy of Water
Resources Engineers Board of Trustees and a visiting member of the Texas A&M University Lehrer Chair Advisory Council. He recently became a member of the American Society of Engineers Industry Leaders Council. Ward also served two terms on the board of directors for the National Waterways Conference, an organization representing national interests related to water supply and waterways transportation. 

Ward was honored in 2011 with the Water Environment Association of Texas Outstanding Public Official Award, and in 2012 with TWCA’s President’s Award.