Leadership Team

Shawn C. Bunting

Senior Vice President, General Counsel & Business Development

Bunting serves as Senior Vice President, General Counsel & Business Development for Group, with overall responsibility for the company’s legal; ethics; procurement, facilities, and fleet; and business development functions. Prior to joining the company in 2023, Bunting spent nearly 15 years at American Water in senior legal positions, last serving as Senior Vice President & Deputy General Counsel for seven years.

Bunting earned a bachelor’s degree from Gettysburg College in political science and criminal justice, and a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Pittsburgh School of Law, where he was also the executive editor of the Journal of Law and Commerce.

Shannon C. Dean

Senior Vice President, Customer Service & Chief Sustainability Officer

As Senior Vice President, Customer Service and Chief Sustainability Officer, Dean is responsible for corporate communications, government and community relations, customer service, water resource sustainability, and Environmental, Social, and Governance strategy. Prior to this role, she served as Vice President, Customer Service and Chief Citizenship Officer, leading efforts to strengthen relationships and build brand loyalty with customers, community leaders, employees, and stockholders.

During her 30-year career in the water industry, Dean has held various volunteer positions, including chair of both the National Association of Water Companies Communications Committee and California Water Association’s Public Information Committee. She is accredited by the Public Relations Society of America, and holds a master’s degree in English and a bachelor’s degree in journalism/public relations from California State University, Long Beach.

Kris A. Hamner

Vice President, Chief Human Resource Officer

Hamner brings over 25 years of global Human Resources leadership experience across technology, life sciences, logistics, and complex manufacturing. He is a versatile and strategic leader that has enabled business and employee success, company transformation, and HR innovation at large, mid-size, and small companies including Hewlett Packard, Hitachi, and fast growth private equity backed companies. Previously, as a global division HR leader at Hewlett Packard Enterprise, he was promoted across various roles for HP’s Enterprise Group, made up of a portfolio of hardware, software, cloud, and services products with more than 60,000 employees and $30 billion in revenue. 

Hamner earned his Master of Business Administration degree from the University of Notre Dame and his Bachelor of Science in Human Resources Management from the University of Nevada. He is a Board Member of the National Human Resources Association, part-time instructor for the UC Santa Cruz HR Certificate Program, and has received multiple certifications, including as a Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR).

Sophie M. James

Vice President, Water Quality & Environmental Affairs

With almost 30 years of progressive experience in the drinking water and wastewater industries, James’ career spans both the municipal and private sectors. After 13 years at the City of Sunnyvale, she joined California Water Service, where she now serves as Vice President of Water Quality and Environmental Affairs. In this role, James is responsible for water quality and environmental compliance for Group’s subsidiaries in California, New Mexico, Washington, and Hawaii, and decisions for public health protection and protection of the environment.

James earned her Bachelor of Science in chemistry and mathematics from Missouri Western State University. After obtaining her undergraduate degree, James later acquired her Master of Science in analytical chemistry from San Jose State University. James also holds Grade IV Laboratory Analyst certification, along with Grade 2 Distribution and Grade 2 Treatment Operator certifications.

Kenneth G. Jenkins

Vice President, Water Resources Planning and Sustainability

As Group's Vice President, Water Resources Planning and Sustainability, Jenkins is responsible for long-term water supply sustainability, including water resources, water loss control, drought response, climate change, and other factors impacting water resources. He is also responsible for planning, creating, and managing the company’s industry-leading conservation program, which includes a robust portfolio of rebates, devices, outreach, and customer-specific water-use efficiency tools. Additionally, he leads Group’s efforts to secure grant funding to support customer affordability.

Jenkins has served as a board member of the California Water Efficiency Partnership, has participated on a number of industry workgroups on policy development and implementation, and is a frequent presenter at conferences on topics such as climate change, water resources, and water-efficiency. He graduated from Beloit College with Bachelor of Arts degrees in economics & management and political science.

Martin A. Kropelnicki

Chairman, President & CEO

Kropelnicki was named Chairman, President & CEO in May of 2023 after serving as President & CEO since September of 2013. Prior to joining Group in 2006 as Vice President, Chief Financial Officer (CFO) and Treasurer, he held executive positions at PowerLight Corporation, Hall Kinion & Associates, Deloitte & Touche Consulting Group, and Pacific Gas & Electric Company. He brings more than 33 years of experience in finance and operations to the position, including 15-plus years as CFO at publicly listed companies, along with expertise in corporate leadership, strategic planning, rate making, and operational and financial reporting.

Kropelnicki is a director for the Bay Area Council and California Foundation on the Environment & Economy and a member of the Silicon Valley Leadership Group. He is the past president of the National Association of Water Companies (NAWC) and currently serves on the NAWC Board of Directors and Executive Committee. He holds a Bachelor of Arts and Master of Arts in business economics from San Jose State University, where he earned the designation Graduate of the Decade and was twice named the Department of Economics Alumni of the Year.

Michael B. Luu

Senior Vice President, Corporate Services & Chief Risk Officer

Luu is Group’s Senior Vice President, Corporate Services and Chief Risk Officer. He’s a senior executive with a successful track record in enterprise risk management (ERM), utility operations, safety and physical security, information technology, customer service, engineering, water quality, and environmental affairs. Under Luu’s leadership, Cal Water developed a robust ERM model, its first cyber security practice, and an award-winning customer experience program.

Luu is currently an advisory board member to three start-ups and a Fortune 1000 organization. He was the previous president of the Board of Directors for the San Francisco Bay Area InfraGard Chapter, serving over 1,000 members representing 16 critical infrastructure sectors. He received his bachelor and MBA degrees from San Jose State University and is a certified Project Management Professional and Information Security Manager.

James P. Lynch

Senior Vice President, Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer

Lynch was named Senior Vice President, Chief Financial Officer (CFO) and Treasurer of in January 2024. He has over 22 years of rate regulated utility experience, including a 12-year term as CFO and Treasurer and a one-year term as Chief Accounting Officer of SJW Group. Prior to SJW Group, he served as lead audit partner with KPMG on a portfolio of global and domestic publicly traded and privately held companies, including both SJW Group and California Water Service Group. His areas of expertise include finance, investor relations, regulated utility accounting, and mergers and acquisitions.

Lynch serves on the board of the Children’s Health Council and Santa Clara University Accounting Advisory Board. He graduated from Santa Clara University with a bachelor’s degree in accounting and is a Certified Public Accountant.

Michael S. Mares

Senior Vice President, Operations

Mares began his career at California Water Service Group subsidiary California Water Service (Cal Water) as a Temporary Operations and Maintenance Worker in 1992. Over the last three decades, he served in various operational positions with increasing responsibility before being promoted to Vice President, California Operations in 2019 and subsequently overseeing operations across all of Group’s subsidiaries. As part of his role, Mares oversees the company’s emergency preparedness and response for issues including earthquakes, wildfires, and water system impacts.

Mares holds a Bachelor of Science in organizational communication from Kaplan University as well as Grade 5 California Distribution System Operator, Grade 2 California Water Treatment Operator, and Hawaii Department of Health Water Distribution Operator D-4 certifications.

Greg A. Milleman

Vice President, Rates and Regulatory Affairs

As Vice President, Rates and Regulatory Affairs, Milleman is responsible for managing and directing the company’s economic regulatory activities with each subsidiary’s public utilities commission in California, Hawaii, New Mexico, and Washington. Prior to joining the company, he was at Valencia Water Company for 21 years and was Senior Vice President of Administration at the end of his tenure.

Milleman holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from California State University, Northridge. He is a California Certified Public Accountant and holds State Water Resources Control Board Water Distribution Grade 2 and Water Treatment Grade 2 licenses. A past president of California Water Association, Milleman remains on the organization’s Board of Directors.

Michelle R. Mortensen

Vice President, Corporate Secretary and Chief of Staff

In her role as Vice President, Corporate Secretary and Chief of Staff, Mortensen is responsible for management of the company’s internal audit function, transfer agent and stock administration, various projects in support of the CEO, and corporate secretary duties. She began her career with the company in accounting in 2008 before transitioning to finance and treasury, and has also held a number of corporate secretary-related roles.

Mortensen holds a Bachelor of Science in commerce with a concentration in finance from Santa Clara University.

Daryl L. Osby

Vice President, Emergency Preparedness, Safety & Security

Osby serves as Vice President, Emergency Preparedness, Safety, and Security. Prior to joining the company, Osby had been Fire Chief of the Los Angeles County Fire Department since 2011, overseeing fire suppression and life safety services for over four million residents and commercial businesses in 60 cities and 137 unincorporated communities. In his capacity as Fire Chief, he led a team of 4,800 employees and managed a $1.4 billion annual budget. His tenure was characterized by advancements in strategic planning, improvements in risk mitigation, enhancements in training and policies, and support for employee well-being.

Osby holds a Bachelor of Science in organizational leadership from Azusa Pacific University. He also serves on the Boards of OneLegacy, a non-profit dedicated to saving lives through organ, eye, and tissue donation, and Special Needs Network, which supports underserved families dealing with developmental disabilities.

Elissa Y. Ouyang

Vice President, Facilities, Fleet, and Procurement

Ouyang, the Chief Procurement and Lead Continuous Improvement Officer of Group, has more than 20 years of experience in various business functions including Information Technology, Procurement, and Field Operations. She has led large programs to improve business efficiency and productivity and has achieved significant results.

Ouyang holds a Master of Science in accountancy from the University of Illinois, Chicago and is both a Certified Public Accountant and Certified Project Management Professional. Prior to joining the company in 2001, she worked at KPMG Consulting and RR Donnelley & Sons.

Shilen M. Patel

Chief Business Development Officer and Vice President, TWSC, Inc.

Patel, Chief Business Development Officer, also serves as the Vice President of Group’s Texas subsidiary. During his tenure with the company, he has played a significant role in executing the team’s business development strategy and contributing to the company’s growth. Prior to joining the company in 2019, Patel served as Director, Strategy & Development at Veolia North America.

A seasoned professional with nearly 20 years of progressive business development and corporate strategy experience, Patel holds a bachelor’s degree in economics and political science from the University of California, Santa Barbara and a master’s degree in business administration from Santa Clara University.

Todd K. Peters

Chief Engineering Officer

Peters currently serves as Chief Engineering Officer, where he oversees a team of more than 165 engineers, technicians, and specialists at locations throughout California and Washington. In this role, he is responsible for capital planning and budgeting, utility asset design, capital program delivery, asset management, Geographic Information Systems, and automated control systems (SCADA). Peters previously served in numerous other engineering positions with increasing responsibility over his 30 years with the company.

Peters holds a Bachelor of Science in civil engineering from San Jose State University and is a licensed Professional Civil Engineer in the states of California, Hawaii, New Mexico, Texas, and Washington. He also holds Water Treatment Operator Grade 4 and Water Distribution Operator Grade 3 certifications with the California State Water Resources Control Board.

Thomas A. Scanlon

Corporate Controller and Principal Accounting Officer

With nearly 40 years of progressive financial management experience, Scanlon currently serves as Corporate Controller and Principal Accounting Officer. In this role, he is responsible for FASB, GAAP, and SEC reporting, along with SOX and tax compliance, and oversees all accounting functions at the company. Prior to joining the company in 2010, Scanlon worked in the banking, construction, and solar power industries, and at a certified public accounting firm.

Scanlon, a licensed CPA in California, earned a Bachelor of Science in finance from Marquette University and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Illinois, Chicago.

Justin B. Skarb

Vice President, Government & Community Affairs

Skarb, Vice President of Government & Community Affairs, first joined the company as the Manager of Community Affairs & Government Relations in 2009 before later being named Director of Community Affairs & Government Relations in 2017. Prior to joining the company, he was with 7-Eleven, Inc.

Skarb is the chairperson of California Water Association’s Public Policy Committee; serves on the Water Utility Council and Legislative Committee of the American Water Works Association’s California-Nevada Section; and is a member of the National Association of Water Companies’ Legislative/Regulatory and Communication committees. He holds a Bachelor of Science in political science from Arizona State University; a Master of Arts in communications from California State University, Fullerton; and a Juris Doctor from Lincoln Law School of Sacramento. Skarb is admitted to practice law in California.