Mario Santoyo is California Consulting’s Senior Associate in the Central Valley. Mario is a civil engineering graduate from the University of the Pacific Stockton, where he served as associated student body President for UOP’s School of Engineering.
Mario retired as the first Executive Director for the San Joaquin Valley Water Infrastructure Authority who represents five Counties (Merced, Madera, Fresno, Tulare and kings). Mario has 38 years of professional experience in the water resources field, serving as a civil engineer for the U.S Bureau of Reclamation and as the Assistant General Manager for the Friant Water Authority, where he represented 21 Central Valley Project water agencies from Merced County to Kern County. While at Friant he was technical lead on the following projects:
- Friant/NRDC San Joaquin River Restoration pre-settlement studies
- Friant and Metropolitan WD Water Management Partnership
- USBR Upper San Joaquin River Basin Storage Investigation Studies
- 2009 Comprehensive Water Legislative Package
He was a co-founder and served as Vice President for the Clean Water and Jobs for California Coalition representing State wide organizations for water, business, labor and Agriculture. He also is the Executive Director for both the California Latino Water Coalition (Coalition) and it’s Foundation, these non-profit organizations formed to enhance Latinos’ policy input in issues related to California’s water resources
- Appointed by Governor Schwarzenegger to the State Parks and Recreation Commission, serving one term as Vice Chair of the Commission.
- Chairman of the Fresno County Local Agency Formation Commission (LAFCO)
- Commissioner on Fresno State University Agriculture and Water Commissions
- Served as Planning Commissioner for the City of Reedley and Selma