As your incoming Executive Board President, I Rick De Santiago, am thankful for all your support and privileged to lead an incredible association. Being part of the MSA has not only helped my career, but it has also created new relationships with many leaders in Public Works, other agencies and vendors.  I 1-16-26s1-16-26iad1-1-----111111111tarted my career in Public Works in 2006, as a Fleet Mechanic with the City of Lake Elsinore, CA. working on vehicles, trucks, tractors and heavy equipment down to small equipment like chainsaws and weed whackers. In 2008, I was promoted to Fleet Supervisor with the City of Lake Elsinore, overseeing the fleet division within the Public Works department. In 2010, I was promoted to Public Works Superintendent with the City of Lake Elsinore, overseeing the Public Works Department,

Lake division, Streets division, Parks division, Fleet

division, Facilities division and Administration of 40

personnel.

I can honestly say my career really excelled due

to taking Public Works courses at Santiago Canyon

College from 2007-2011. Completing certificate

courses in Public Works, Public Works Construction

Inspection, Public Works Supervision and

Management Supervision. In 2012 I joined the MSA

Inland /Desert Chapter and became a board Director

and progressed through the board ofÏcer positions

serving as Secretary, Vice President and twice as

President to currently past President. In 2022, I was

elected as the Executive Board Treasurer. In 2023,

I moved up to be the Executive Board Treasurer.

2024 saw me become the Executive Board Vice

President. Finally, this year I became the Executive

Board President. Serving the MSA and its members is

an honor, but learning, teaching and mentoring Public

Works supervisors, Lead and maintenance workers is

my passion. Any chance I have I must tell my success

story to agency members, to let them know that

education is the key to success. The MSA has helped

me grow, build relationships, network with likeminded

people and making life-long friendships throughout

California and Arizona chapters. I encourage you to

take an opportunity to visit your local MSA chapter

and learn from others successes and challenges,

which face Public Works employees every day.

At our recent January Executive Board meeting, I

shared a few success stories from the Inland Empire

/ Desert chapter and made suggestions on how to

improve the MSA overall. In doing so, the Executive

Board can

centralize

registration

throughout the

chapters. At

this meeting I

would like to

congratulate

Melanie

Fraley from

the Redwood

Chapter on

accepting

the vacant

Executive Board

Vice President

position. Also, congratulations to our incoming

Executive Board Secretary Andy O’Brien from Central

Coast Chapter. Congratulations to our incoming

Executive Board Treasurer Alfredo Ornate on being

elected to the position. There are many names I’d like

to add, thanking them for helping and guiding me in

my growth that has led to me becoming the Eboard

President for 2025.

Over the next few months, I look forward to visiting

each MSA chapter and sharing some insight based

on my experience from my agency or chapter, while

learning along the way.

As we move into this year, the MSA State

Conference is just around the corner, on September

22-26, 2025, with this year’s theme being “Ride the

Wave”. This is a great opportunity for everyone,

especially those who seek to be promoted, get a new

job or just form new friendships. I encourage all of

you to take this time to reflect on ways to make your

workplace more enjoyable by learning new ways to

improve the quality of life for the residents you serve

or in general the Public. I look forward to seeing you

at a Chapter meeting or at the Conference/Equipment

Show in September