Trustees and Leadership

Board meetings schedule

Unless otherwise noted, all Board Meetings will begin at 12:30 p.m. in the Public Meeting room at the George J. McMonagle Building (3900 Euclid Avenue in Cleveland). All meetings are publicly noticed. The remaining 2025 and complete 2o26 schedule is as follows:

December 18, 2025
January 15, 2026 (Please note there is only one meeting in January due to the New Year holiday)
February 5 and 19
March 5 and 19
April 2 and 16
May 7 and 21
June 4 and 18
July 2 and 16
August 6 and 20
September 3 and 17
October 1 and 15
November 5 and 19
December 3 and 17
Our Audit Committee dates vary but generally convenes once per quarter.

Suburban Council of Governments meetings

Our next Suburban Council of Governments meeting will be posted when it is scheduled.

About our Board of Trustees

The Sewer District is governed by seven Trustees, each of whom serves a five-year term. Trustees are appointed as follows:

Two are appointed by the Mayor of the City of Cleveland; two appointed by a council of governments comprised of representatives of all the suburban communities served by NEORSD (called the Suburban Council of Governments); one appointed by the Cuyahoga County Executive; one appointed by the appointing authority of the subdistrict with the greatest sewage flow (currently the Mayor of the City of Cleveland); and one appointed by the appointing authority of the subdistrict with the greatest population (which is currently the Suburban Council of Governments).

Trustees meet twice each month in regular public meetings on the dates noted above to discuss and determine policy and to act upon resolutions presented by Sewer District staff. The Board also holds public meetings for three standing committees: Audit, Finance, and Governance.

Trustees

Darnell Brown President

Darnell Brown recently retired as Chief Operating Officer of the City of Cleveland where he served the City for more than 47 years. His experience includes overseeing the departments of Public Works, Public Utilities, Mayor’s Office of Capital Projects, and the Mayor’s Action Center. He was part of the senior leadership for the City of Cleveland and an executive advisor to the Mayor. Brown’s civic involvement includes membership on this board and that of the Greater Cleveland Foodbank. He is also the chairman of the board of trustees for the Doan Brook Watershed Partnership and President-Elect of the National Forum for Black Public Administrators.

Ronald D. Sulik Vice President

A former District Trustee from 1985 to 1994, Ronald D. Sulik was reappointed to the Board for his second term by the Suburban Council of Governments in February, 2002. He served as Mayor of the Village of Newburgh Heights for 12 years and has more than 30 years’ experience in public and private accounting, budgeting, cost analysis and financial planning. Ronald Sulik also serves as the Chair of the Audit Committee.

Mayor Tim DeGeeter Secretary

Tim DeGeeter was appointed to the Board in February 2012 by Cuyahoga County Council. DeGeeter became Parma’s 14th Mayor in January 2012. Prior to becoming Mayor, DeGeeter represented the 15th Ohio House District for eight years, which made him the longest consecutive serving member at that time. Before that, he was a Parma City Councilman. He has also served as Assistant Law Director in Avon Lake and Assistant Prosecutor in Berea. DeGeeter is a graduate of John Carroll University and the Cleveland Marshall College of Law.

Sharon A. Dumas

Sharon A. Dumas was appointed to the Board of Trustees by the Mayor of the City of Cleveland in 2014. She served as Director of Finance for the City of Cleveland and retired with more than 25 years of private and public sector fiscal management experience. She had previously served as the Assistant Director of Finance, responsible for directing Sinking Fund, Capital Projects and the Office of Budget and Management.

Mayor Jack Bacci

Mayor Bacci was appointed to the Board by the Suburban Council of Governments in 2010. Prior to becoming Mayor, he worked as a patrolman for the Cuyahoga Heights Police Department and eventually became a detective, serving at the department for almost 15 years.

Mayor Samuel J. Alai

Mayor Samuel J. Alai was elected to our Board by the Suburban Council of Governments in 2019 and began his term in 2020. He has served as Mayor of Broadview Heights since 2007. Mayor Alai serves on the Executive Board of the Cuyahoga County Mayors and City Managers Association and the Board of Directors of the Broadview Heights Chamber of Commerce. He is also a Trustee and Founding Member of the Broadview Heights Community Foundation and sits on the NOACA Board of Directors.

Marjorie Chambers

Marjorie Chambers was appointed by Cleveland Mayor Justin Bibb and began her term in March of 2022. Ms. Chambers is the Chairperson of the Northeast Ohio Community Action Program Council (NEO-CAP) and member of the United Auto Workers Union. She is a skilled tradesperson and has worked at General Motors for over 40 years. A two-time graduate of Cuyahoga Community College, Ms. Chambers holds a Bachelor of Business Administration in Management and Labor Relations from Cleveland State University.

Leadership

Kyle Dreyfuss-Wells Chief Executive Officer

CEO Kyle Dreyfuss-Wells

The Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District is a regional entity providing sanitary and stormwater management services to Cleveland and 62 suburban communities in Northeast Ohio.

As CEO, Ms. Dreyfuss-Wells oversees the operation of one of the largest clean-water agencies in Ohio, a district that treats nearly 90 billion gallons of water every year thanks to the work of more than 750 employees. She works closely with seven Trustees and nine directors to ensure efficient management of hundreds of miles of sewer and stream networks, a multi-billion-dollar 25-year Project Clean Lake program, and a regional wet-weather strategy for the health of Lake Erie and more than one million residents.

Before becoming CEO, Ms. Dreyfuss-Wells coordinated the District’s watershed management, including the Regional Stormwater Management Program and the application of stormwater control measures to reduce combined sewer overflows under the District’s Green Infrastructure Policy. She is past chair of the National Association of Clean Water Agencies (NACWA) Stormwater Management Committee and the One Water Council of the US Water Alliance. She serves on the NACWA Board and chairs the District 1 Natural Resources Assistance Council for the Ohio Public Works Commission’s Clean Ohio Conservation Program. In 2012, Ms. Dreyfuss-Wells received the Stormwater Professional of the Year award from the Ohio Stormwater Association and the NACWA President’s Award.

Ms. Dreyfuss-Wells graduated summa cum laude from The Ohio State University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology. She earned master’s degrees with honors in both Public Affairs and Environmental Science at Indiana University’s School of Public and Environmental Affairs, and served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Samoa. Before joining the District, she was Director of the Chagrin River Watershed Partners, Inc.

Devona Marshall Chief Operating Officer

Ms. Marshall is joined the Sewer District more than 20 years ago as an entry-level Engineer and during her tenure served as Planning Manager and Deputy Director of Engineering and Construction prior to her promotion to Director in 2017. She was promoted to Chief Operating Officer in February 2025. Ms. Marshall received her BS in Civil Engineering from the University of Akron in 1997 and her MS in Civil Engineering from Cleveland State University in 2001 and is a registered Professional Engineer in the State of Ohio. She was part of the District’s technical team during Combined Sewer Overflow (CSO) Consent Decree negotiations with U.S and Ohio EPA and the Department of Justice. As Director, Ms. Marshall is responsible for the delivery of the District’s Capital Improvement Program (CIP) including those projects associated with the $3 billion CSO Long-term Control Plan known as Project Clean Lake.

Eric Luckage Chief Legal Officer

As the Chief Legal Officer, Mr. Luckage manages the District’s in-house legal team and the engagement of outside special counsel. He joined the District in April 2016 after 25 years of federal, state and local government experience. He spent 16 years with a private firm representing local governments with water, sewer and stormwater legal issues. Eric was involved in the formation or representation of dozens of regional districts in Ohio and also assisted municipalities, counties and townships. He is on the Board of the Coalition of Ohio Regional Districts and frequently provides testimony on legislation affecting regional districts. He attended The Ohio State University for his undergraduate studies and received his law degree from Capital University Law School in Columbus, Ohio in 1997. While attending law school in the evenings, Eric worked as a Legislative Aide in the Ohio Senate He also worked for five years at the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Rural Development office, one of the major funding agencies for rural water and sewer projects.

Kenneth Duplay Chief Financial Officer

Mr. Duplay joined the District in June of 2003 as a co-op student and progressed through the Finance Department, being promoted to Controller in January, 2014. He was appointed Chief Financial Officer in May, 2017. In his tenure he has been involved in projects including financial system implementations, debt issuances and utility rate studies. As Chief Financial Officer he is responsible for the overall financial management of the District and oversees the departments of Purchasing, Inventory Control, Contract Compliance and Accounting and Finance. Mr. Duplay holds a Bachelor of Business Administration and a Master of Science in Accounting from Kent State University in Kent, Ohio. His is also a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) licensed in the state of Ohio, as well as a Certified Management Accountant (CMA). Mr. Duplay is a member of the Ohio Society of CPAs, Institute of Management Accountants, Government Finance Officers Association and several other state and national organizations.

Frank Foley Director of Operation & Maintenance

Mr. Foley began his career with the District as an operator at the Southerly Wastewater Treatment Center in 1988. In his current role, he oversees the operation and maintenance of the District’s three wastewater treatment plants, the collection system and affiliated budget centers. Prior to his appointment as Director of Operation and Maintenance, Mr. Foley held various positions in both the Operation and Maintenance and Watershed Programs Departments, including Shift Manager at the Easterly Wastewater Treatment Plant, Superintendent of Environmental Services, Superintendent at the Westerly Wastewater Treatment Center, and Deputy Director of Operation and Maintenance. Mr. Foley holds a Bachelor’s degree in chemistry from the University of Dayton and a Master of Business Administration from Cleveland State University. He is certified by the Ohio EPA as a Class IV Wastewater Operator.

Matt Scharver Director of Watershed Programs

Mr. Scharver has served as Director since December 2023 and has more than 10 years of service with the Sewer District, including the past six as Deputy Director of Watershed Programs. He is a former Associate Director of the Chagrin River Watershed Partners and spent more than a decade at Lake County Soil & Water Conservation District as a Resource Specialist.

Nichole Oocumma, PhD Chief Administrative Officer

Dr. Oocumma, PhD joined us as Chief Administrative Officer in December 2025. Coming from The MetroHealth System in Cleveland where she served as Vice President of Human Resources and Chief Learning & Culture Officer, she has more than 20 years of experience in human resources, regulatory compliance, organizational cultural competence, and leadership development. As Chief Administrative Officer, Dr. Oocumma leads the strategy and management of our External Affairs, Communications, Government and Customer Relations, Employee Engagement, and Human Resources teams. Nichole holds postgraduate certificates in Human Resources, Management, Learning, and Leadership, and earned her PhD in Organizational Effectiveness from Capella University. She serves on the board of the ACLU of Ohio and has mentored with The Ohio State University Young Alumni program for nine years. An Ohio native, she divides her time between Clintonville and Cleveland and loves family and travel.

Mohan Kurup Director of Information Technology

Mr. Kurup joined the District in November of 2018. He is a native Ohioan, born and raised in the suburbs of Cleveland. Mr. Kurup graduated from Case Western Reserve University with a bachelor’s degree in biology. After college, Mr. Kurup served in the US Army as a combat medic, and a respiratory specialist stationed at Ft. Sam Houston, San Antonio. Mr. Kurup has been in the IT field for 25 years and has worked for several multi-national chemical companies, as well as the Cleveland Museum of Natural History.

Jean E. Smith Director of Administration & External Affairs

Jean Smith joined the Sewer District in 2006 as a Public Information Specialist. As Director of Administration and External Affairs, she is responsible for internal and external communications, public outreach and education, and media relations. She serves as the Co-Chair of the National Association of Clean Water Agencies’ Communications and Public Affairs Committee. Prior to the Sewer District, Ms. Smith worked for the American Red Cross Northern Ohio Blood Services Region handling communications and media relations for 19 counties. She worked at Hermes Sports & Events and Clear Channel Communications (now iHeart Media), including as Promotions Director for 96.5 Kiss FM and Mix 106.5. A native of Columbus, OH, she holds a Bachelor’s degree from Baldwin Wallace University and a MPA Degree and a MBA Degree from Cleveland State University (CSU).

Jeremy C. Short Director of Human Resources

Mr. Short joined the Sewer District in May of 2024. With past experience as Chief Talent Officer at Baldwin Wallace University and Director of Talent Management and Development at The MetroHealth System, he has established and advanced leadership development programs, recruitment and retention efforts, and refined information systems processes, experience that will help shape the future of our HR department and our ability to meet the needs of our current and future employees.

Robin Rupe Director of Engineering & Construction

Ms. Rupe has been a member of the Sewer District team since 2015. She was named Director of Engineering & Construction in March 2025 after serving most recently as Manager of Design for our treatment plants, managing programs, projects, and personnel during that time. She has more than 27 years of experience in engineering, managing, and leading. Ms. Rupe earned her Bachelor of Science degree from Syracuse University and is a member of the American Water Works Association and the Water Environment Federation.