Celebrating 35 Years of Advancing Water Resources Together 

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This year, West Yost celebrates 35 years of advancing water resources for future generations. While our journey has included strategic partnerships and acquisitions, our true strength lies in the people who have joined our team, bringing with them expertise, innovative thinking, and a shared commitment to service and sustainability.

In this celebratory article, we spotlight several of the incredible individuals who have contributed to our legacy and continue to lead us into the future. It is more than a reflection. It is a wealth of insight into the talent and dedication that shape our firm every day. West Yost is fortunate to grow alongside these exceptional professionals, whose leadership and passion help drive our mission forward.

Meet the Team

Before West Yost: Specialized in water supply and system planning for municipalities across California.

His leadership has been instrumental in expanding our program management services and North Bay Area market share. Andy currently serves as Chair of the West Yost Board of Directors.

Before West Yost: Andy’s first 20 years of career focused on assessment and cleanup of the most polluted sites in California, and the past 18 years focused on management of local watersheds and groundwater basins, Founded Environment, Community & Opportunity Network (ECON) in 1998 focusing on municipal programs and the opportunity to team with West Yost, leading to the fateful merge in 2014.

Before West Yost: Alex began his career as an intern with LADWP while attending USC. He later joined Boyle Engineering (which became part of AECOM) before founding Aegis Engineering Management. Most of his career has focused on recycled water projects, along with experience in water master planning, hydraulic modeling, and binational projects with Mexico.

Before West Yost: Samantha’s path to Business Sector Leader at West Yost began at WEI, where she started as an entry-level scientist performing data collection, processing, and analysis. She slowly worked her way into increasingly challenging technical and project management roles and learned that her superpower is leading teams. Samantha applied this skill both in her technical work, leading multi-stakeholder groups through regulatory compliance processes, and eventually taking on operational roles in the company.

Before West Yost: Dan’s path to West Yost (and engineering in general) was windy and unconventional. He had the opportunity to come up through the construction industry as an electrician, working in a control panel shop, and even working as an electrician for the City of Tempe, AZ. Eventually, Dan had an opportunity to work for an engineering team as a constructability reviewer, and the rest is history.

Before West Yost: Sheri was a subconsultant to West Yost for over 10 years. Prior to beginning her career in grants for capital projects, she was an archaeologist for the US Forest Service and a couple of private firms. She also has expertise in Section 106 evaluations and studies.

Before West Yost: Jeff has spent his entire life in Washington and his entire professional career working in the Puget Sound region of the Pacific Northwest. After more than 35 years of working for a variety of local, regional, and national engineering firms, he joined the West Yost team in April 2025.

Before West Yost: Co-founded and scaled a multi-million-dollar electrical contracting firm, leading operations, finance, HR, and compliance across Northern California.

Before West Yost: Micah has 20 years of experience, building data aggregation platforms and leading a team from 3 to 40. His work has been recognized with industry awards, published in trade publications, and ultimately earned a copyright for his company based on the intellectual property his team developed.

“West Yost has the opportunity to lead by developing secure, client-specific data solutions that integrate SCADA and AMI systems, enhance data accessibility, and deliver intelligent dashboards.

-Micah Krider

What Is Your Most Proud Accomplishment Since Being at West Yost?

Elizabeth: There are two accomplishments that I am especially proud of. First, the long-term relationships that I have built with my clients, collaborating on water system planning projects that have been successfully implemented to ensure reliable water supplies for the communities they serve. Second, the creation of our in-house project management training program, now in its sixth year and thriving with continued participation from many of our project managers. 

Andy: I am most proud of the decision I made to join the firm eleven years ago. When I was considering a company merger, I got to know Charles and had already worked for years with Elizabeth, Gerry, Jim C., and others. When visiting Davis, I was introduced to Doris and Leah and the accounting team, Brenda, Anna, and Mandy in the GIS group, and many others, like Jeff P., in the hallway and breakroom.  The positivity and confidence evident in everyone helped me survive a three-on-one interview with Bruce, Jim, and Steve.  Our merger certainly made a lot of strategic business sense, but it was and continues to be the people here at the firm that make me grateful every day that I decided to join.  

Alex: One of my proudest accomplishments at West Yost has been helping expand our recycled water and cross-connection control services into Northern California, while also supporting new clients in Southern California. These efforts wouldn’t have been possible without the incredible collaboration across the firm—from marketing and accounting to CSMs and contract reviews. 

Samantha: The extremely successful integration of WEI and West Yost. Since day one, it has been incredibly gratifying to immerse ourselves in West Yost, flourish in our careers, and spread some of our own unique culture into the fabric of the firm. From business development to deliverables production, West Yost has provided resources that have amplified our impact in the water resources industry. There is not a single moment where I have questioned the decision to merge with West Yost.  

Dan: I would say that I am most proud of being able to help bring to West Yost a group of amazing people that I have worked with throughout my career. This group of people includes both team members and clients that I enjoy working with daily. 

Sheri: Joining West Yost has felt a lot like “coming home”. As a subconsultant (and even a contract employee at times), I have worked closely with many West Yost engineers and have had the pleasure of joining a few past All Staff events and company dinners, and I had an established working relationship with some WY clients as well. I’m most proud of working with Monique Day to create the Funding Practice foundation in 2022 and taking over the practice in 2024. The funding practice has seen a lot of growth over the past 3 years and we have accomplished so much within that period of time. From June 2022 through December 2024 our team completed 44 complex funding applications! Of those applications for which reviews have been completed and funding programs not cancelled, we have had a 76% success rate! Considering 30 percent or less of applications submitted receive a grant award, this is a very good return.  For clients with whom we create strategic funding plans, we have the most success.  Our team has also been managing the grant and loan reporting for more than 20 projects.  

“Water agencies are faced with solving complex multidisciplinary issues that fuse engineering, economics, science, environmental, and community considerations. The human element of our work has never been more important in a world where collaborative, regional programs and projects are key to long-term water supply sustainability.

– Samantha Adams

What Is a Challenge or Opportunity That You See in the Future of Our Industry, and How Do You See West Yost Preparing for It?

Elizabeth: Looking ahead, water supply will be a critical challenge in California due to ongoing growth, climate change and environmental constraints. West Yost’s planning team will need to continue partnering with clients to develop innovative and sustainable solutions to reliably meet future demands. 

Andy: Consulting is inherently about creating business case opportunities to solve challenges facing our municipal clients.  West Yost has 35 years of direct experience partnering with all sizes and types of public agency water projects and programs. The industry conditions and services have shifted dramatically over that period.  It will continue to shift. Our recognition of and care for our many valued client relationships while maintaining high-integrity work products is what has successfully gotten us to this point, and I am confident it will continue to guide our evolution.

Alex: A significant challenge facing our industry is the wave of new regulations and policies that water purveyors will need to address in the coming years—ranging from stricter water conservation mandates to enhanced protection of potable water supplies. While these changes can be complex and demanding for our clients, they also present a valuable opportunity for West Yost to provide guidance and support.  

Samantha: Water Resources is so much more than an engineering industry. Water agencies are faced with solving complex multidisciplinary issues that fuse engineering, economics, science, environmental, and community considerations. The human element of our work has never been more important in a world where collaborative, regional programs and projects are key to long-term water supply sustainability.  West Yost is building a team with the multidisciplinary talent, emotional intelligence, and leadership skills to effectively partner with agencies to holistically solve the challenges of the future. 

Dan: The greatest challenge I see our industry facing is cybersecurity, as evidenced by its place in the 2025 AWWA State of the Water Industry report. I am proud to help West Yost lead the industry in implementing Cyber-Informed Engineering (from Idaho National Laboratories) as a long-term sustainable approach to addressing this issue as part of design. 

Micah: A significant challenge in the water and wastewater industry is the lack of access to reliable, actionable data. Many clients either undervalue the data they possess, are unsure how to share it securely, or struggle to extract meaningful insights. West Yost has the opportunity to lead by developing secure, client-specific data solutions that integrate SCADA and AMI systems, enhance data accessibility, and deliver intelligent dashboards. By embracing advanced analytics and AI-driven anomaly detection, West Yost can help clients achieve greater operational efficiency, proactive maintenance, and cost savings—turning data into a strategic asset. 

What Is Something You Hope to Accomplish at West Yost?

Jeff: I believe there to be a significant opportunity for West Yost to grow into Washington state, in terms of both adding potential talent and resources as well as new water industry clients.  I am very excited about the opportunity to help West Yost in its 35th year expand its geographic footprint into the Puget Sound region specifically, with a primary focus on the following efforts: a) recruiting other like-minded professionals passionate about the water industry and eager to contribute to the West Yost team and culture; b) introducing a vast network of local agency clients in the region to the services and capabilities that West Yost offers; and c) helping to establish another physical presence in the PNW. 

Alisha: I’m looking forward to doing more of what I do best, and that’s foundational building – bringing structure to operations, creating frameworks for efficiency, and developing relationships and networks that are the real fabric of great projects. 

Micah: As a recent hire, I’m proud to have begun laying the foundation for a long-term data strategy at West Yost. I’ve initiated a comprehensive discovery process across the organization to understand how each sector uses, manages, and stores data. This groundwork is essential to designing a future-ready data pipeline that will ultimately feed a centralized, high-quality data warehouse—positioning West Yost to unlock the full value of its data assets through BI tools and improved decision-making. 

Bonus Question: Why Did You Join West Yost?

Alisha: I don’t have an engineering degree or years of experience in the water resources field. What I do have is curiosity and concern about water conservation, water supply, and water quality at the “everyman” level. I’m interested in learning more about the issues and solutions where everyday people can play an active role in impacting water for future generations. I envision West Yost as a champion for our communities – keeping people front of mind in our project discussions and decisions, speaking truth to power when faced with complex issues, and continually educating ourselves and our “neighbors” on water matters. 

Looking Ahead: A Future Built on People

As we reflect on 35 years of service, we know our success is rooted in the people who make up West Yost. Their expertise, passion, and vision continue to shape our future. Together, we are more than the sum of our parts, we are a team united by a mission to protect and advance water resources for generations to come.

About Us

Established in 1990, West Yost is a water resource management, engineering, and consulting firm. We are solely focused on water. Our core areas of expertise include water, wastewater, recycled water, groundwater, and stormwater management. Our services include planning, design, construction management, cybersecurity, and program management. 

Headquartered in Davis, California, West Yost operates from 10 offices and has a team of 245 dedicated professionals. Our staff comprises certified or registered experts in various fields, including chemical, civil, control systems, electrical, environmental, and mechanical engineering, as well as geology, hydrogeology, and wastewater treatment.