ORWARN Board Members

Contact us if you are interested in joining the ORWARN Board (members only).

Heather Knapp, Chair

Hillsboro Water Department, 971-404-9343

Heather serves as the Emergency Coordinator for the City of Hillsboro Water Department and Joint Water Commission (JWC). She graduated from Eastern Oregon University with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration. She specializes in emergency planning and coordination for the utility as they prepare for past, present and future emergencies that might affect the water supply and ability to distribute water. She has cultivated a robust network within the water sector and actively participates in local emergency planning exercises and collaborates with a variety of emergency planning agencies.

Kim Gupta, Co-Chair

Portland Water Bureau

Kimberly Gupta is the Director of Operations for the Portland Water Bureau. She is responsible for operating and maintaining the Bureau’s water supply, treatment, and distribution systems; ensuring compliance with drinking water regulations; operation of an accredited drinking water laboratory; and managing the Bureau’s Security, SCADA, and Technology Groups. Kim is a registered professional civil engineer in both Oregon and California; a certified water distribution (D4) and treatment operator (T4) in Oregon; and serves as the Bureau’s Direct Responsible Charge.

Gina Johnson, Secretary

City of Klamath Falls

Gina is the Executive Analyst for the City of Klamath Falls Public Works Department and has been with the City for 10 years. She joined the City after spending 15 years in the legal field working as a paralegal and a judge’s assistant. She is currently working to complete training to serve as the public information officer for Public Works Department.

Stephanie Penselin, Treasurer

Eugene Water and Electric Board

Stephanie is a Water Operations Coordinator with Eugene Water & Electric Board (EWEB). She joined EWEB’s Water Division in 2003 after graduating from Oregon State University. She currently plans and coordinates the Backflow and Cross Connection program. She is an OHA certified Cross Connection Specialist and Backflow Tester. Stephanie has participated in various emergency management training exercises.

Dwayne Barnes, Member-At-Large

City of Salem

Dwayne has worked in municipal public works at five Oregon cities over the last 40-years, holding various positions ranging from water treatment plant operator to public works director. He is currently the Public Works Utility Operations Manager at the City of Salem, where he manages water distribution, water treatment, wastewater collections, pumps and controls, and stormwater operations. Dwayne holds a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration and is certified as a Water Distribution Operator IV, Water Treatment Plant Operator IV, and Wastewater Collection System Operator III.

Kim Parsons Anderson, Board Member At Large

City of Portland

Kim Parsons Anderson is an Emergency Manager for the City of Portland Water Bureau, where she manages the Emergency Operations Center (EOC), maintains Bureau emergency plans, recruits and trains 109 emergency responders, and oversees employee emergency response training. For the Portland Water Bureau she has served as EOC Manager for a number of disaster response activations including wildland fires and extreme weather events, and provided City-wide support and comprehensive reporting during the Covid-19 pandemic. Kim has completed a broad range of emergency training – all general courses and FEMA Basic Academy certificate, Business Continuity practitioner, and Exercise Design. Kim presents regionally and nationally on business continuity, emergency response, and water response coordination. She is currently in the process of completing her certification as a FEMA Incident Command System instructor.

Kelly Cox, Board Member At Large

City of Bend

Kelley Cox has served the City of Bend Water Services as the Safety & Training Analyst for the past three years, focusing primarily on Public Works. He spent the fifteen years prior working on large industrial construction projects on the west coast, and the north slope of Alaska. He specializes in process safety, energized electrical work, and complex lockout tagout.

Kyle Hengler

Eugene Water and Electric Board

Kyle Hengler is the Water Construction Supervisor at Eugene Water & Electric Board. He joined the Water Department in 2004 after working in the private sector in underground construction for 14 years. He started for EWEB in an entry level position in the Water Construction Department, advanced to a Construction Crew Lead, then moved into the office ten years ago as a Water Distribution Management Tech. He took the supervisors role in May of 2023. He has participated in various emergency management training exercises and has had roles in small ICS events at EWEB.