"Relentless!
Passionate!
Visionary!
Leader!"
Rita Duncan was re-elected to serve on the Board of Oro Loma Sanitary District and currently serves as the President of the Board, Chair of the Construction, and member of the Operations Committees. She is most proud of the work she and her fellow board members have accomplished for the District’s collection system which consists of approximately 275 miles of sanitary sewer lines and solid waste collection for 148 thousand residents in Alameda County’s unincorporated communities. The average age of the sewer pipes is 70 years and the Board obtained funding to replace 40 miles of clay pipe over the next 8 years. Rita is equally proud of the Oro Loma Horizontal Levee which is a multi-benefit nature-based treatment systems that improves water quality and protects the coastal levee from the effect of sea level rise.
She is an East Bay Dischargers Authority Commissioner and serves as the Financial Management Committee Chair. Rita also represents Oro Loma Sanitary District on the Hayward Area Shoreline Planning Agency Board. The Plan envisions a diverse mosaic of Bayland environments that will host recreational opportunities, facilitate educational programming, and support the continued operation of critical urban infrastructure
In addition, Rita serves on the California Association of Sanitary Agencies State Board and is Chair of the Federal Legislative Committee. As a public servant, she strives to be worthy of the trust bestowed on her by ensuring the District complies with county, state and federal guidelines and regulations. Rita is dedicated to developing policies and collaborating with other agencies to protect our environment for future generations. She is committed to educating and stressing individual responsibility for customers to learn the correct waste stream to dispose of their garbage and reduce the waste going into landfill. She is also committed to finding innovative and lasting solutions to illegal dumping in our communities by collaborating with other agencies.
Rita has a Bachelor of Arts in Human Services, Master’s in Counseling Psychology, and group facilitation training from the Graduate School of Business at Stanford University where she facilitated group dynamic courses. She has 30 years’ experience working for a fortune 500 manufacturing company and 15 years as the Human Resources Director. Rita has lived in the unincorporated community of Fairview for 24 years and is passionate about being of service. She believes, “Everybody can be great...because anybody can serve. You don't have to have a college degree to serve. You don't have to make your subject and verb agree to serve. You only need a heart full of grace. A soul generated by love.” - Martin Luther King Jr.