Meet The Board

Ann Bechtel

Ann Bechtel has participated in FMA conference and luncheon activities since 2002. Last annual conference, Ann was elected to the FMA Board as a Director at Large. In the past, she has supported FMA conference planning and awards committees, presented and moderated at the annual conference and facilitated professional development training.

Ann grew up on a farm in a small town near Galena, Illinois. She recalls flooding in the fields making a major impact on their family livelihood and created an early interest in flood management and sustainable designs. She went on to obtain a Bachelor of Science in ornamental horticulture from the University of Illinois, studied landscape architecture at Cal Poly Pomona, and finally landed in her present hometown and obtained a bachelor degree in environmental engineering at San Diego State University.

Currently, she is employed by CDM Smith as a Principal Project Manager and is leading projects with the Cities of Los Angeles and San Diego, County of Los Angeles, and Los Angeles Department of Water and Power on various water resources planning and design projects. Prior to joining CDM Smith, Ann was with Atkins for 18 years focused on floodplain management, technical staff development, and led the California public and private sector. She had the opportunity to work with the California Department of Water Resources FloodSAFE program and played a key role in the Central Valley Floodplain Evaluation and Delineation program alongside many other FMA members. Ann also managed numerous floodplain studies for FEMA, primarily in Region 9. 9

Passions for Ann include the outdoors and cooking. She has been able to spend more time gardening, experimenting in the kitchen and exploring the local mountains in the last year. When travel resumes she is excited to have an opportunity to experience landscapes and cultures in other parts of the world with her husband, Andy, and friends and family.