Ursula Schmidt serves as Interim Section Manager for Sustainability and Resilience at the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, where she provides strategic leadership on climate action, sustainability, resilience, and innovation initiatives supporting the nation’s largest wholesale water provider. Since joining Metropolitan in 2025 as Climate Action Plan Program Manager, Ursula has led implementation of the agency’s Climate Action Plan and helped advance the integration of climate and sustainability considerations into organizational planning, infrastructure, and decision-making. Ursula brings more than two decades of public-sector leadership experience spanning climate action, sustainability, policy, strategic planning, and community engagement. Prior to joining Metropolitan, she served the City of Pasadena for 22 years, where she led and advanced sustainability and climate initiatives across multiple city departments. She is a LEED Accredited Professional and holds a bachelor’s degree in Public Policy from UCLA and a master’s degree in Public Administration and Leadership from California State University, Northridge.