Celeste Cantú was born into a pioneer family in the Mexicali/ Imperial Valleys. She began her career as Planning Director in her home town of Calexico, CA. Later, she served a Executive Director for the Imperial Valley Housing Authority, State Director for USDA Rural Development, Executive Director for the State Water Resources Control Board, General Manager for the Santa Ana Watershed Project Authority and now is CEO of WELL. WELL partners with CORO of Northern CA and Dig In to develop and implement the Water Solutions Network.
She is appointed to the San Diego Regional Water Quality Control Board and is President of the PPIC Water Policy Center, and on the boards for the Water Education Foundation, and the Water Foundation.
She holds a BA from Yale in Urban Planning and a MPA from Harvard’s Kennedy School. Celeste and husband, Dr. Barry Stampfl live in Temecula and have two adult sons.