Press Releases

NEW ORLEANS, LA — The Sewerage and Water Board of New Orleans (SWBNO) is pleased to announce the appointment of Steve Nelson as its new General Superintendent effective January 2, 2024, following the Board of Directors’ recommendation.

Serving as Deputy General Superintendent since January 2023, Nelson has led a team of over 400 employees across four divisions, including Engineering, Joint Infrastructure Recovery Roads (JIRR) projects, transmission water main replacement work, Networks, and Water Purification.

"I am honored to continue my service of New Orleans as the General Superintendent of the Sewerage and Water Board of New Orleans. I am fully aware of the significant challenges as well as the promising opportunities that lie ahead, and I am committed to leveraging my experience, skills, and institutional knowledge to ensure the continued success and growth of this essential utility,” said Nelson. “I would also like to thank Ron Spooner for his leadership as interim Superintendent and underscore his critical importance to the utility and the residents we serve. Under the leadership and vision of our Executive Director Ghassan Korban and together with the dedicated team at SWBNO, I look forward to driving positive change and serving the community with integrity and transparency.”

Nelson’s main priorities since joining SWBNO have been improving maintenance escalations procedures and expediting pavement repairs. Under his leadership, SWBNO and New Orleanians have enjoyed a 22 percent increase in pavement repairs completed in the first 10 months of 2023 than in all of 2022. As a result, SWBNO has significantly decreased the number of open pavement work orders, slowly ticking away at the backlog with a goal of completing repairs within two to four weeks rather than the 100-day average of early 2023.

“The Sewerage and Water Board’s focus remains on ensuring that we capture individuals with extended institutional knowledge to build our leadership team,” said Mayor LaToya Cantrell. “From our ongoing smart meter installations to the construction of the SWBNO Power Complex, these unprecedented efforts require that our leaders have a high level of understanding of the support and governance needed, and I thank Mr. Nelson for stepping up to do the work and to continue serving in this capacity. We will continue to do our part to make sure this utility has the best and the brightest today and moving forward into the future.”

Moving forward into 2024, Nelson is poised to tackle major initiatives, such as the Lead and Copper Rule Improvement requirements, with a focus on leveraging state and federal funds to address critical infrastructure needs and enhance the utility’s performance.

“We extend our congratulations to Steve Nelson on his appointment as our utility’s General Superintendent,” said SWBNO Executive Director Ghassan Korban. “Steve is a natural civil servant who cares deeply about quality, accountability, and our customers’ experiences. His extensive experience and leadership skills make him well-suited for this crucial role. We are confident that under his guidance, SWBNO will continue to modernize and meet the evolving needs of our community. We look forward to achieving many more milestones together.”

Nelson succeeds M. Ron Spooner, who has served as Interim General Superintendent since March 2021. Spooner will now serve as Deputy General Superintendent of Pumping and Power, continuing his 29 years of dedicated service to the utility until his planned retirement within the next 24 months.

“I want to acknowledge Ron Spooner and his tremendous work in the interim – he’s been doing not one job, but two - and he’s always done it with grace and dignity," said SWBNO Director Dr. Maurice Sholas. "We are looking forward to continuing to work with him as the new Deputy General Superintendent of Pumping and Power as he has always made us proud.”

Nelson holds a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering and a Master of Science in Environmental Engineering from Washington State University. With an active Professional Engineer license in both Washington and Louisiana, Nelson has demonstrated leadership in various capacities throughout his career. He joined SWBNO after serving as a Project Manager for Century West Engineering in Spokane, Washington, and Vice President of Stuart Consulting in Metairie, LA. He has extensive federal program experience, including managing projects with FEMA, Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), and Community Development Block Grants.

###