Born: Rochester, NY

Represents on MWD board:  San Diego County Water Authority

Joined MWD board: July 2010

Current MWD committee appointments:

Vice Chair: Hoover Contract Issues Committee
Member: Real Property and Asset Management Committee; Legal and Claims Committee; Communications and Legislation Committe and the Blue Ribbon Review Committee.

Professional and community activities:

Heidel has been an attorney for more than 30 years, specializing in land use law.  She has served on the boards of the city of San Diego’s Centre City Development Corp., the Southeast Economic Development Corp. and the San Diego County Board of Planning and Zoning Appeals.

Heidel has served on the boards of numerous not for profit organizations, and most recently completed a six-year term on the board of directors of the YWCA of San Diego County, where she served on the executive committee.  In addition, she is a member of Lambda Alpha International, an honorary land economics society, as well as the Urban Land Institute.

Heidel earned a bachelor’s degree in history from Smith College in Northampton, Mass., and a master’s degree in education and East Asian studies from the University of Rochester.  She received her law degree from California Western School of Law.