Role
Jenna Covington has served as the Executive Director and General Manager of the North Texas Municipal Water District since May 4, 2021. She is responsible for leading all aspects of the NTMWD’s operations, management, planning, and services. With an annual operations and capital budget of more than $678 million, NTMWD provides drinking water treatment and delivery, wastewater collection and treatment, and solid waste services for a population of over 2 million people in one of the fastest-growing regions in the country.
NTMWD operates one of the nation’s largest advanced water treatment plants at Wylie, TX, with a capacity of 876 million gallons per day. NTMWD’s service area covers 2,200 square miles in 10 counties and serves about 80 communities with drinking water, over 1.4 million with wastewater collection and treatment, and approximately 900,000 for solid waste collection and transfer to a regional disposal site.
Covington is a forward looking leader who has a passion for the water industry and a proven ability to work collaboratively to develop and implement strategies to address complex issues.
Experience & Background
Covington previously served as Assistant Deputy – Wastewater for North Texas Municipal Water District from January 2015 – May 2021, when she was appointed to Executive Director/General Manager. She oversaw all aspects of the Wastewater System which includes leading a staff of over 230 people, 13 wastewater treatment facilities and a complex wastewater conveyance system; operating on an annual budget in excess of $150 million. Wholesale wastewater services are provided for 24 cities and 1.3 million people in the North Texas area.
Covington is a seventh generation Texan who grew up in Odessa, Texas and attended college at Texas Tech University where she obtained a Bachelors and Masters of Environmental Engineering. She is a licensed professional engineer in the State of Texas and Board Certified Environmental Engineer by the American Academy of Environmental Engineers and Scientists. Upon graduation and prior to joining NTMWD, Covington served in various roles with an engineering consulting firm, including Vice President, Client Portfolio Manager, and Project Manager. She was responsible for a portfolio of projects for water utilities in north Texas and her engagement spanned project development, selections and delivery. Covington worked with client teams to understand client environment and challenges and how to assist them in overcoming their challenges. She ensured delivery of quality work by understanding how clients measured success and aligned delivery appropriately. Her engineering experience includes wastewater treatment, conveyance systems, and asset management.
Covington is a well-known industry leader who has routinely presented and been published throughout her career. She is a recipient of the Water Environment Federation Arthur Sidney Bedell Award, the Water Environment Association of Texas Emerging Leader Award, is a past President of the Water Environmental Association of Texas, and has been inducted into the Texas Tech University Civil, Environmental and Construction Engineering Academy.