Meet the IFCD 3 Board: Anna Arceo
IFCD 3 is governed by a five-member board appointed by the Irving City Council. The District board is made up of residents of Valley Ranch that have an interest in flood control and sought to be more involved in their community. In this new Waterways blog series, Meet the IFCD 3 Board, we’re interviewing board members and sharing their interviews through individual Waterways posts. For this first blog, we interviewed Anna Arceo, IFCD 3 Treasurer.
Q: Tell us about your educational and professional background.
A: I first attended the University of Houston where I received my bachelor’s degree in hotel and restaurant management with a minor in anthropology. Then I went to Texas A&M for my architectural degree. Gig ‘em! I’m also the founding principal of JAL Architect Group, Inc.
Q: How does your education and/or professional background contribute to your service for the District?
A: I have 18 years of architectural experience working on various projects including public schools, hotels, municipal projects and more. So, I have an understanding of construction and engineering that is important in working with entities such as IFCD 3. I also have a great deal of listening and management skills acquired both through the years I’ve spent as an architect as well as my background in hospitality.
Q: What motivated you to join the board?
A: It was a recommendation by a fellow director. I already had the desire to understand and contribute to the management of Valley Ranch’s canal system, so I thought this was the perfect opportunity to fulfill my interests.
Q: What is your favorite part about living in Valley Ranch?
A: I love the diverse neighborhood we live in. The community is extremely inclusive. The beautiful canal system is also a great attribute to the Valley Ranch neighborhood.
Q: Where do you see Valley Ranch in five years and how does IFCD 3 support this vision?
A: I see IFCD 3 continuing to maintain community standards, but I also see an opportunity to further engage with the diverse Valley Ranch community on responsible stewardship of the canals. As stewards of the Valley Ranch canal system, IFCD 3 has supported this vision by thorough maintenance of the canals with the help of DCURD (Dallas County Utility and Reclamation District, a part of the IFCD 3 team), from repairs of canal walls, equipment maintenance and replacement to managing storm water during inclement weather. We also team with elementary schools to inform students on the technicalities and maintenance of the canal system and water management. I see this education program being a great way to further engage with the diverse families of the community and lead to more involvement and interest in what we do.
Stay tuned for more blog posts from this series! In the meantime, we encourage you to browse our previous blog posts to learn more about IFCD 3.