Meet Stephen Dopudja

 I am a Southern California native and was born in Fullerton California. My family has a long history in Rancho Santa Margarita with my brother moving into one of the first tracts of homes. My Grandfather also spent time here while training for service in the Marines during World War II. I too fell in love with our community and have lived in Rancho Santa Margarita for nearly 30 years.

I am a Registered Professional Civil Engineer with 36 years of experience dedicated to water resources. I understand what it takes to provide safe and reliable water service to our community and your families. I am also committed to providing safe and reliable water service at the most affordable cost possible. My dedication to this commitment runs deep and is very personal for me. As a child, I grew up understanding what I meant for a family to financially struggle. My father was disabled veteran, having served our country in the Army during the Korean War. Due to combat injuries he sustained, he eventually was unable to continue working. Because of our family’s financial struggles, I knew that paying for college would be a challenge. Then I was blessed to start working in a small water engineering company as an entry level draftsperson. The owner and his wife saw potential in me and helped pay for my college education. The only condition for their generosity was that I use my education in water for the benefit of my community. This is the reason why I wish to continue serving you on the Trabuco Canyon Water District Board of Directors. It is also the reason why I have never taken any of the medical benefits offered to Directors, saving our customers nearly $325,000 over 12 years. I remain committed to this same pledge to our customers again if re-elected.

I am married to my incredible wife Norah, who is a social worker and has dedicated her career to nonprofit organizations and charities. We are regular attendees of our church where we volunteer our time, talents and treasures.