Our People
How can community-rooted leadership shape the future of water reliability?
Meet Amy McLeod. An experienced water operations leader, Amy’s people-first approach is strengthening Jackson, Mississippi’s water infrastructure.
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Since 2023, Jacobs has provided operations and maintenance services to Jackson, Mississippi’s O.B. Curtis and J.H. Fewell water treatment plants (WTPs) with one clear mission — deliver safe, clean and reliable drinking water to a community that has endured years of chronic failures. By improving operations and automation and employing skilled talent, Project Manager Amy McLeod and her team enabled the WTPs to achieve full compliance for the first time in a decade.
For Amy, her work is more than just a job; it’s a responsibility and commitment to her operators and the community she has come to call home.
“We are the front line of public health, and that responsibility requires a skilled and supported workforce. My role is to equip our operations, laboratory and maintenance teams with the expertise and resources they need to deliver reliable drinking water to their neighbors. When we empower local staff and lead with transparency, we strengthen our bond with the community.”
Amy McLeod
Get to know Amy
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20 +
years of experience in water operations
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150000 +
residents served under her leadership
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2
water facilities with 6 wells and 13 tanks managed under her support
Answering Jackson’s call
Originally from Kentucky, Amy planted her roots in Mississippi more than 20 years ago. After earning her degree in geological engineering from the University of Mississippi, she spent nearly two decades with the Mississippi State Department of Health, overseeing 100 water systems across the central region.
While Amy was with the Department of Health, an emergency was declared in Jackson, and she immediately stepped in to help stabilize operations at the WTPs. What she saw during that response — the dedication of the operators and the need for long-term support — made a lasting impact. In 2023, she joined Jacobs to focus her efforts fully on Jackson, first as an assistant project manager, and later as project manager.
A team built from the community it serves
For Amy and her team, their work at the WTP is personal. Several team members were born and raised in Jackson and have built their careers and are raising their own families in the neighborhoods they serve.
They’ve lived through the challenges of an unreliable system firsthand — school closures when the water pressure dropped, boil water advisories and outages — but through all the tough moments, they’ve worked around the clock to keep water flowing to their neighbors.
Rebuilding trust and empowering the next generation
Reaching full compliance wasn’t an overnight accomplishment. Amy and her team invested in building a strong and supported workforce, subject matter experts and operational improvements to rebuild public trust.
Amy’s leadership and industry experience have also been recognized at the national level: she was recently selected as one of three vice presidents for the American Water Works Association’s Executive Council, underscoring her commitment to advancing the water sector and mentoring the next generation of professionals.
