Alabama’s largest water utility officially has a new leadership team and consulting engineer.
For Immediate Release: Monday, December 15, 2025
Photo caption: “Top row from the left: Chief Operating Officer Timothy Harris, Chief Technology Officer Cameron Holly, Chief People Officer Brian Lewis and Chief Reliability Officer Ray Sloan. Bottom row from the left: Chief Financial Officer Lester Smith, Chief Administrative Officer David Walker and Chief Engineering Officer Jonathan Wilson.”
BIRMINGHAM – Alabama’s largest water utility officially has a new leadership team and consulting engineer.
The board of Central Alabama Water today confirmed individuals to executive leadership positions and selected Jacobs Engineering Group as the consulting engineer.
Leadership team
“We have assembled an incredible group of servant leaders who all share the vision of turning Central Alabama Water into a world-class utility,” said Jeffrey F. Thompson, CEO of Central Alabama Water. “These individuals were selected for their expertise, integrity and dedication to doing what is best for our customers and employees. I look forward to working with each of them to implement the board’s vision for the utility.”
Below is information about the members of the leadership team. Each person reports directly to Thompson.
Timothy Harris, Chief Operating Officer
Harris oversees four surface water treatment plants, five raw water pump stations, a certified laboratory, electrical and mechanical maintenance and Supervisor Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) operations. Harris has more than 25 years of experience in public-sector drinking water operations. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration and an Executive Master of Business Management from Faulkner University. He earned the Water and Wastewater Leadership credential from UNC Kenan-Flagler.
Cameron Holly, Chief Technology Officer
Holly will lead information technology, business systems, SCADA and Geographic Information Systems. With more than three decades of technology and leadership experience, Mr. Holly spent the last 23 years with Ricoh in both the U.S. and Latin American divisions, advancing through roles of increasing responsibility to Senior Manager of Strategy, Planning, Analysis and Service Performance. His leadership delivered revenue growth, cost efficiencies and enhanced customer experience. Holly holds a bachelor’s degree from Bethlehem College and served as an instructor at The Bethlehem Institute.
Brian Lewis, Chief People Officer
Lewis is responsible for human resources, training and development, public relations and the customer care team. He is a 30-year veteran of the U.S. Air Force, earning the Bronze Star in Iraq and retiring as a colonel. Lewis worked in health care for four years and earned the Senior Professional in Human Resources credential from the Human Resources Certification Institute. He earned a Bachelor of Science from the U.S. Air Force Academy and Master of Science from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University.
Ray Sloan, Chief Reliability Officer
Sloan is responsible for distribution and transmission system maintenance and construction, meter maintenance, billing, non-revenue water, new customer installs and critical operations support. He has held many operational and technical roles since joining the utility in 2009. Sloan is a member of several committees and working groups for technical manuals and standards with the American Water Works Association. He earned a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics and a Master of Science in Engineering from the University of Alabama at Birmingham.
Lester Smith, Chief Financial Officer
Smith is responsible for purchasing, payroll, budget, financial reporting, property and equipment and accounts payable. He most recently served as Interim Finance Director for the City of Homewood. Smith was Chief Financial Officer and Finance Director for the City of Birmingham from 2019-2021. He has extensive experience in public and private sector accounting. He earned a Bachelor of Science from Auburn University and is a Chartered Global Management Accountant.
David Walker, Chief Administrative Officer
Walker is responsible for facilities, safety, security, transportation and warehouse operations. A U.S. Marine Corps veteran and recipient of the Navy Achievement Medal, Walker served in the infantry from 1991-1995 before a 22-year career in law enforcement. He later served as Senior Security Specialist at Puget Sound Energy and joined the CAW in 2022 as Security Manager. Walker holds a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice Administration from Bellevue University and a Master of Science in Criminal Justice from Saint Joseph’s University. He is currently pursuing an Executive MBA at Faulkner University.
Jonathan Wilson, Chief Engineering Officer
Wilson is responsible for the surveying group, land administration, pressure complaints, system development and engineering. He has worked at the utility for 20 years. A licensed Professional Engineer in Alabama, Wilson earned a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from the University of Alabama and a Master of Science in Engineering from the University of Alabama at Birmingham.
Jacobs Engineering Group selected consulting engineer
The board voted to hire Jacobs as the consulting engineer. This fulfills the requirement in Alabama Act 2025-297 that the board retain a consulting engineer with a national reputation for providing high quality engineering services to water systems.
Jacobs is one of the largest water and water resources consulting firms in the United States. The firm has almost 100 Alabama-based staff and has operated in the state for more than 50 years with offices in Birmingham, Montgomery and Mobile. It routinely ranks in Engineering News-Records’s top five across all major water treatment, distribution and supply categories. In Alabama, Jacobs has been involved in projects totaling more than 400 million gallons per day of water production and treatment capacity.
“Jacobs has the depth and breadth of experience to meet our engineering needs,” said Thompson. “The firm has an exceptional reputation around the globe and the capacity to serve a large water utility like ours. I’m confident their team will bring a fresh perspective to the challenges we face and help us provide the highest quality water possible to our customers.”
The consulting engineer has several responsibilities outlined in §11-50-300.08.
- An annual assessment of the utility’s compliance with the reporting requirements listed in the act.
- Provide an assessment and report on capital projects costing $2,000,000 or more prior to their approval by the board.
- Provide an opinion on the ability of the board to pay the interest and principal of the loan or securities prior to the board approving financing.
- Provide an analysis of the reasonableness of the existing and proposed rates and service charges before the board approves a rate increase.
- Evaluate, on behalf of the board, the qualifications of engineers under consideration to provide project engineering services.
- Review and comment on plans prepared by other engineers for the utility’s projects.
Per §11-50-300.08, the consulting engineer may serve for five years and is eligible to be re-selected for one additional five-year term. The consulting engineer may not provide project engineering services for Central Alabama Water.
About Central Alabama Water
Central Alabama Water serves 770,000 customers in Jefferson, Shelby, St. Clair, Blount and Walker counties. It operates four water treatment facilities, a certified testing laboratory and has more than 4,150 miles of water main in its distribution network. Visit www.bwwb.org for more information.
