Travis Schmidt is one of the newest Lake Agassiz Water Authority (LAWA) Board Members after being appointed to serve in July 2020 by his employer, Moorhead Public Service (MPS), where he is the Interim General Manager and Electrical Engineering Manager.
“Water Supply is vital to the City of Moorhead and Moorhead Public Service (MPS) and the customers we serve. MPS has been a long-time member of LAWA, and it is important that we continue to provide leadership to make sure the water supplies are protected and available no matter the situation,” he says.
The City of Moorhead is located in Minnesota, just across the Red River from Fargo, North Dakota. Although Moorhead isn’t a participant in the Red River Valley Water Supply Project (RRVWSP), it is an important part of the Fargo-Moorhead-West Fargo metro area. The Cities of Fargo and West Fargo are involved with the RRVWSP. “Even though Moorhead isn’t currently involved in the RRVWSP, MPS is providing guidance as part of the LAWA Technical Advisory Committee which helps all members of LAWA understand the pertinence of this project and technical justification for various design and planning aspects. MPS continues to keep abreast of the RRVWSP as it progresses, acknowledging it as additional source water in the event of extreme emergency,” explains Travis.
The NDSU alumnus graduated with a Bachelor of Engineering degree in Electrical and Electronics Engineering and is a licensed Professional Engineer. He also earned his Master of Business Administration from the University of Mary. Travis has lived in the FM area for the past 12 years. He and his wife Casey have two sons, Ryder and Noah. In his free time, Travis enjoys watching his children’s activities, along with traveling and enjoying the outdoors.