Zone 7 Water Agency Director Sarah Palmer was chosen as the new president of the agency's Board of Directors during an annual reorganization meeting late last month.

The Livermore resident, who was re-elected to a fifth term on the board in the June primary, will now oversee the appointment of committees and will be responsible for interpreting the policies, programs and needs of the agency to the public.

"Zone 7 and all water agencies across our state face both interesting and difficult challenges with drought, climate change and infrastructure issues to name a few," Palmer said in a news release. "The Zone 7 board and our capable staff will work together to ensure safe and reliable water for both our urban and agricultural needs."

Palmer has served on the Zone 7 board since 2006. She is a retired science teacher and has worked in cancer research at the University of California, Berkeley, as well as in the medical diagnostics industry.

Palmer has bachelor's degrees in biology and political science from New York University and a Ph.D. in biochemistry from the University of Toronto.

"As board president, I am honored to help spearhead Zone 7's directions on the road ahead," Palmer said.

She also serves as the president of the Delta Conveyance Design and Construction Authority program, which is a joint powers authority governed by seven representatives from 16 Public Water Agencies.

The program is working on a project that would, "modernize the water transport infrastructure of the State Water Project in the Delta by adding new facilities to divert water and upgrading the current conveyance system to also include a single underground tunnel," according to the programs website.

During the same July 20 meeting, the Zone 7 board selected Director Sandy Figuers to serve as vice president alongside Palmer.

A Livermore resident and groundwater geologist, Figures has been a board member since 2008. He previously served on the Zone 7 board for 12 years in the late 1980s and into the '90s.

Palmer also sworn in for her new four-year term alongside directors Dennis Gambs and Olivia Sanwong, who were each re-elected for an additional term in the June 7 primary. Gambs and Sanwong are both going into their second term.

The board also welcomed newly elected Director Dawn Benson, who took the fourth open seat at the June 7 primary. She previously sat as an elected member of the Dublin San Ramon Services District Board of Directors.