Keynote Highlight

Jay Bernas

General Manager and Chief Executive Officer
Hampton Roads Sanitation District

Jay Bernas, P.E. serves as General Manager/CEO of the Hampton Roads Sanitation District (HRSD), which is the nation’s 14th largest wastewater utility, serving 1.9 million residents across twenty cities and counties in Eastern Virginia.  Previously, Mr. Bernas held key roles at HRSD, including Chief Financial Officer, where he was pivotal in building innovative financial models and securing $1.05 billion in Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (WIFIA) funding, positioning HRSD as a leader in water sector infrastructure investment. Combined with SRF, HRSD ratepayers will save over $390 million and see almost 9% lower monthly bills with federal subsidized financing.  

Prior to being CFO, he was Chief of Planning and Analysis, where he specialized in hydraulic modeling, data analysis, and capital programming.

A licensed Professional Engineer, Mr. Bernas holds an MBA from The College of William & Mary and a Bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering from Old Dominion University. His experience includes serving on the $3 billion Virginia Investment Pool Board of Trustees and the National Association of Clean Water Agencies (NACWA) Board of Directors. He was also appointed by the Governor of Virginia to the Board of Accountancy and served on the Virginia Beach Planning Commission, chairing the body during his final two years.