Palencia Mobley
Midwest Funding Navigator Manager
Palencia Mobley, P.E. is EPIC’s Midwest Funding Navigator Manager. Palencia has built an extensive career in planning, designing and constructing drinking, waste and stormwater infrastructure. A graduate of Detroit Public Schools, the University of Michigan (Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering), and Wayne State University (Master of Science Civil Engineering), Palencia was one of the youngest minority women to ever attain licensure as a Professional Engineer in the State of Michigan in 2006. In 2016, she was appointed by Mayor Mike Duggan and approved by the Board of Water Commissioners as the Deputy Director and Chief Engineer of the Detroit Water and Sewerage Department (DWSD) where she was responsible for the field service operations, engineering, facilities, fleet, capital construction, and regulatory affairs of the department. Under her leadership, DWSD increased investment in green stormwater infrastructure from $2 million from 2010-2016 to more than $21 million by 2020. She also increased the renewal of water and sewer infrastructure fivefold, meeting industry standards of 1% infrastructure renewal annually and previously led negotiations on behalf of the city to establish the Great Lakes Water Authority (GLWA). Prior to her municipal experience, she worked as Project Manager for Tetra Tech and Project Engineer for Arcadis. In her 20 years of experience, she has worked diligently to change the way we manage stormwater and improve water and sewer infrastructure across the country and is a dedicated change agent for the way infrastructure renewal can create economic opportunity in underserved communities. In addition to serving on multiple national, regional, and statewide task councils and boards, Palencia has received a variety of professional accolades including Crain’s Detroit Business notable woman in STEM and 40 Under 40 Award in 2019. She is also an active member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc. Alpha Rho Omega Chapter.
Get to Know Me Further
I am a Detroiter through and through. In addition to being in love with all things water, I am an avid cook and gardener. I often have friends and family over for dinner. My biggest feat is cooking a Thanksgiving Dinner that serves thirty all by myself. One of my favorite things to make is homemade custard ice cream from my mama’s recipe. My mama, who rarely gave compliments, told me “your ice cream tastes better than mine.” I am committed to sharing my mama’s ice cream custard with the world and launching a brand that celebrates the legacy of my mama, Ollie.