Our Management

Bret Berthold has been with The Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District since 2009 and has served as Executive Director since July 1, 2024.

Previously, Bret served as MSD’s Director of Operations for six years, overseeing management and strategic leadership of the collection systems, treatment plants, pump stations, and support services divisions. He ensured efficient operation and maintenance activities, optimized costs, and successfully negotiated collective bargaining agreements with six union labor organizations within the District.

His career at MSD began in 2009 as the Operation Division Manager at the Bissell Point Wastewater Treatment Plant. In 2011, he advanced to Assistant Director of Operations, where he led compliance efforts related to consent decree inspections, maintenance, and repairs.

Before joining MSD, Bret spent 12 years at Spectrum Brands, Inc., holding various roles including Project Engineering Manager and Manufacturing Manager. His responsibilities included leading numerous continuous improvement projects aimed at enhancing efficiency, reducing variable costs, and improving production rates.

Bret holds a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Missouri University of Science and Technology (formerly University of Missouri – Rolla) and a Master of Business Administration from Webster University. He is a licensed professional engineer in the State of Missouri.

Tim Snoke is the Secretary-Treasurer for the Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District and, as such, is the keeper of the District’s public records. Tim’s internal team is responsible for treasury operations/cash management; debt issuance, management, and compliance; investment management; internal audit; oversight of defined benefit, defined contribution, and deferred compensation investments/options; and financial planning and analysis.

Prior to MSD, Tim spent his professional career with Ralston Purina Company and Ralcorp Holdings, Inc., working his way from a temporary employee to, most recently, Assistant Treasurer. In this role, he negotiated more than 35 financing and refinancing deals totaling more than $5 billion, integrated cash management and financing function of acquisitions, and improved working capital by more than $40 million through an incentive-based performance plan, among other significant accomplishments.

Tim earned an MBA from Saint Louis University and a Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Administration from Valparaiso University. He also earned the Certified Treasury Professional and Certified Financial Manager designations and is actively involved in the St. Louis community through his participation with local trade associations and leadership positions with St. John’s Lutheran Church and School.

Todd Aschbacher has been a senior member of The Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District’s legal team since 2011 and was instrumental in implementing the District’s Consent Decree, visionary green infrastructure program, and several transformative infrastructure projects across the St. Louis region. He’s also been actively involved in The District’s Diversity program, Civil Service Commission matters, and major litigation in both state and federal courts. Drawing on his pre-MSD employment experience – with The U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri, several private law firms, and as counsel for a major governmental contractor – Todd brings a unique combination of corporate and government expertise as well as experience as a hands-on litigator.

Todd graduated magna cum laude from the University of Missouri – St. Louis with a Bachelor of Arts in Economics and Public Policy and received his law degree from Washington University’s Juris Doctorate program. He has been published in both the St. Louis Bar Journal and the Washington University Journal of Urban and Contemporary Law.

Todd is a member of the Missouri Bar Association, serves on the Membership Committee of the Association of Corporate Counsel’s St. Louis Chapter, and volunteers with the small business program at Legal Services of Eastern MO. He served previously as the Board President of the Saint Louis University Liver Center.

Tracey R. Coleman is Director of Human Resources for the Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District. She leads all facets of the department including Benefits, Employment, Training & Organizational Development, Payroll and Risk Management.

Tracey joined the District in 2014 as the Manager of Training and Organizational Development. She brings 19 years of leadership experience from previously held positions at Laclede Gas, Edward Jones, HealthLink and A.G. Edwards.

She holds a Master’s Degree from Webster University and a Chancellor’s Certification in Database Technology from the University of Missouri- St Louis. She also held a General Securities Representative (Series 7), Investment Advisor (Series 66), and Missouri’s Life & Health Producer’s Licensures.

She is an active member of the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) and The Association for Talent Development.

5Marion Gee is the Director of Finance for the Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District. Marion is responsible for the management and coordination of all accounting, financial planning, and rate modeling, accounts receivable, purchasing, and related activities of the District.

Prior to joining MSD in 2015, Marion spent 23 years in the utility industry serving as Assistant Finance Director for the City of San Antonio, guiding their Public Utilities Division in the performance of comprehensive reviews of proposed rate adjustments and debt issuances, and overseeing the development of multi-year revenue projects for various utilities owned by San Antonio. In addition, he previously served as Finance Director for the Louisville Metropolitan Sewer District and Corporate Controller for the Louisville Water Company.

Marion is a Certified Public Accountant. He earned a MBA and a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from the University of Louisville. Marion serves on the Executive Board of the Government Finance Officers Association and is a member of the American Water Works Association.

Ginny Kienstra is the Director of Information Technology for the Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District (MSD). Ginny is responsible for corporate technology strategy as well as for the operation of MSD’s technology infrastructure and applications.

Prior to her current position, Ginny was the Assistant Director of Technology at MSD. In that position, she provided strategic input for information technology and security, directed the department on use of critical enterprise business systems, and provided strategic vision for long term infrastructure technology development.

In the past 20+ years, Ginny has held senior technology leadership positions with Scottrade/TD Ameritrade as Vice President of Infrastructure Operations and several successive promotional positions in Information Technology with Anheuser-Busch/AB InBev.

Ginny is a St. Louis native with a bachelor’s degree in Computer Science and a master’s degree in Information Technology Management, both from Webster University. She is also certified in ITIL, COBIT and Lean Six Sigma. Her experience and education have allowed her to be successful in leading and cultivating IT organizations to achieve excellence in service delivery.

Brian McGownd is the Director of Operations for the Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District, where his responsibilities include the overall management and strategic leadership of the collection systems, treatment plants, pump stations, and support services divisions.

Brian has been an integral part of MSD’s Operations department since 2012. As Assistant Director of Operations, Brian was responsible for day-to-day management over the District’s wastewater treatment plants and pump stations, as well as the safety division. Through his work, Brian led an effort to improve, update and expand the District’s safety program. With prior experience in city engineering for the City of Chesterfield and City of Bridgeton, Brian brings a well-versed understanding of the St. Louis Metropolitan Area to his work in Operations.

Brian graduated from the University of Missouri-Rolla with a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering and is a Licensed Professional Engineer in the State of Missouri. Brian is a member of the Water Environment Federation and the Missouri Water Environment Association.

Rich Unverferth is the Director of Engineering for the Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District, overseeing the development, implementation, and management of MSD’s ongoing multi-billion dollar, multi-decade capital improvement program. His responsibilities include the planning and implementation of the District’s long range plans to address combined and sanitary sewer overflows, stormwater issues, asset management, and other Regulatory initiatives. Rich has worked at MSD in numerous engineering and management positions since 1987.

Rich earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering from the University of Missouri-Rolla and is a licensed Professional Engineer in Missouri. He is a member of the Engineers Club of St. Louis, and represents MSD as a member of the National Association of Clean Water Agencies (NACWA), and the St. Louis Council of Construction Consumers.