GRASS VALLEY, Calif. July 14, 2026 – Former Nevada County Superintendent of Schools Terry McAteer officially announced his candidacy for the NID District #1 seat. McAteer, elected four times as Superintendent, is running for the seat that current incumbent, Ricki Heck, is stepping down from. Heck has endorsed McAteer in the upcoming November election.
“I’m honored to have Ricki’s endorsement as she has done an outstanding job during her eight year tenure,” said McAteer.
Terry is currently a Nevada County Planning Commissioner who played an instrumental role in stopping the Idaho-Maryland Mine Project. He also serves as Chair of the Grass Valley Historical Commission and leads free, local history walks during the year. For the past several years, McAteer has taught classes and lead field trips for the Sierra College OLLI program and is also the founder of the monthly Community Forum series held at the Nevada County campus.
“It seems that in retirement I’m busier now as compared to when I was working full-time,” said McAteer.
As for the NID race, Terry noted that he has been actively involved with many aspects of the water district throughout the years. He points to his authorship of the Scotts Flat Lake Master Plan that the NID Board adopted years ago, which has helped steward the entire lake area. In 1984, McAteer co-founded the Scotts Flats Lake Preservation Society. He currently sits as a director on the Cascade Shores Homeowners Association.
As an NID Director, McAteer hopes to develop a water conservation program to reach our 12,000 local school students.
“Our youth need to view water as a precious resource that needs to be protected and conserved, especially with our dwindling water supplies,” said McAteer. He is also keenly aware that our region’s watershed must be enhanced in order to address the changing climate.
“We have a very vulnerable water delivery system, due to wildfire risks, which needs to be fire-hardened to help insure quality drinking water for decades to come,” said McAteer. Terry is also a huge advocate for our farmers and ranchers who support our local economy.
“NID needs to be a transparent utility that benefits all the varying water needs of our community.”
McAteer holds a bachelors and masters degree in history and a doctorate from the University of San Francisco in Educational Administration. Terry and his wife, Liz, have been married for 42 years and have raised two children through local public schools. They are avid travelers and reside in Grass Valley. They also have a summer cabin in Cascade Shores which they built in the 1980’s.