[2] McClelland graduated from Gibsonburg High School and pursued a degree in mathematics at the University of Toledo.
[5] The next year, McClelland was named president and chief executive officer of the National Sanitation Foundation International.
[9] In 1991, McClelland was the recipient of the Walter S. Mangold Award from the National Environmental Health Association.
[10] In 1993, McClelland spoke in front of the United States Congress Committee on Environment and Public Works to promote cost-effective treatments to assist smaller, isolated communities in accessing clean drinking water.
[15] Two years later, she was honored with the Wham Leadership Medal from the American National Standards Institute.
[23] In 2019, McClelland was honored in front of the United States Congress for her accomplishments in preserving clean water.