LOS ANGELES (March 27, 2024) –The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) Board of Water and Power Commissioners has elected new leaders and welcomed two new Commissioners. Former state assemblyman Richard Katz, who was recently confirmed to the Board, was unanimously elected as President and George McGraw was elected as Vice President. Former Los Angeles Assistant City Attorney Wilma J. Pinder has also joined the Board as a Commissioner.
The L.A. City Council confirmed the appointment of former state assemblyman Richard Katz on March 22 (no relation to current Commissioner Nurit Katz). Katz has led a 44-year career of public service, including 16 years in the state Assembly, beginning in 1980. He served as a member of the California State Water Resources Control Board from 2001-2006 and served as a member of Metro’s Board of Directors from 2005-2014. In 2008, he joined the Metrolink Board of Directors, and served until 2015.
“As a new member of the Board of Water and Power Commissioners, I am fully committed to meeting the service reliability and climate goals set forth by the Mayor and Council,” said Katz. “I will seek to have LADWP partner with other City departments on important issues such as housing, stormwater capture, promoting new technologies, and strengthening our transparency, while ensuring that Department programs and policies benefit everyone equitably.”
Katz is the president and founder of Richard Katz Consulting, a public policy and government relations firm in Los Angeles. Katz will serve a term ending in June 30, 2026.
As a Board member since 2023, and now as Vice President, George McGraw will continue to bring his expertise as a leader in water and sanitation.
“I look forward to serving the City of Los Angeles as Vice President of the Board of Water and Power Commissioners,” McGraw said. “It is a wonderful honor to serve with President Katz and the distinguished members of the Board to ensure that all Angelenos have equitable access to water and power.”
During his time on the Board, Vice President McGraw has been instrumental in furthering LADWP’s programs and policies to help all customers, especially those in underserved communities. His focuses as a Board member have been on equity, empowerment and sustainability. McGraw also serves as the Founder & CEO of DigDeep, the only WaSH (water, sanitation and hygiene) organization solely focused on the USA. In 2019, he co-authored the ‘Closing the Water Access Gap in the United States’ Report, an explosive study that revealed over 2 million Americans currently live without a tap or toilet at home, with race being the No. 1 predictor of water insecurity.
Joining the Board as a Commissioner is Wilma J. Pinder, former Los Angeles Assistant City Attorney. Commissioner Pinder was appointed to the Board by Mayor Karen Bass on February 8, 2024, and confirmed by the Los Angeles City Council on March 8, 2024. She served for 30 years as a civil litigator and trial attorney handling difficult, high-profile cases. Twenty of those years were with the legal unit that served LADWP. In that capacity, she became familiar with an array of issues that impact the public consumer, customers, LADWP employees, and property damage and personal injury cases, including the business endeavors and mandates of the Department.
“L.A. City government and LADWP exist to serve its citizens, rate payers, businesses and visitors,” said Pinder. “As a Commissioner, and rate payer, I will advocate for honesty and fairness to be the foundation of our programs, our practices, and workforce ethic at every level. The best intentions of LADWP must be demonstrated in all its undertakings!”
Pinder’s knowledge and insight of the Department, and her experience on various legal boards and as a community advocate, will greatly assist the Board of Water and Power Commissioners with its critical work. Pinder will serve a three-year term ending June 30, 2027.
“It’s great to see these recent additions to the Board. I congratulate President Katz, Vice President McGraw and Commissioner Pinder on their new roles, and appreciate their willingness to serve the Los Angeles community by leading this utility as we strive to continually improve the water and power services the Department provides. I look forward to collaborating with them as they assume their roles,” said LADWP General Manager and Chief Engineer Martin L. Adams.
For more information about the Board of Water and Power Commissioners, visit www.ladwpcommission.com.
###