Around LADWP
Board President Re-Elected, New Vice President Appointed
The LADWP Board of Water and Power Commissioners has unanimously re-elected attorney and public policy strategist Cynthia McClain-Hill as President, and elected business leader Nicole Neeman Brady as Vice President. The annual election of officers was conducted during the Board’s meeting on July 11.
Cynthia McClain-Hill was first elected President of the Board of Water and Power Commissioners on July 28, 2020, after serving as Board Vice President since September 5, 2018. She was appointed to a four-year term on the Board of Water and Power Commissioners in August 2018, and reconfirmed by the Los Angeles City Council on June 28, 2022.
As a Board member since 2019, Neeman Brady has brought significant expertise on energy and water supply matters as well as risk management and strategic planning in shaping LADWP’s programs and policies.
Read more at LADWP News.
Heat and Cold Related Shutoffs Suspended
Angelenos need all the protection they can get as heat storms ramp up and push temperatures above 100 degrees well into September. The motion approved on June 27 by the Los Angeles Board of Water and Power Commissioners is critically important and will help save lives. The motion directs LADWP to suspend collections-related water and power shutoffs for all customers during extreme heat and cold weather events. Under this new policy, when the National Weather Service (NWS) issues an extreme heat or cold weather advisory or warning, LADWP will not shut a customer’s water or power off if they are delinquent on their bill. The approval of the motion positions the City and LADWP to be empathetic and health-aware to help our customers throughout our city stay cool during our hottest days of the year.
Read more at LADWP News.
Organizational Updates
On July 1, Milad Taghavi was appointed Director of the Water Operations Division at LADWP. He leads a diverse, talented and dedicated team of over 800 administrative, craft, engineering, scientific and technical professionals. Taghavi is responsible for planning and directing the operation and maintenance of the first and second Los Angeles Aqueducts (233 miles and 137 miles, respectively) conveying water from Mono Basin to the City of Los Angeles, as well as LADWP's extensive in-basin networks of treatment facilities, groundwater well fields, pump stations, regulatory/relief stations, tanks and reservoirs. His responsibilities include overseeing LADWP's dust mitigation activities at Owens Lake, the Lower Owens River Project restoration, environmental enhancement and mitigation projects in Owens Valley, the City of Los Angeles' land holdings, and associated water rights in the Eastern Sierra.
Bassam Abou-Chakra was named Chief Compliance Officer for the Department effective August 14. In this role, Abou-Chakra is tasked with the overall planning, organizing and implementation of LADWP’s compliance program, including Operations and Planning and Critical Infrastructure Protection standards. He has extensive working experience with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, North American Electric Reliability Corporation, Western Electricity and California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) standards, and the regulatory filings required for the various agencies, including but not limited to the Department of Energy and the California Energy Commission.
John Vanacore was appointed Director of the Advanced Technologies Infrastructure Division effective July 3. He will establish the foundation for this new division that crosses system, division and group lines. This will better integrate our power and water infrastructure, the Department’s strategic and operating plans, and all modes of communication infrastructure (fiber, copper, microwave, wireless, etc.). Vanacore previously served as the Executive Director of the Joint Safety and Training Institute, and has 31 years of service in overhead, underground, construction, maintenance, WMIS and Safety sections.
Free Self-Defense Class Returns to JFB
On July 22, more than 50 people arrived at JFB to take part in a free self-defense class provided by Seniors Fight Back. The class was sponsored by the Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and organized by ASPIRE. Participants learned that the most effective self-defense tactic is prevention. Instructors emphasized that the key to preventing attacks is by being fearless, not reckless. The majority of the workshop was devoted to learning about situational awareness, adopting strong body language and using one’s voice effectively.
“It was important for us to organize this workshop because sadly, seniors are considered easy targets for attackers,” said Michelle Saalfeld, Utility Administrator and ASPIRE Secretary. “This workshop brought together a diverse group of employees, family members, friends and members of the public of all ages to be alert and recognize potentially dangerous situations.”
Seniors Fight Back is a nonprofit organization that was established in May 2021 in response to the surge in attacks against seniors in the Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) community during the height of the pandemic. This is the second year this free workshop was provided at JFB, and the organization is expanding to include anti-bullying training for children.
View images from the event below:
LADWP Showcases Commitment to Pollinators
LADWP has sponsored and participated in the Pollinator Power Party since its inception in 2020. The annual event is hosted by the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI), which provides power companies an opportunity to engage with people across the world so they can learn more about the critical role of pollinators in our ecosystem, and how we can all conserve and preserve vulnerable species.
During this year’s event on June 23, LADWP submitted a video highlighting one of our largest nursery and pollinator habitats located in the San Fernando Valley at the Valley Generating Station. Several years in the making, LADWP staff cultivated and maintained the garden to what it is today. This particular location consists of a main nursery, pond and pollinator garden, and also boasts sustainable water and energy practices to maintain the garden. As a utility, LADWP has many transmission rights-of-way that are prime real estate for pollinator populations, and is committed to doing its part to help ensure pollinators not only survive, but thrive.
You can watch the video above, created by AV Technician Serena Beltran. Board of Water and Power Commissioner Nurit Katz and employees David Vara, Noe Gomez-Romero, John Willett, Kristina Smith and Juan Lopez were instrumental in participating in the video and making it possible.
Family Care and Women’s Council Updates
Family Care and the Women’s Council presented to the Board of Water and Power Commissioners on August 15 to share new and upcoming developments for their shared initiatives. Unveiling a new video on lactation support services (watch above), they announced that 12 lactation rooms have been renovated or constructed throughout LADWP’s work locations in 2023, and lactation pods and portable lactation pumps have been introduced for employees in the field. They also announced a new paid parental leave policy, 6 weeks or 240 hours of paid leave for parental bonding, which will be developed pending Board approval. In addition, fitness centers are now open for employee use across work locations, and equipment improvements and maintenance are being undertaken. For more information, watch the Board presentation.
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This publication is written and published by the Communications and Corporate Strategy Division. For 2022-2023 issues, click the three horizontal lines icon next to the Contact logo at the top left of the document. Then click the “Editions” tab. For issues from 2000-2021, see Intranet page MyDWP/.
