Around LADWP
LADWP Welcomes Holiday Fest Back to JFB
After a two-year hiatus, LADWP was excited to get into the holiday spirit and welcomed employees, family members and friends back to the John Ferraro Building (JFB) for the annual Holiday Fest event! Festivities took place on December 23, where attendees enjoyed a variety of crafts, movies, giveaways, a visit with Santa Claus and much more. The Employee Relations and Benefits division thank all of the event partners, including some of LADWP’s very own professional and employee resource groups, who made the event possible.
View images from the event below, photos by Art Mochizuki.
Celebrating Winter Solstice at Chatsworth Nature Preserve
Co-hosted by LADWP and the Fernandeño Tataviam Band of Mission Indians (FTBMI), the second annual Winter Solstice event was held on December 21 at the Chatsworth Nature Preserve, and was attended by many tribal members and elders, Mayor Karen Bass, Councilmember John Lee and more than 200 residents from the local community. Guests gathered at dawn around the sacred circle while FTBMI and Chumash elders performed traditional tribal blessings and ceremonial songs. Before the nature preserve became the Chatsworth Reservoir, it was home to the Tataviam, Tongva and Chumash Indian Tribes for centuries.
In keeping with tribal culture, Board Vice President Cynthia Ruiz, a member of the Cherokee Nation, together with Board President Cynthia McClain-Hill and newly appointed Commissioner Nurit Katz, presented the FTBMI Tribal President and Mayor Bass with ceremonial blankets. Following the ceremony and speaking program, guests enjoyed an acorn gathering demonstration, presented by representatives of the Natural History Museum. They were also free to take advantage of the rare opportunity to hike around the picturesque property.
View images from the event below, photos by Art Mochizuki.
Photo by Chris Corsmeier
Adams Recognized for Clean Energy Leadership
General Manager and Chief Engineer Martin L. Adams received the Sustainability Leader of the Year Award from WE3. Presented at the WE3 Summit in Los Angeles in November, the award recognized Adams and the Department’s commitment to achieving a 100 percent carbon-free grid by 2035. Arash Saidi, Power Engineering Manager of Distributed Resources, who was also a speaker at a summit panel discussion on energy storage, accepted the award on behalf of LADWP. WE3 convenes international water and energy thought leaders in net-zero, cleantech, mobility and electrification initiatives.
Equity Ambassador Program Kicks-Off
The Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEIO) kicked off the first meeting of LADWP’s Equity Ambassador program on December 6. As the Department strives to foster a culture where DEI is integrated into the workforce, the Ambassador program engages and raises awareness among our employees about our collective DEI efforts. Equity Ambassadors will help ensure that the objectives of a diverse, equitable and inclusive workplace are relayed to all corners of the Department. The goal is for Equity Ambassadors to learn the language of DEI along with our mission and goals, which they will bring back and share with their teams.
Photo by Art Mochizuki
Photo by Art Mochizuki
Small Business Academy Honors 2021, 2022 Graduates
The LA Small Business Academy held its eight annual graduation ceremony at L.A. City Hall in November, with former Mayor Eric Garcetti and city commissioners in attendance. Both 2021 and 2022 graduates were honored at the event. The Academy was established in 2014 to educate and foster the growth of small businesses to increase participation in city agency contracting opportunities. This year’s online academy consisted of five separate courses that provided direct information and insight into doing business with the city and its agencies. Courses include business essentials, contract compliance, professional services, procurement projects and major city initiatives. The Academy is produced in partnership between LADWP, the LA Department of Public Works, Bureau of Contract Administration and Bureau of Engineering, Los Angeles World Airports, and the Port of LA.
Volunteers Wanted for LADWP Science Bowl
Employees, their families and community members are asked to serve as Science Bowl volunteers in the roles of timekeepers, scorekeepers, runners or moderators. For 2023, the plan is to hold the competition in-person at JFB as it was in 2020. For students, service credit is available. The LADWP Science Bowl Regional Competition will be held on Saturday, March 4 from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. at JFB. Practices for volunteers will be held from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. in January (Jan. 26), February (Feb. 2, 9, 15, 16, 23) and March (March 1-3) in JFB Room 1071.
The year 2023 marks the 30th anniversary of this program for L.A. schools, which began in 1993. Since that time in which 16 teams in 16 high schools first competed, the program has grown to more than 40 teams in as many as 30 high schools. Over this three-decade span, LADWP regional championship teams have won five national titles and placed among the top five schools 15 times.
share this page
This publication is written and published by the Corporate Strategy and Communications Division. For other 2022 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/.
