Around LADWP
Organizational Updates
Power System
Photos by Chris Corsmeier and Art Mochizuki.
Effective April 26, Simon Zewdu was appointed to the position of Interim Senior Assistant General Manager – Power System. Zewdu has extensive experience as a Power Engineering Manager, and is responsible for oversight over the entire Power System, including both Power Construction, Maintenance and Operations, as well as Power Engineering and Technical Services. Zewdu reports directly to the Chief Operating Officer.
In addition, Nazir Fazli was appointed the Executive Director of Power Construction, Maintenance and Operations. The Executive Director of Power Engineering and Technical Services position will be filled at a later date.
Brian Wilbur is responsible for management and modernization of Power System’s Distribution Asset Inspection and Maintenance Program, ensuring that the Department meets its obligation to inspect, repair, and maintain our power poles and other overhead and underground distribution equipment in accordance with the Power System Reliability Program and state and federal regulatory requirements.
Corporate Health and Safety
Daniel Aeschleman was appointed as LADWP’s Chief Safety Officer on June 23. Aeschleman had previously served as Assistant Director of the Office of Corporate Health and Safety, followed by an interim appointment as Chief Safety Officer effective April 26, 2023, replacing Nazir Fazli upon his appointment as Executive Director of Power Construction, Maintenance and Operations.
As head of the Office of Corporate Health and Safety, Aeschleman reports directly to the COO and is responsible for managing the activities of Corporate Health and Safety, Power System Safety, Water System Safetyand the Safety Warehouse, as well as the Occupational Health Services and Workers’ Compensation organizations that were incorporated in November 2021. Recently, the Office of Emergency Management was merged under Chief Safety Officer leadership to align this critical function under one safety umbrella.
Photo by Chris Corsmeier
Office of DEI
Gregory Reed returned to LADWP to serve as the Senior Assistant General Manager of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion on May 15. Reed most recently was the General Manager of the West Basin Municipal Water District. Prior to that, Reed spent 20 years at LADWP and was the Assistant Director of Water Engineering and Technical Services. In addition to his career as a professional engineer, Reed has demonstrated a lifetime commitment to workforce diversity, equity and inclusion.
Photo by Chris Corsmeier
Information Technology Services
Effective June 23, Mona Guirguis was appointed Interim Chief Information Technology Officer overseeing Information Technology Services. Guirguis brings to this role over 30 years of dedicated service and experience in Information Technology with both LADWP and the City of Los Angeles. She will report directly to the Chief Operating Officer. Guirguis will work to ensure that our Strategic Technology Plan and efforts to improve customer-facing technology remain on track during this time of transition. LADWP will be working to recruit and appoint a permanent replacement for this position in the near future.
Effective May 22, Marco Elizarraras was appointed to the position of Chief Information Security Officer, responsible for LADWP’s cybersecurity unit and related functions. He reports directly to the Interim Chief Information Technology Officer, Mona Guirguis. As Chief Information Security Officer, Elizarraras is responsible for overseeing enterprise cybersecurity services, cyber operations, cyber governance, risk and compliance, and security monitoring and advisory services. He and his team are also responsible for cybersecurity design and architecture, cyber hygiene and threat monitoring, cyber remediation, cyber policy and training guidance and other cybersecurity related efforts.
Photos by Chris Corsmeier
Landmark Commercial Energy Storage to Grid Program Greenlighted
Continuing on the path to 100 percent clean energy, LADWP is the first municipal utility to launch a vehicle-to-grid (V2G) and energy storage-to-grid program to help spur transportation electrification and expand local energy storage at times that optimize power reliability for all Angelenos.
The Commercial Energy Storage to Grid (CES2G) pilot program, called “Charge Back LA,” enables electric vehicles to send power back to the electric grid, converting them to mobile batteries, and offers incentive rates that encourage charging and discharging at times that benefit grid reliability and offset the need for using fossil fuel power.
The pilot program is available to commercial, industrial and institutional customers using high-voltage DC fast chargers for large fleets of electric buses, trucks or other types of EVs as well as stationary batteries. LADWP will offset a significant portion of the interconnection costs and pay about $0.17 per kilowatt-hour (kWh) above the peak charging rate. The pilot program was approved by the City Council on April 25 and recommended by the Board of Water and Power Commissioners on March 28.
For more information, visit www.ladwp.com/CES2G.
Grand Opening of West Lakeside Street Park
On May 6, Chief Operating Officer (COO) Aram Benyamin joined Councilmember Monica Rodriguez for the grand opening of the West Lakeside Street Park in Sylmar. This park was a collaboration between Council District 7 (CD7), the Department of Recreation and Parks (RAP) and LADWP, and has a variety of stormwater capture and water conservation features installed throughout. The grand opening was a large community gathering with various booths from city departments, local food trucks and performances from community groups.
The completion of the park was made possible due to LADWP’s Legislative and Intergovernmental Affairs (LIGA) Division and Real Estate Services. In the years leading up to the ribbon cutting, Real Estate Services worked as an intermediary between Power System (which owns the property the park is built on), RAP and CD7 to ensure that the park would not interfere with Power System operations. They also addressed ongoing maintenance and care for the park. LIGA coordinated with CD7 staff, Communications and Corporate Strategy and the COO’s office to ensure that LADWP was able to support Councilmember Rodriguez in her event while also supporting a unique joint use with RAP. Ultimately, these negotiations led to the park’s construction and made the ribbon cutting event possible. With further collaborations like this one, LADWP can continue to help build a greener, healthier and stronger L.A.
LADWP Joins Mule Days Celebration
Children smiling, clutching their ice cream or popcorn, adults in western gear, hooves striking pavement, and western music playing in the background against a backdrop of the majestic snow-capped Eastern Sierra Mountains. All these signs mean that you’re at Mule Days in Bishop, CA!
Every Memorial Day weekend since 1970, with the exception of 2019, Mule Days has taken place to celebrate these amazing, hard-working animals that shaped the Owens Valley (OV) and helped in the construction of the Los Angeles Aqueduct.
Employees from the Bishop Administrative Office (BAO) and in-basin staffed the LADWP booth at Mule Days to promote LADWP jobs in the Owens Valley, and meet and greet neighbors and visitors. Two locals visited the booth to convey their gratitude for all the work being performed by the Aqueduct Operations team to maintain the runoff from this year’s historic snowpack. BAO employees who helped at LADWP’s booth included Vivian Guerrero, Julianne Burg, Francesca Joven, Dawn Calderon and Cynthia Muller, who were joined by Recruitment Services members Sandra Davenport and Ardeshir (Ardy) Rezamand and Sr. Public Relations Specialist Sylvia Beltran.
Congratulations New Speakers Bureau Members!
Welcome to the team, new Speakers Bureau members! Speakers Bureau is comprised of 50 LADWP employees from Joint, Water and Power Systems, creating a diverse team of subject matter experts. Members represent LADWP at more than 400 community events throughout Los Angeles per year, helping to connect with our customers and stakeholders.
New 2023 Speakers Bureau members are Arian Abrishami, Erik Avila, Patrick Basta, Alexander Bodulow, Kandice Brown, Hamilton Ching, Min Cho, Andrew Christopher, Kristine Delizo, Jamie Harada, Kelly Harada, Joe Hua, Ahmed Jaber, Lizette Jimenez, Kit San Lai, Derrick Leong, Raymond Lin, Noah Lueneburg, Marcelo Martinez, Jimmy Mejia, Ken Melendez, Leila Mirseyedi, Samantha Muhammad, Adrianna Musgray, Aaron Perlman, Michelle Rubio, Isiah Smith, Michael Tsai, Jesse Vismonte and Sandy Yen.
Photo by Chris Corsmeier
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This publication is written and published by the Communications and Corporate Strategy Division. For other 2022-23 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/.