Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti announced Thursday that he has selected his nomination for the next person to serve on the Metropolitan Water District Board of Directors.
Heather Repenning, the mayor’s nomination, has decades of experience in environmental and public policy, Garcetti said.
“Heather has dedicated her life to serving others, standing up for families and students, putting a concerted focus on sustainability and fighting for workers’ rights,” Garcetti said. “With her deep background in public service and environmental policy, I know that she will bring integrity, wisdom and drive to the work of strengthening our water infrastructure and leading the Metropolitan Water District.”
Repenning is the former vice president of the Los Angeles Board of Public Works, which oversees the department’s $835 million annual budget.
As the commissioner tasked with overseeing the Bureau of Sanitation, Repenning was responsible for managing issues such as the Los Angeles River and the countywide Safe Clean Water Program. She was also a member of the administrative oversight committee for the city’s Proposition O water quality bond program, and she founded the Ad Hoc Business Advisory Committee to increase diversity in Public Works’ contracting.
“The global climate crisis has magnified the importance of being smart about how we source and distribute our most precious resource,” Repenning said. “I am honored to represent Los Angeles ratepayers because I have seen firsthand the willingness of Angelenos to pitch in on conservation. With so much technological innovation focused on recycling and green infrastructure, I am confident that we can realize a sustainable vision for managing our water resources that works for everyone.”
Repenning graduated from Swarthmore College and has a master’s degree in comparative literature from the University of California, Irvine. Her nomination is subject to City Council confirmation. If confirmed, she would replace outgoing board member Glen Dake.