WRD Board Officers Set for 2016-17 Fiscal Year

LAKEWOOD, Calif., June 30, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- July 1, 2016 marks the start the new fiscal year for the Water Replenishment District of Southern California (WRD). The WRD Board Officers will continue to serve in their previously elected positions.

In February, the Board of Directors of the Water Replenishment District of Southern California (WRD), elected new board officers, selecting former Assemblymember and longtime WRD board member Willard H. Murray, Jr. to take the helm as its new Board President. Murray has served on the board since 1998, including the past two years as the Board's Vice President. In addition, the board elected Rob Katherman to serve as Vice President, John Allen as Board Secretary and Albert Robles as the board's Treasurer. The elected board officers will continue their board roles into the new fiscal year.

"I was grateful and humbled to have been elected by my colleagues to lead WRD's Board of Directors, especially as we continue to forge long term solutions to drought-proof our region," said President Murray. "We're committed to continuing the course of WRD's outstanding work and moving forward important projects in this new year that will ensure safe, clean and affordable drinking water for decades to come."

Vice President Rob Katherman echoed the sentiment of his colleague, Willard Murray. "For the past 12 years that I've served on the board, we have hit many important milestones, but I'm most encouraged by current efforts to become the first set of groundwater basins in the state to become fully sustainable and independent of imported water," said Katherman. "We're setting a whole new standard for groundwater management in the State of California and I'm proud to be on this Board of Directors to help lead that effort."

John Allen, who was elected in November 2014, will continue as Board Secretary. "Being supported by my colleagues is something I regard with sincere gratitude," stated Allen. "Since joining the board, we have been in high gear on projects that will have permanent positive impacts on the future of our water security. I'm looking forward to continuing that pace in the new year and achieving complete water independence of our groundwater basins."

Last fall WRD unveiled the design plans for its new advanced water treatment facility that will be located in the City of Pico Rivera and will provide an additional 21,000 acre feet (7 billion gallons) of water that is currently imported. Construction is expected to begin later this year. Completion of the facility in 2018 will eliminate the need to import water from Northern California and the Colorado River for groundwater replenishment.

Albert Robles, WRD's longest serving member, will maintain his role on the board as treasurer. "Our fiscal stability and accountability remains unmatched. Even as we move ahead with building critical projects for our region's future, we are mindful of our fiscal responsibilities to the public and our groundwater pumpers" Robles said. "We're right on track to have one of our most successful years that will benefit the region for decades."

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SOURCE Water Replenishment District of Southern California

Related Links

www.wrd.org