This Women’s History Month, LADWP is celebrating the contributions that women in the LADWP workforce make every day. From instrument mechanics and water treatment operators to electrical engineering associates, electrical craft helpers and beyond, each woman at LADWP utilizes her talents to serve our customers and bring affordable and reliable water and power to the City of Los Angeles.
In October 2020, the Board made history as the first all-female board to lead the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP). In 2023, the Board continues to be composed of female members: President Cynthia McClain-Hill, Vice President Cynthia M. Ruiz and Commissioners Nicole Neeman Brady, Nurit Katz and Mia Lehrer.
Selected as board president in 2020 after serving as vice president since 2018, McClain-Hill is a highly regarded and widely respected attorney and is lauded as an astute and skillful public policy strategist with a record of service and accomplishments on an array of public-sector and nonprofit boards and commissions.
“This is a time of unprecedented challenges as we work to build a stronger Los Angeles by achieving our goals for clean, reliable and sustainable water and energy,” said McClain-Hill. “I am confident that working together, LADWP can surmount these challenges and come out a stronger, more inclusive organization that provides equity and fairness for our customers, communities, and employees in everything we do.”
Ruiz joined the Board as vice president in 2022 and is the first Native American commissioner. She is a professor, best-selling author, executive coach, inspirational speaker and leadership expert.
“In my life, I have been in the position of being a trailblazer on many occasions. It comes with a lot of responsibility. Many times, there is not a roadmap, so blazing the trail comes with hard work and perseverance. It also comes with a great sense of pride and honor when you are able to accomplish things which have never been done before,” said Ruiz.
Appointed to the Board in 2019, Neeman Brady is the CEO and a director of Sustainable Development Acquisition I Corp (SDAC) and is also a principal and member of the Investment Committee at Renewable Resources Group.
Lehrer has been a Board commissioner since 2020, and is president and founder of Studio-MLA, a landscape architecture, urban design and planning practice dedicated to advocacy by design with a vision to improve quality of life through landscape.
The Board’s newest commissioner is Katz, appointed in 2022. Katz is an educator and sustainability professional who cares deeply about creating a sustainable, resilient and healthy region for all Angelenos. She is currently chief sustainability officer for UCLA.
The department and the City of Los Angeles face new, unprecedented challenges in the modern era, including transforming water and power supplies to more sustainable resources, investing in infrastructure and creating equity within the organization and the communities LADWP serves.
One major Board initiative has been advancing diversity, equity and inclusion, particularly in the area of women’s equality. McClain-Hill, in conjunction with staff and IBEW Local 18, officially established the LADWP Women’s Council in June 2021. The Council supports women in the LADWP workforce and provides resources for career advancement, mentorship and work-life balance.
One of the accomplishments of the Council has been the expansion of the department’s lactation resources. LADWP recently opened a new employee lactation lounge at its headquarters that includes four new lactation suites and meeting spaces for one-on-one lactation consultations — additional existing lactation rooms are also being updated and new lounges are being considered for other staff locations.
New lactation services provided by the department also include support group sessions focusing on lactation and parenting, and group classes on family care topics. One of the biggest focuses of the Council in 2023 is promoting workforce development and science, technology, math and science (STEM) careers for women in underrepresented communities, and the department is planning a Women’s Career and Wellness Expo this spring to attract students, community members and employees to explore career paths at LADWP.
Female LADWP Employee Overcomes Challenges in Male-Dominated Field
While it is more common that men pursue most skilled trade careers, it is important to recognize the women in these roles who are paving the way for others like them. Verlene Fierro, one of LADWP’s instrument mechanic supervisors, shared her experiences at LADWP and what it is like to work in a field widely considered “nontraditional” for women.
Fierro currently works in the Power Generation Division at LADWP and is a nearly 14-year veteran of the department. She first joined LADWP as a steam plant assistant and pursued the promotional path to become an instrument mechanic, followed by an instrument mechanic supervisor.
Fierro said, “LADWP is a great place to work because I have an opportunity to grow personally and professionally. I have been able to complete my bachelor’s degree through the tuition reimbursement benefit, which gives me a great sense of pride. I also feel I work for a department that takes the time to listen to people, to listen to the challenges we have faced and works toward a more diverse workforce with equitable opportunities.”
As an instrument mechanic supervisor, Fierro works at Haynes Generating Station and trains staff on how to perform highly skilled field and shop work in inspecting, adjusting, and calibrating various automatic controls. She coordinates this work and supervises and provides guidance to her team as they analyze instrumentation malfunctions to determine necessary repairs.
Fierro has had to face her share of adversity as a woman pursuing a career in a male-dominated industry. She has had to overcome multiple challenges, from having to find the proper tools and ergonomic techniques to compensate for physical strength differences between some men and women, to balancing work and family life. She explained that with the help of her strong support system outside of work, she was able to focus on learning opportunities at work and devote time to studying her craft, which empowered her to achieve success in her professional career.
Fierro offered words of encouragement to women who are considering a “nontraditional” role for women with LADWP.
“There is a support system here. There are people who will look out for you, and if you’re willing to stand up for yourself and keep learning and keep persevering, you can do it,” she said.
To learn more about the Los Angeles Board of Water and Power Commissioners, visit www.ladwp.com/board.